Homemade Sausage Gravy

Very rarely do I post a recipe on my blog. There are two simple reasons for this:
1. There are plenty of other recipe sites and I'd rather read and cook theirs instead of posting my own.
2. All the food in my house is usually eaten before I can take a picture and I'm too busy cooking to post recipes anyways!

However, I wanted to share this recipe because of the personal experience I have had with sausage gravy! You see, I have only been making my own sausage gravy for the last 2 years or so. Before then, I would have to visit Alabama to get it or I would have to be at my mother-in-laws house for breakfast. Both of these are rare occurrences, so learning to make my own was a better option!
What surprises me the most (even today) is that in all of the years that Jason and I have been married, he has raved about, dreamed of, and begged for sausage gravy, but I just knew it was too hard to make or that it was impossible for me to get it right!
However, that is the furthest thing from the truth! Sausage gravy is quick and easy and requires very little ingredients!
So, please, try to make it yourself and find out that you can please your whole family for so little money and with such little effort! Your life will NEVER be the same!
(Disclaimer: You may need to join a gym once you learn how to cook this!)

Sausage Gravy:

1 pound of ground pork breakfast sausage (or about 6-8 patties, chopped up after cooking)
2 Tb all-purpose flour
half and half (optional)
milk (I use whole milk)
salt & black pepper, as desired

Brown sausage in a skillet (best not to use non-stick as you will be using a whisk)until done. Remove from pan, but leave the drippings and return the pan to med-high heat on the stove. Sprinkle the flour all over the drippings and allow that to turn nice and brown, using a spatula to scrape around in the pan. When nice and brown, but not burned (about 1 minute or so) pour in about 1 cup of half and half. I never measure this, but just enough to cover the bottom of your pan. You can also just use milk here, but I like the creaminess the half and half gives it. Whisk this around as it begins to become thick and bubbly. As it thickens, pour in more milk, about the same amount as the half and half. Whisk it a bit and allow it to thicken up nicely. Add your sausage back in, a little salt, and a good bit of black pepper. I use freshly ground black pepper, but use what you have. Keep whisking or stirring it and when it gets good and thick you can add more milk, depending on the amount you are making or you can use what is in the pan on your biscuits. I have to make ALOT, so I just keep on repeating the milk process until I get the amount I need. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed.

That's it! That is all you have to do to have delicious gravy that your whole family will brag about and request on their birthday breakfast!
One note: If you use organic sausage, it will have less fat and therefore, less grease. If you see the pan is looking dry as you are cooking the sausage, simply add in a few tablespoons of oil to the sausage as it cooks. I have done this a few times using olive oil and it turns out fine.
Enjoy!