Cheddar Chive Breakfast Biscuits with Sausage Gravy

Name: Cheddar Chive Breakfast Biscuits with Sausage Gravy
Prep time: 28 min
Cook time: 22 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients: 2½ cups (313 g) all-purpose flour, spooned into the cup and leveled; 1 tablespoon (12 g) baking powder, fresh (less than 6 months old); ½ teaspoon (3 g) baking soda; 1 teaspoon (6 g) fine sea salt; ½ teaspoon (1 g) freshly ground black pepper; 6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, cold, cut into ½-inch (1 cm) cubes; 4 ounces (113 g) sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated (about 1⅓ cups), kept cold; 3 tablespoons (9 g) fresh chives, thinly sliced; 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk, cold, shaken well; 1 tablespoon (14 g) unsalted butter, melted, for brushing; 12 ounces (340 g) bulk breakfast sausage (pork), casings removed if using links; 1 tablespoon (14 g) unsalted butter, only needed if the sausage renders less than 3 tablespoons of fat (optional); ¼ cup (31 g) all-purpose flour; 2½ cups (600 ml) whole milk, cold or room temperature; 1 teaspoon (2 g) coarsely ground black pepper, plus more to taste; ⅛ teaspoon (0.3 g) cayenne pepper (optional); kosher salt, to taste, added at the end; 1 tablespoon (3 g) fresh chives, thinly sliced, for garnish

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Tall, flaky buttermilk biscuits studded with sharp cheddar and fresh chives, smothered in a peppery, creamy breakfast sausage gravy. The biscuits bake while the gravy simmers, so everything lands on the table together.

Prep: 28 min
Cook: 22 min
Wait: 20 min
Total: 1 hr 10 min
Makes: 8 biscuits with about 3½ cups gravy (4 generous servings)

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the biscuits
2½ cups (313 g) all-purpose flour, spooned into the cup and leveled
1 tablespoon (12 g) baking powder, fresh (less than 6 months old)
½ teaspoon (3 g) baking soda
1 teaspoon (6 g) fine sea salt
½ teaspoon (1 g) freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, cold, cut into ½-inch (1 cm) cubes
4 ounces (113 g) sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated (about 1⅓ cups), kept cold
3 tablespoons (9 g) fresh chives, thinly sliced
1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk, cold, shaken well
1 tablespoon (14 g) unsalted butter, melted, for brushing
For the gravy
12 ounces (340 g) bulk breakfast sausage (pork), casings removed if using links
1 tablespoon (14 g) unsalted butter, only needed if the sausage renders less than 3 tablespoons of fat (optional)
¼ cup (31 g) all-purpose flour
2½ cups (600 ml) whole milk, cold or room temperature
1 teaspoon (2 g) coarsely ground black pepper, plus more to taste
⅛ teaspoon (0.3 g) cayenne pepper (optional)
kosher salt, to taste, added at the end
1 tablespoon (3 g) fresh chives, thinly sliced, for garnish

Equipment (10)

Large rimmed baking sheet (about 13×18 inches / 33×46 cm), lined with parchment paper
Large mixing bowl
Box grater
Sharp chef's knife or bench scraper
12-inch (30 cm) deep skillet or sauté pan
Wooden spoon or flat-edged spatula
Whisk
Pastry brush
Instant-read thermometer
Measuring cups and spoons, kitchen scale

Steps

Before you start

Keep the butter and buttermilk in the fridge until the moment you use them. Cold fat is what makes the biscuits flaky.
Grate the cheddar from a block yourself. Pre-shredded cheese is coated with starch and makes the dough drier.
Plan the timing: the dough chills for 15 minutes, then the biscuits bake for 16 to 18 minutes. Start the gravy as soon as the biscuits go in the oven; the gravy steps happen while the biscuits bake.
Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and have a 12-inch (30 cm) skillet ready.

1
Preheat and mix dryOven 425°F / 220°C
- Arrange an oven rack in the center and heat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, fine salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper until evenly combined, about 30 seconds.
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Ready when: No streaks of baking powder or soda remain in the flour.
Tip: Check that your baking powder is fresh. Old powder is the most common cause of flat biscuits.
2
Cut in butter
- Add the cold butter cubes to the flour and toss to coat.
- Working quickly, press each cube flat between your thumb and fingertips, then rub it into the flour.
- Keep going until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with many flat, pea- to almond-sized flakes of butter still visible.
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Ready when: Mixture looks shaggy and crumbly, with visible flat butter pieces; none are melted or smeared.
Tip: If the butter feels soft or greasy, slide the bowl into the freezer for 10 minutes before continuing.
3
Add cheddar and chives
- Add the grated cheddar and the 3 tablespoons of sliced chives.
- Toss with a fork or your fingertips until the cheese and chives are evenly distributed and each shred is coated in flour.
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Ready when: Cheese and chives are evenly scattered with no clumps.
4
Add buttermilk
- Make a well in the center and pour in the cold buttermilk.
- Stir with a spatula or fork, scraping from the bottom of the bowl, just until the dough comes together in a shaggy mass with a few dry spots.
- Do not knead; stop as soon as no large patches of dry flour remain.
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Ready when: Dough is shaggy, sticky and holds together when pressed, with a few small dry bits.
Tip: Overmixing develops gluten and makes tough, short biscuits.
5
Pat out and cut
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter, dusting your hands too.
- Gently pat and press it into an even rectangle about 8×6 inches (20×15 cm) and 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick, pressing in any dry bits.
- Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, trim the ragged edges by about ¼ inch (6 mm), then cut straight down (no sawing) into 4 columns and 2 rows to make 8 rectangular biscuits, about 2×3 inches (5×7.5 cm).
- Press the trimmings together and bake as a bonus biscuit if you like.
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Ready when: Dough is an even 1-inch thickness with clean, straight-cut edges.
Tip: Press the knife straight down and lift. Dragging or twisting seals the edges and stops the biscuits rising tall.
6
Arrange and chill
- Place the biscuits on the lined baking sheet, just touching each other so they support one another as they rise.
- Brush the tops with the melted butter, avoiding the cut sides.
- Refrigerate the tray for 15 minutes while the oven finishes heating.
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Ready when: Biscuits feel cold and firm to the touch.
Tip: Brushing butter onto the cut sides can glue the layers shut.
7
Bake the biscuitsOven 425°F / 220°C
- Put the tray in the 425°F (220°C) oven.
- Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, rotating the tray front to back after 10 minutes, until the biscuits have risen about double and the tops are deep golden brown.
- The biscuits bake unattended, so start the gravy right away; the next three steps happen while they bake.
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Ready when: Tops and edges are deep golden brown, with a little cheese crisping on the surface; the sides feel set, not doughy.
Tip: Don't open the oven in the first 10 minutes. The steam burst is what lifts them.
8
Brown the sausage
- Heat a 12-inch (30 cm) skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the sausage and break it into ½-inch (1 cm) crumbles with a wooden spoon.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, for 7 to 8 minutes, until no pink remains and the pieces are browned in spots.
- Check that it reaches 160°F (71°C).
- Leave the rendered fat in the pan; you should have about 3 tablespoons.
- If there is much less, stir in the 1 tablespoon of butter.
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Ready when: Sausage is browned with no pink, and an instant-read thermometer reads at least 160°F (71°C).
Tip: If the sausage releases more than 4 tablespoons of fat, spoon off the extra so the gravy isn't greasy.
9
Cook the flour
- Reduce the heat to medium.
- Sprinkle the ¼ cup flour evenly over the sausage and fat.
- Stir constantly for 1½ to 2 minutes so the flour coats the sausage and cooks off its raw taste.
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Ready when: No dry flour is visible, the mixture looks pasty, and it smells lightly toasty.
10
Add milk and simmer
- Pour in the milk about ½ cup (120 ml) at a time, stirring or whisking well after each addition so no lumps form.
- Add 1 teaspoon black pepper and the cayenne, if using.
- Bring to a gentle bubble, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring often and scraping the bottom, for 6 to 8 minutes.
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Ready when: Gravy is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, and a finger drawn through it leaves a clear trail.
Tip: The gravy thickens a lot as it stands. If it gets too thick, stir in a splash of milk.
11
Season the gravy
- Taste the gravy and add salt a pinch at a time, since sausage varies widely in saltiness.
- Add more black pepper until it has a clear peppery bite.
- Turn off the heat and cover while you take the biscuits out of the oven.
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Ready when: Gravy tastes well seasoned and distinctly peppery.
Tip: Season only after simmering. The gravy reduces and the flavor concentrates.
12
Rest, split and serve
- Let the baked biscuits rest on the tray for 5 minutes so the interiors finish setting.
- Split 2 biscuits per plate in half, set the halves open-faced, and ladle the hot gravy generously over the top.
- Sprinkle with the 1 tablespoon sliced chives and a little more black pepper.
- Serve right away.
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Ready when: Biscuits split easily into tender, steamy halves.
Tip: Reheat the gravy gently with a splash of milk if it has stiffened while you wait.

Good to know

Tips

Cold everything: butter, cheese and buttermilk should all be fridge-cold. If the dough feels warm or sticky at any point, chill it for 10 minutes.
Cut straight down with a sharp knife and don't twist, so the edges stay open and the biscuits rise evenly.
Gravy thickens as it cools. Aim for slightly looser than you want it at the table, and thin with a splash of milk if needed.
Use a scale for the flour if you can. Too much flour is the main cause of dry biscuits.

Make ahead

Cut the biscuits, arrange them on the tray, cover and refrigerate (without the butter brush) for up to 8 hours, or freeze the unbaked biscuits solid, then bag them for up to 2 months. Brush with butter and bake from frozen at 425°F (220°C) for 20 to 24 minutes. The gravy can be made 2 days ahead.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: keep baked biscuits in an airtight container for up to 1 day. Fridge: store biscuits and gravy separately for up to 3 days. Freezer: freeze cooled biscuits and the gravy for up to 2 months. Reheat biscuits at 350°F (175°C) for 8 to 10 minutes, and warm the gravy in a saucepan over low heat with a splash of milk, stirring often, until steaming hot.

Substitutions

buttermilk → 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk mixed with 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar. Let it sit for 5 minutes until slightly curdled, then chill before using.
sharp cheddar cheese → Pepper Jack, Gruyère or smoked Gouda. Use the same weight, and keep it grated and cold.
bulk breakfast sausage (pork) → Turkey or chicken breakfast sausage. Add 2 extra tablespoons of butter, as lean sausage renders little fat for the roux.
fresh chives → Thinly sliced scallion greens. Use the same amount; the flavor is slightly stronger.