you're making mealtime meaningful.
A Southern comfort food becomes the center of a get-together with this recipe for Sawmill Gravy Dip. A creamy homemade classic gets coated in cheese and baked until bubbling golden brown for a dip that’s too good to stop eating!
It goes by many names, and Sawmill Gravy is one of them. This gravy is a hearty base of sausage, sausage grease, flour, and milk. A simple black pepper and salty seasoning for a gravy that drenches soft from the oven biscuits. This time, instead of being a sauce, this Sawmill Gravy is baked into a cheesy gooey dip that beckons chips and crackers to dive in.
To start, the sausage gets rendered in a pot or saucepan until it cooks all of the way through. Remove the sausage and some drippings, leaving about three tablespoons of the fat in the pan.
Next, whisk the flour into the fat, creating a roux. Whisking constantly to make a smooth paste.
Once the roux turns a soft golden color, take the milk and gradually whisk it into the roux, one cup at a time. Continue whisking until the gravy thickens.
Add the sausage to the gravy and season with salt and pepper.
Transfer to a casserole dish and cover with white cheddar cheese. Bake in the oven until the top is golden, and the sides are bubbly.
A taste of this Sawmill Gravy Dish is a taste of comfort food taken to the next level.
The hearty meatiness of the gravy pairs perfectly with the richness of gooey melted cheese.
Piled onto crackers, this dip is perfect to bring to gatherings or potlucks. It’s a great thing to have as a starter.
It’s so good, it may outshine the main meal!
Sawmill Gravy Dip
Yield(s): Serves about 6 to 8
10m prep time
30m cook time
you're making mealtime meaningful.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground sausage
- 3 tablespoons sausage drippings (or butter)
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- Sliced toasted bread or crackers, for serving
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350°F and spray an 8x8 baking dish with baking spray, set aside.
- In a large skillet or medium saucepan cook sausage on a low heat, rendering the fat out of the sausage without burning it, about 7 to 9 minutes.
- Remove the sausage from the pan, leaving about 3 tablespoons of the fat in the pan.
- Whisk in flour, whisking until as lump-free paste forms, cooking for about 2 to 3 minutes. After a few minutes, the roux should have a golden brown hue.
- Gradually pour in milk in batches 1 cup at a time. Whisk constantly until it has thickened up and then add the second cup. Repeat this process again with the third and final cup of milk.
- Continue whisking until it's thickened.
- Add sausage back into the gravy. Season with salt and pepper.
- Transfer into the prepared pan and cover the top with cheese.
- Bake in the oven until the top is golden brown and it’s bubbling around the sides, about 10 minutes.
- Serve hot with bread, biscuits, or crackers – enjoy!
Recipe adapted from My Country Table.