We are trying to spend as little money as possible from now until the end of the month. I have a budget for Thanksgiving that I don’t want to break by buying extra items that we don’t really need. I am trying to use everything in our pantry and freezer.

We had a package of Italian sausage that needed to be used before it went bad. I don’t really care for just plain sausage links so I decided to try a milk gravy with the Italian sausage.

Verdict:

We really liked this dish. My kids were a bit skeptical because they have seen sausage gravy at several hotel restaurants and always think it looks yucky. But, once I got them to try this they were fine.

I served this dish over rice with a side of steamed broccoli and a green side salad. This would also be good served over egg noodles or pasta.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 – 2 lbs. bulk Italian sausage or sausage removed from its casings
• 3-4 TBSP flour
• 2 cups of half-and-half (I used fat-free and it worked well)
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a medium skillet over medium heat cook the sausage breaking into small pieces as it cooks with the side of a spoon.
2. Once the sausage is completely cooked through sprinkle the flour over the sausage and the fat in the bottom of the pan. Stir well to make a thick paste. If you need to add a bit more flour to make the paste add it 1 teaspoon at a time until a thick consistency is reached.
3. Stir for 1-2 minutes letting the flour brown slightly as it soaks up the grease.
4. Add the half-and-half to the pan and continue to stir until the mixture thickens into gravy. This will take about 5-10 minutes.
5. Taste and flavor with salt and pepper as needed.
6. Serve hot over rice, toast, egg noodles or pasta.