Sawmill gravy, also referred to as sausage gravy, is a southern staple. It will get the sawmill moniker as a result of it’s one thing they used to serve at chow time within the previous Civil War period sawmills and logging camps. In my very southern household, nonetheless, we served it sans sausage and referred to as it milk gravy. Although my dad handed after I was fairly younger, one in every of my extra vivid reminiscences of him was of constructing french toast (unsweetened) and smothering it with handmade, peppery milk gravy. The recipe he used was handed right down to him from his grandma (my Pepa’s mama), and whereas consuming french toast and gravy might sound odd to some, it was a childhood delicacy!
Milk-based gravies are fairly easy fare. You begin with a roux of flour and animal fats (often bacon drippings however sausage drippings work, too), and then you definately add milk (or cream), salt, and an entire lot of pepper, then cook dinner it right down to the thickness you favor. This recipe is sort of equivalent to my non-keto sausage/milk gravy with some lifestyle-appropriate modifications. Roux just isn’t precisely keto-friendly, however making an genuine southern milk gravy, with or with out sausage, is as straightforward as swapping in heavy cream for milk and including a little bit glucomannan powder on the proper time.
I’ve to inform you, whereas I understand that people do the very best they will to simulate previous favorites, I’ve by no means in my life seen a “real” southern gravy that had cream cheese in it, and there received’t be cream cheese on this one, both. It’s simply pure southern, sausage-and-bacon-and-peppery deliciousness. Serve it up over eggs, or along with your favourite low carb biscuits (like my buttermilk-style ones).
Notes: Before you ask, please, for the love of all that’s keto and fantastic, don’t attempt to use xanthan gum because the thickener. It is extremely straightforward to overdo, and tends to make sizzling liquids slimy and/or gummy. Trust me, xanthan gum is the mortal enemy of gravy. If you’ve a tough time discovering glucomannan powder in your native complement retailer, it’s out there for a really cheap value on Amazon, and it’ll final a really very long time.
Real milk-based gravies mustn’t be pasty. I do know a whole lot of eating places serve it that method, and in order that’s what of us have come to count on. The precise factor, although, is tight however ought to pour and not unfold.
I divided this into 4, very beneficiant servings, however should you solely use a little bit gravy at a time you could possibly stretch this to 6 or eight. I most likely solely eat half a serving at a time, however different members of my household will eat a whole quarter of the recipe in a single sitting (and possibly return for extra!), so that’s as much as you and your urge for food.

Sawmill Gravy (aka, Sausage Gravy)
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb (8 oz/227 g) floor sausage
- 1 oz (28 g or approx. 1/4 c) diced yellow onion
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- a contact of bacon drippings, if desired, to maintain sausage combine from sticking
- 1 c (8 fl oz/237 ml) heavy cream
- 1 tsp floor black pepper (or extra, to style)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp glucomannan powder
- 1 tbsp salted butter
- 2 slices crisply cooked bacon, crumbled (as garnish, if desired)
Instructions
- Measure out your cream, then whisk the pepper, salt, and glucomannan in properly and let stand when you put together the sausage.
- In a heavy-bottomed skillet, start cooking the sausage and onion over medium-high warmth, breaking apart the sausage into tiny items. If the sausage sticks in any respect, add a little bit bacon grease to the skillet to loosen it up.
- In the previous couple of minutes earlier than the sausage is browned, add the garlic to the skillet and permit the combination to cook dinner, stirring freqently, till the sausage is cooked by means of.
- Give the heavy cream combination a little bit stir, then add it to the skillet and switch the warmth right down to medium.
- Cook the gravy over medium, scraping any bits off backside of the pan properly with a wood spoon, till it’s as bubbly and thick as you prefer it. Mine was tight however nonetheless pourable at 3-4 minutes, nevertheless it may probably be a little bit longer should you like your gravy very thick.
- Vigorously stir within the butter on the final minute to soften into the combination.
- Remove from the warmth, garnish with crumbled bacon, and serve instantly.
Notes
Per serving (assumes bacon is used as garnish): 437 cal, 13.4 g protein, 41 g fats, 3.6 g carbs, 0.5 g fiber, 3.1 g NET carbs
Keywords: Sawmill, sausage, gravy, southern, milk