Country or Sawmill Gravy

No idea why it is called sawmill gravy, don’t care enough to look it up on Wikipedia, perhaps it was because sometime during the reconstruction of the south after the civil war they ran out of flour, and had to use sawdust. So even if you were making gravy you would need to thicken it with sawdust instead of flour? Maybe? Ok, when I am done with this post it is going to be time for some research.

My Oregonian Grandfather who grew up on a farm with no running water or electricity, just outside of Astoria taught me the wonders of gravy. A favorite snack or light lunch of his was a slice of bread with hot chicken or turkey gravy poured on top. I really liked this, then I learned about biscuits and gravy. The mother ship had come to take me home! This is the fast white sauce I usually toss out using the efficient “Cowboy Roux” or cornstarch as a thickener. This is also a base recipe (Technically just a thick white sauce) you can substitute chopped celery, asparagus, green onion, chopped ham, red or green bell peppers, chopped broccoli or cauliflower for the sausage or Gimmie Lean™. There really is no end to what you can do with a thick white sauce.

For a weekend breakfast or brunch dish: instead of eggs Benedict try serving a poached egg on a hot fresh baked biscuit and then smothered in your variation of country gravy

½ Pound of bulk sausage mild spicy or sweet cooked and crumbled, or ½ # Gimmie Lean™ browned, or ½ to ¾ cup of any of the above substitutions.

2 Tbs of cornstarch

2 Cups of Milk

1 Tbs of butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix the cornstarch and the milk together and heat over medium low heat till thickened. Stir in the butter till smooth and add the sausage or Gimmie Lean™

Serve over eggs, bread, biscuits, chicken fried steak, breaded Quorn™ patties, hash browns or tater tots.