Slow Cooker Sausage Gravy - Recipes That Crock! (2024)

FAQs

What makes sausage gravy taste better? ›

What makes sausage gravy taste better? Sometimes sausage gravy can taste under-seasoned. This recipe is packed with flavor thanks to the use of chicken broth rather than just milk, as well as thyme, black pepper, salt, garlic, and cayenne in the final gravy. Spend time carefully deepening the color of the roux.

For an additional kick, add a pinch or two of red pepper flakes along with the seasonings. Onions/Garlic can be sautéed with the sausage as well. If the gravy becomes too thick, add a splash of milk. This may be particularly helpful if reheating from a cold state.

A cornstarch slurry is a mixture of a cold liquid with cornstarch. It is used as a thickening agent, and is particularly common in Asian sauces. As a rule of thumb, dissolve 2 parts cold water and 1 part cornstarch. Add the slurry to your sauce as it simmers in the slow cooker.

The idea is the same as for the immersion circulator, except you'll instead fill the cooker's vessel with water and heat it up (in a multi-cooker, this would be using the slow-cooker setting). Then lower your vessel of gravy into the hot-water bath and leave it until dinnertime.

If the gravy lacks oomph, adjust seasoning as necessary with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. If you used canned stock instead of homemade, the gravy might not be as flavorful.

The main difference is that country gravy does not have sausage. Country gravy uses butter to make its roux, while sausage gravy uses the rendered fat from the meat, cooked with flour, to thicken the gravy. Check out Ree Drummond's recipe for country gravy which she serves alongside chicken fried steak.

Stocks and broths also add both flavor and body to the gravy. Milk and cream add richness and flavor; they can round out or mellow any sharper flavors that develop along the way. Finishing a sauce or gravy with butter will thicken the gravy and add a velvety texture—a surefire way to up your gravy game.

But if you have time to spare, add pan drippings from turkey, bacon or bacon drippings, caramelized vegetables (like onions, leeks, carrots and celery), herbs or garlic. You'll want to simmer the gravy with these additions for a good 20 minutes to pick up the additional flavors (longer, if possible).

This moist environment allows you to leave food to cook for hours without risking it drying out. But because there is no evaporation, the liquid isn't able to reduce and thicken naturally in a slow cooker, often resulting in watery sauces and loose gravies. The common solution? Using a thickener.

Take the lid off

Place the cooker on a high setting, and open the lid for 30-45 minutes to let excess moisture cook off. The liquid will reduce, leaving you with a thick and delicious gravy or sauce. (Tip: This trick can also be applied for thickening stews, or when you've accidentally added too much liquid.)

When to add cornstarch to a slow cooker? ›

You can also add cornstarch dissolved in water (1 or 2 tablespoons cornstarch to 2 or 3 tablespoons cold water, depending on how much liquid you have) directly to the slow cooker near the end of cooking to thicken the liquids.

Using a Crockpot or Slow Cooker

Pour the gravy into the crockpot. Set the appliance to "low" or "warm" setting to avoid overheating. Stir occasionally to maintain a smooth consistency.

To keep hot foods hot, restaurants often use warming ovens, or holding cabinets. Warming ovens do an excellent job of keeping food warm until it's ready to be moved to the customer's plate or a steam table.

Don't leave it on 'warm' all day

Most appliances will automatically shut off after 20 or so hours on this setting, but you shouldn't leave food in a slow cooker for an extended length of time. The general rule of thumb is that 2-4 hours is the maximum length of time you can leave food in a slow cooker on warm.

Add an umami-rich condiment.

Just as you might add condiments like soy sauce, miso paste, Worcestershire sauce, or even a splash of sherry or cider vinegar to your favorite gravy recipe, incorporate them into store-bought gravy for a more complex flavor.

Spices: Various spices give a sausage its robust flavor. Commonly used sausage spices include black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley and paprika. Water: Water is typically added to replace the moisture lost during cooking or smoking.

Southern Style Biscuit and Sausage Gravy

It is best served over flaky homemade biscuits, soaking up all of that delicious gravy. For those who are less familiar with the different 'types' of gravy, this is different from brown gravy, which is usually served over turkey and mashed potatoes during holiday dinners.