As promised, this is one of my retro dishes that I mentioned I would share with you. I make this every once in awhile because I love a good biscuit and gravy breakfast more than just about anything else I can set on my plate before 9:00a.m. And I am definitely not alone.

When it comes to biscuits and gravy, there are very few people I know who don’t break out in spontaneous giggles at the very mention of this tantalizing combination. OK, there are some who would never touch a biscuit, much less a cream gravy. But for those of us who once in a while allow ourselves a taste of heaven, this decadent yet exceedingly simple recipe has all the right components.

First of all, the gravy is high in fat. (Any mouth worth its teeth loves the feel of food rich in fat.) Then of course, this recipe is loaded with bad carbohydrates. (Who in their right mind doesn’t adore the taste of bad carbohydrates to begin with, and especially when they come presented so deliciously?) Then of course, there are the idle calories. (Who among us doesn’t put idle calories into our bodies once in a while when life gets rough or we feel the need to celebrate?) The only thing this delightful combination doesn’t have going for it is an over abundance of refined sugar. (But no recipe’s perfect!)

So next time you feel the need to celebrate life or treat your family and friends to one of life’s little guilty pleasures, or just go wild and do something fairly innocuous for which you will still probably hate yourself the next morning, bake a batch of biscuits (see my recipe for Buttermilk Biscuits on this site) and stir yourself up some sausage gravy. Then sit back and savor every single solitary morsel of fat, bad carbohydrate and empty calorie. After all, we only have one life to live and once in a while it just feels good to break all the nutritional rules and simply enjoy the moment. That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it! Cheers!

• 2 T. butter, divided
• 1 lb. bulk breakfast sausage, either pork or chicken – as lean as possible (if you buy breakfast sausage from a good butcher shop it will be leaner than Johnsonville or Jimmy Dean, for example)
• 3 T. flour
• 1½ c. milk, plus more if needed (I use 2% milk because the gravy is rich enough without using whole milk, half & half, or cream)
• 1½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• ½ tsp. dried thyme
• ¼ tsp. seasoned salt
• freshly ground black pepper (not too much)
• fresh parsley, garnish, opt.

Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a medium sized pan. Add sausage, breaking it up as it cooks, and fry until good and caramelized. (That means it’s a nice dark brown and there are tasty meat bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.) Add the remaining butter to the pan and whisk in the flour lifting the browned bits off the bottom as you stir the mixture. Let burble for a couple of minutes. Slowly pour in the milk and Worcestershire sauce (gently whisking the entire time) and when thoroughly blended add the thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat and let simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. (The sauce will thicken nicely during this time.) Add milk if the consistency is too thick.

When ready to serve, adjust the seasoning and serve dolloped over warm biscuits and sprinkled very lightly with fresh parsley.