Add Subtle Sweetness To Sausage Gravy With One Breakfast Staple

A good sausage gravy is the star of any breakfast. Full of meaty flavor with a rich texture, it pairs with any number of side dishes. But if you're looking for something new, change up the star ingredient in your sausage gravy with a bit of maple flavor.

Typical gravies are often exclusively savory, but adding maple syrup after the milk opens up a world of flavor opportunities that fits with everything from pancakes to simple buttermilk biscuits. You can also enrich the gravy by using maple sausage from the start. Sugar and pork go together like peas and carrots, whether it's brown sugar in a pork shoulder rub or honey glaze over a ham. The extra touch of maple goes beyond simply adding sugar and creates a truly unique flavor that's perfect to start your day.

The best part? You hardly have to change your normal recipe unless you want to. The extra sugar means you have to keep a close eye on the gravy to prevent it from burning. However, it pairs perfectly with the ingredients of classic sausage gravy. If you do want to spice up your breakfast further, there are plenty of additions you can use for extra flavor.

Whether you're looking to add spice or extra sweetness, there are so many ingredients that can level up your maple sausage gravy. Fruit, fresh herbs, and even chiles all have their place, provided you use them correctly.

Apples are a wonderful addition, whether they're chopped or juiced. For chopped apples, sauté the chunks in butter using the same pan you'll brown the sausage in and remove them before adding the meat. Using apple juice in a gravy is a bit tricky as you need enough milk to keep the gravy creamy, but adding too much extra liquid makes it runny. Try using one part juice to two parts milk and adjust to your tastes.

If you want to add herbs, sage is already a key ingredient in many breakfast sausages, but a little extra never hurt anyone. Since there's already so much flavor from the maple and the pork, try herbs with enough flavor to cut through like rosemary, fennel, or tarragon. You can add these directly to the sausage as it cooks or at the last minute while the gravy thickens. For extra heat, a sprinkle of cayenne or some freshly ground dried chilis are fantastic choices. These are best used while browning the sausage to make sure their flavors permeate the whole gravy. Be sure to opt for powdered spices over hot sauce, as the acidic ingredients in hot sauce may add some unwanted tang to the dish.