Half-Time Biscuits and Gravy AND New Years Eve Cheese Ball

Half-time during the BYU/Tulsa game this morning couldn't have gotten any better. Why? 

Biscuits and Sausage Gravy!!  

Uumm, YUM!! I used my new cookbook that Amelia got me for Christmas. That would be, this one:

Check it out. It's got a lot of recipes that have potential to be STELLA. This one proved it. I've only made Sausage Gravy at one other time in my life, a few months ago actually, and it was not nearly as good as this one. The gravy was perfect!! I loved it so much and being the psychic that I am, I new that you would all be drooling at the mouth to make this, so yes, I will share.

Sausage Country Gravy

8 oz. sage or maple-flavored bulk sausage

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups milk

1 cup water

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Prepare the biscuits and bake them while you make the gravy.

2. Cook and stir the sausage in a small skillet over medium heat, crumbling it with a wooden spoon. Drain the fat, if necessary.

3. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Cook until the roux begins to darken slightly. Slowly whisk in the milk, water, slat, and pepper. Continue stirring until the gravy thickens and comes to a simmer. Stir in the sausage.

4. Break the warm biscuits in half and cover with the gravy.

****I just realized that instead of using 8 oz. of sausage this morning, I used an entire 16 oz. pack. WHOOPS! I remember looking at it and thinking about how I would just double everything else, but a phone call from my mother and a good BYU play later and the entire 16 oz. was mixed in with the regular/not doubled measurements above.  Maybe that's why it was so good! So full of sausage!! But I kind of liked it that way, I think it would have been overly gravyish with only 8 oz. I guess you can figure out what works for you. We also used HOT sausage.  MMMMMmmmmmm.

As for the biscuits.  Good ol' BISQUICK was the way to go for me. I LOVE this stuff. You can use it to make so many things and they are all so fluffy and yummy and delicious. And it's always easy!! Just as this recipe is! And not too expensive. All you need is the sausage and all the other ingredients are every day items that you most likely already have.

The best part about the Food Nanny cookbook is that each recipe has a dinner conversation starter at the bottom of the page (what cookbook gets better than this?).  Today's was "What do you look for in a friend?"  I learned that Darin looks for loyalty and I look for good calf muscles, I mean, that is how I was attracted to Darin in the first place.

NEXT:

While I'm at it, I thought it wouldn't hurt to share the Cheese Ball recipe that Darin and I used to make our appetizer for Christmas Dinner. It'd be a perfect New Years Eve treat if you are still looking for something.

This one comes from this cookbook:

Pineapple Cheese Ball

2 packages of cream cheese

1/3 chopped green pepper

2 tblsp chopped green onion

1 tblsp seasoned salt

8 oz. crushed pineapple

Throw everything together in a mixing bowl and mix together with a wooden spoon. Chill for a few hours and then roll it into a ball. (Darin and I whipped it with beaters the first time we made it and it seemed to mix the ingredients better but was harder to form into a ball).

Serve with crackers of your choice.

***The actual recipe says to roll it in crushed Pecans after it has chilled and you've formed the ball, but let's be real, who likes the nuts on the outside of a cheese ball? I certainly don't, so we just left that step out. You can do as you wish. 

ENJOY!!  Have a FABULOUS New Years Eve tomorrow night. Stay safe, party like a rock star, snap yo fingers, lean back, lean back... you know the drill.  Have fun!!