Sausage Gravy

My family is from the south, and I'm a huge fan of some southern comfort foods. But there are some things that I refuse to let cross my lips. Okra? Gross. Fresh green beans? Eww. Chicken and dumplings? I can't even talk about it without gagging. But sausage gravy? Yes, please!!

I've spent a number of years perfecting my Mamaw's sausage gravy. She passed away when I was young, so I never really had the pleasure of learning to cook from her. But I remember very vividly some of the amazing things she used to make for her family. I've known the general concept of sausage gravy, but never knew exact measurements or prep secrets. But now I think I've perfected it, and I hope that my sausage gravy would make my Mamaw proud!

1 lb ground pork sausage
3 tbsp butter
1/4 cup flour
3 cups milk
salt
pepper
honey

Brown sausage in a large skillet. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon, leaving drippings in the pan. Melt butter in the pan with the sausage drippings, making sure to scrape the pan well. When butter is melted add flour, mixing well until smooth. Cook on medium heat until flour mixture is golden brown. Add 2 tsp ground black pepper (more or less to taste. I didn't measure, so 2 tsp is a guess, but I was pretty generous with the pepper) and a dash of salt to flour mixture. Slowly whisk in milk until gravy is smooth. Add a drizzle of honey (I circled the pan twice) and sausage crumbles. Simmer on medium-low heat until thickened. You can add a splash of milk if your gravy gets too thick.

Serve over warm buttermilk biscuits.