Skip The Sausage — Give Biscuits And Gravy This Umami-Rich Twist

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Biscuits and gravy is a dish rooted in the American South, and these traditional versions often include pork sausage or fat. The coarse-ground meat and its drippings add layers of texture and taste thanks to the notes of umami and other bold flavors. You can get the same kind of savory, robust, and comforting meal without using sausage in the gravy, though. Swap the pork for mushrooms in your next batch of biscuits and gravy for a Southern-inspired breakfast that has plenty of umami without the meat.

White and cremini mushrooms are popular options for mushroom-based biscuits and gravy recipes because they contribute a similar savory flavor and meaty texture. As with sausage, you must cook them before you add them to the rest of the dish. But unlike with sausage, you're driving off water rather than releasing fat, so you have to introduce a different fat to create the roux. You can build the gravy right on top of the cooked mushrooms in the same pan or set the mushroom mixture aside after it's cooked and make the gravy. How you season them and how you make the gravy depends on your taste preferences and dietary needs.

After they've been washed and dried, chop the mushrooms up and sauté them in olive oil with herbs like sage, thyme, garlic powder, paprika, and some crushed red pepper if you like it spicy. You can add diced onions, shallots, or a bit of brown sugar for the hint of sweetness breakfast sausage often has. To make the gravy, you can use a timesaving packet like Southeastern Mills Country Gravy Mix, and wait for the gravy to thicken before you add the sautéed mushrooms. (Vegans can opt for Mayacamas Texas-Style Country Gravy Mix).

If you want to make it from scratch, a standard biscuit gravy recipe made with a mushrooms-for-sausage swap can still use milk or half-and-half, butter, and all-purpose flour to build the gravy. After you've made the switch to mushrooms, the recipe can be considered vegetarian. Or make it vegan by switching the dairy products with non-dairy alternatives like unsweetened and unflavored coconut milk, almond milk, or cashew cream and dairy-free butter or olive oil. 

If you want to add some extra umami boost to your gravy, you can opt for dried mushroom powder, such as porcini mushroom powder or the dried shiitake variety. Or infuse umami flavors with a bit of yellow or white miso paste, soy sauce, or Worcestershire sauce though the latter two could darken the gravy's color a bit. You can also use a couple of tablespoons of finely chopped walnuts to their mushroom gravy recipe for an added protein boost as well as additional texture.