Over the last year or two, I’ve really gotten into breakfast.

It’s not just cereal and milk, or eggs and bacon anymore. I can do without that. It’s boring and over done and I’d rather just skip it and get lunch. But hubby and I started eating breakfast out, and I’ve discovered a whole new world of tasty morning delights.

I think it really started with Crabcake Benedict at Metro Diner (yes, the same one in Jacksonville that appeared on Diners, Drive-in’s, and Dives).  After we saw it on the show, we had to try it. Since then, they’ve opened several diners around town, one being less than 5 miles from my house, so eating breakfast out became a weekly ritual. Now all breakfasts, at home or otherwise, must be as interesting and delicious, or it may as well be skipped for lunch!

My “Me-me” used to make the  best sausage gravy, with just a roll of Jimmy Dean, flour, and milk. It was the greatest! Staying overnight at Me-me’s always meant gravy & biscuits for breakfast, and even to this day, the smell of sausage gravy reminds me of my me-me. It took several failed attempts but I managed to get my sausage gravy close, but not quite like hers.

Basically, brown and crumble a 16oz. roll of sausage ( any flavor you like) in a skillet over medium heat, Do Not Drain! Grease is required for gravy! Add two to three tablespoons of flour and cook and stir one to two minutes. Slowly stir in WHOLE milk ( I use to try and make it with skim, FAIL!) a half cup at a time, allowing to thicken in between each addition of milk to make sure it doesn’t get too watery. When it’s as thick as you like, season with salt & pepper to taste and serve over hot biscuits ( I like the frozen Pillsbury biscuits).

And now, meet the newest evolution of gravy & biscuits!

On our last trip to Asheville, we had breakfast not just once, but twice at Early Girl Eatery. Out of all the places we’ve traveled, this is by far the best breakfast place we’ve ever eaten at, period! Both times, I had their wonderful tomato gravy on my breakfasts. I knew I had to come home and try to re-create it!

I “Bing”-ed tomato gravy and realized it was a fairly common gravy, made by lots of people, lots of different ways. This is the way I make it: In a mixing bowl, combine a 15oz can of diced tomatoes and their juices, with 1 cup vegetable broth. In a medium sauce pan or skillet, melt two tablespoons of butter or olive oil. Add 2 tablespoons flour and cook and stir for one minute. Stir in tomato/broth and add a teaspoon of fresh thyme, and salt and pepper. Continue to cook and stir over medium heat until thickened.

What is so awesome about this gravy is it can be made to suit anyone’s taste! You can add 1/4 cup diced onions and peppers to the melted butter and cook till soft before adding the flour; or as shown above, 4 diced links of fully cooked chicken breakfast sausage, and sliced green onions. You could also make it Vegan friendly by using olive oil instead of butter. If you don’t like big chunks of tomato, you could change things up and use a 15oz can of crushed tomatoes for the diced.

I’ve also made a Benedict (that I’ve included a photo of below), by sauteing some fresh spinach, shitake mushrooms, and diced chicken breakfast sausage in olive oil and garlic, spooning that over a toasted English muffin with an over medium egg, and topped it with the tomato gravy instead of traditional Hollandaise. The possibilities are endless with this stuff!

I hope this has inspired happy breakfasts! Wish me luck for today as I attempt my first Chicken Pot Pie! 🙂