Easily Upgrade Canned Sausage Gravy With Just A Few Ingredients

As far as favorite classic comfort foods go, biscuits and gravy are high on the list. It's easy to find comfort in a plate of warm, buttery, flaky biscuits topped with a rich, creamy, meaty gravy. The roots of this hearty breakfast dish lie in the South — specifically Southern Appalachia in the late 1800s — where it started as an affordable and filling meal for sawmill workers. What began as a cheap way to incorporate leftovers and make biscuits more palatable is now a coveted breakfast dish served in restaurants and cooked in countless home kitchens around the U.S. 

Sure, you can spend all morning in the kitchen making homemade sausage gravy, but when you're on a time crunch, have a lot of mouths to feed, or simply need a break from cooking, grab a can of sausage gravy from your pantry or the grocery store. Canned sausage gravy can be fine by itself, but if you find it to be a bit bland, upgrade it with some fresh herbs and spices. Adding fresh, fragrant ingredients will boost the flavor of your gravy and might help remove some of the metallic taste that sometimes comes with canned goods. For a delicious plate of smothered biscuits, there are plenty of tips that will elevate your sausage gravy.

Dried herbs are easy to sprinkle in your food, but they don't impart the crisp, garden taste that fresh herbs do. Instead of reaching for your spice cabinet, chop up some fresh herbs like sage, thyme, rosemary, parsley, and basil. You don't have to go overboard with the herbs but add enough to improve the taste — choose two or three varieties, finely chop them up, and mix them in the gravy. Keep in mind that fresh herbs have a lighter, less intense flavor than dried herbs, so you typically need about three times more in your food when substituting. 

Thyme, sage, and rosemary are commonly used to season pork sausage, imparting a herbaceous, citrusy, and piney flavor to the meat. Basil is a versatile herb that goes well with everything from chicken and pork to eggs and watermelon. Its sweet and pungent flavor will help liven up your canned sausage gravy in no time.

Biscuits and gravy are delicious, but they aren't the most aesthetically pleasing. Adding a little green can go a long way for presentation, so upgrade the boring look of your breakfast by garnishing it with fresh parsley. 

Besides fresh herbs, various spices work wonders to amp up the flavor of your canned sausage gravy. Garlic is the perfect aromatic for enhancing the taste of almost any dish, so try sprinkling in some garlic powder or swapping your regular salt for garlic salt. Onion powder and other seasoned salts (like celery salt or even truffle salt if you want to get fancy) will also give your canned gravy the flavor boost it needs.

Another great way to elevate your canned sausage gravy is to pump up the spiciness. If it tastes slightly underseasoned, add some freshly ground black pepper and white pepper to enhance the flavor with a bonus touch of spicy warmth. You can also try some paprika and cayenne pepper for a Cajun-inspired sausage gravy.

If you prefer a more pronounced heat in your sausage gravy, try making spicy biscuits and gravy by adding hot Italian sausage and crushed red pepper to the mix. Just remember, a little bit goes a long way with dried chile flakes, so sprinkle them in judiciously and taste as you go.