Southern Sausage Gravy

A classic recipe for traditional sausage gravy made with breakfast sausage and milk served the Southern way, over hot biscuits.

JUMP TO RECIPE

I threw some random pearl of wisdom out to my daughters this weekend while we were all piled up in the kitchen cooking Sunday dinner and Baby Girl asked if I could start writing all these tips and life hacks down.

Then The Oldest piped up with a YASSS!!  So, I reckon me and Siri better get to work recording the little nuggets when they come to me.

I'll admit, something about turning fifty this year has me wanting to impart a few specific how-to's on them myself. I don't know that I'll ever get them all written down (seriously, how would you even index such a thing??) but I said I'd try.

I've decided to start writing some recipes specifically for them too.  I started with this one because The Oldest swears mine is the only sausage gravy she likes so when I'm gone, she'll be able to make it herself.

I assumed everyone makes this about the same, but evidently not. I do notice that mine has a little more color than others so maybe there is a little difference.

Sausage gravy isn't rocket science and there's a lot of wiggle room but I'll tell you how I make mine and make some notes that might come in handy!

FAQ QUESTIONS ON SOUTHERN SAUSAGE GRAVY

HOW MUCH SAUSAGE IS USED TO MAKE SAUSAGE GRAVY?  You can make sausage gravy just from the pan drippings or you can use a whole pound of sausage. There's no definitive right answer. I usually make mine with 1/2 pound of sausage.

WHAT TYPE OF SAUSAGE IS USED TO MAKE SAUSAGE GRAVY?  Most any "breakfast" sausage will work. I say most because you won't want to use a maple or sage flavored sausage for traditional southern sausage gravy. I always buy the 1-lb packs. Side note: I cut slices before unwrapping to get perfectly portioned and rounded patties because it's way cheaper than buying patties.

WHAT'S THE BEST BRAND OF SAUSAGE TO USE?  I always use Jimmy Dean or Swaggerty's sausage. I'm big on texture when it comes to any type of sausage and those two brands have a finer, more tender texture.

CAN EVAPORATED MILK BE USED TO MAKE SAUSAGE GRAVY?  You can. I personally don't care for the taste in this gravy and like good ol' regular milk better but if you like the taste evaporated milk gives white gravies (like my Grandma Betty did!), go for it! 

SHOULD I USE WHOLE, SKIM OR 2% MILK?   Any of these will work! I usually have 2% milk on-hand so that's what I use. The higher the fat content, the more silky the gravy will be.  

CAN I USE SOY OR NUT MILKS TO MAKE SAUSAGE GRAVY?  I think so. Technically you can use any liquid when making a roux-based gravy like this so I imagine soy or any nut milk would work just fine.

HOW DO YOU SERVE SAUSAGE GRAVY?  Sausage gravy is most commonly served over fresh, hot biscuits but it's great over toast too!

DO YOU HAVE A RECIPE FOR BUTTERMILK BISCUITS?  I don't! I'm not great at making homemade biscuits. Nanny just rolled over in her grave. Luckily, we can get some mighty fine frozen biscuits here in the South! I usually use frozen or my super easy drop biscuits (recipe here). You can also use canned biscuits.

FIVE RECIPE NOTES ON SOUTHERN SAUSAGE GRAVY

1. I always use Jimmy Dean or Swaggerty's sausage which never yield any standing grease. If your sausage produces excess pan drippings, drain off any excess fat.
2. I don't recommend using maple or sage flavored sausage for sausage gravy. 
3. The amount of milk you will need depends on your zodiac and the day's wind direction. Just kidding. Some days my gravy wants more milk, some days it doesn't. Start with 2 cups then go from there. If you're heavy-handed measuring the flour or if the gravy cooks hot and fast, you will likely need more milk. The longer it cooks, the more milk you will need also.
4. I wrote this recipe with 1/2 teaspoon black pepper but I personally use a full teaspoon because I love the taste and heat. 
5. The gravy will continue to thicken once taken off the heat. If you're not able to serve immediately, you will likely need to stir in a little more milk.

MORE SOUTHERN BREAKFAST RECIPES TO TRY!

SHRIMP & GRITS - Award-winning Southern Shrimp & Grits recipe with seasoned shrimp sauteed in bacon drippings served over creamy, cheesy grits. 

FRIED POTATOES & SAUSAGE - A simple budget-friendly recipe for a one-pan skillet meal with smoked sausage, onions and southern-style fried potatoes.

HOW TO COOK GRITS - A simple recipe for the best way to cook tender, creamy stone-ground or hominy grits from a Southern cook who knows good grits.

HASH & EGGS - An easy, rustic one-pan recipe for breakfast, brunch or dinner made with ground beef, onions, diced potatoes and eggs. 

SAUSAGE & CHEESE GRITS CASSEROLE - An award-winning Southern breakfast casserole recipe with cheesy grits and pork sausage that's perfect for overnight guests and brunch. 

RED-EYE GRAVY - Classic southern red-eye gravy recipe made from country ham pan drippings and black coffee. 

Recipe for How to Cook Southern Sausage Gravy

Southern Sausage Gravy

Yield: 4 Servings

Author: Mandy Rivers | South Your Mouth

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 25 Min

A classic recipe for traditional sausage gravy made with breakfast sausage and milk served the Southern way, over hot biscuits.

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb breakfast sausage
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 2-2.5 cups milk

Instructions

1. Cook and crumble sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat until nicely browned. Do not drain sausage. 1/2 lb sausage
2. Reduce heat to medium, add butter then stir until melted. 3 Tbsp butter
3. Stir in flour then continue to cook and stir 3-4 minutes or until the flour coating the sausage is no longer white (we're looking for everything to be a nice golden brown). 1/4 cup flour
4. Add pepper, salt, onion powder and 2 cups milk. 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/4 tsp each salt & onion powder, 2 c. milk
5. Cook and stir until mixture starts to simmer. Continue simmering and stirring 3-5 minutes or until gravy thickens to desired consistency. Add more milk, a few tablespoons at a time, if gravy becomes too thick.
6. Taste for seasoning then add salt or pepper if desired.
7. Serve immediately over hot biscuits or toast.

Notes

• I always use Jimmy Dean or Swaggerty's sausage which never yield any standing grease. If your sausage produces excess pan drippings, drain off any excess fat.
• The gravy will continue to thicken once taken off the heat. If you're not able to serve immediately, you will likely need to stir in a little more milk.
• I typically use all-purpose but self-rising flour can be used in a pinch.
• See the FAQ and Notes sections above the recipe card if you have other questions or would like a few tips.

https://www.southyourmouth.com/2025/07/southern-sausage-gravy.html

Images and text © South Your Mouth LLC 2025

sausage, country, southern, milk, cream, sawmill, gravy, classic, best, traditional, authentic, biscuits, toast, breakfast, brunch, how to, recipe

breakfast

Southern, American

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Southern Fried Potatoes & Sausage

A simple budget-friendly recipe for a one-pan skillet meal with smoked sausage, onions and southern-style fried potatoes.

JUMP TO RECIPE

I wasn’t sure what to name this recipe. We never actually called it anything. If I was going to tell someone what I was cooking for supper, I’d just say something like fried sausage and potatoes. Around here, most folks would know what I meant.

But cooking for all y’all from the rest of the country has taught me that what we call something here can often mean something entirely different to everyone else.

I’m going to stick the “southern” label on the front of this recipe to try to point everyone’s mental taste buds to what we call fried potatoes and then just hope for the best. 

This isn’t exactly like traditional southern fried potatoes because this is cooked with less oil and the potatoes aren’t super crispy all over. The potatoes steam a little first then get a little crispy once the water evaporates.

And to confuse you even more, I might as well tell you our fried potatoes are cut into cubes like this OR they're made from sliced potatoes. Oh, and some people call them home fries. See what tricky business naming recipes can be?? 

[deep breath in] Anywaaaay... this is just a quick and easy skillet meal that’s simple to prepare and very affordable. You just sauté the smoked sausage, then add onions and potatoes. Once the potatoes cook about halfway, you crank up the heat and let them crisp up a bit. 

HOW TO SERVE FRIED POTATOES AND SAUSAGE

I like to eat mine with a little hot sauce and diced raw onion on top and the kids like theirs with ketchup. I typically serve this with Pork & Beans (Husband likes to stir the beans in with the sausage and potatoes) or Southern-Style Canned Green Beans. 

If you really want to have a carb fest, pull out some fresh stick-to-the-roof-of-your-mouth white bread, fold a piece like a hotdog bun, load it up with the sausage and potatoes then hit it with a bead of ketchup. It sounds weird but it’s soooooo gooooood.

I feel like people are going to ask about adding cheese. I think this is already so rich and heavy that the cheese wouldn’t add anything. But the good news is I am not the cheese police so you can certainly add some if you’d like! 

I haven’t made this with uncooked sausage (like Italian sausage or brats) but I imagine it would be pretty good too. I just like the salty, smokey sausage with the potatoes so much I’ve never wanted to make it any other way.

My very favorite is Hillshire Farm’s Smoked Sausage. I’ve always preferred smoked sausage over kielbasa but use whichever you like best. I’m an oddball who prefers the original sausages over the all-beef varieties (it’s a texture thing) but, again, use what you prefer.

I’ve never made this with “red sausages”. You know which ones I’m talking about?? I think they’re just called “red cooked sausage”. They’re inexpensive, bigger around than traditional smoked sausage, made into links and a distinctly bright shade of red somewhere between hot pink roller skate wheels and illegal firecrackers.  I never developed a taste for them so I can’t tell you anything about cooking them, though I know they are often served with potatoes (“taters and reds”).

A FEW NOTES ABOUT COOKING SAUSAGE AND POTATOES

• You’ll need about 5-6 cups cubed potatoes (around 2 pounds)
• Feel free to use bacon drippings instead of vegetable oil.
• Any type of potatoes will work but I prefer starchier russets in this.
• You don’t have to peel the potatoes. I did in this batch but sometimes I don’t. I like the way the skin crisps up a little but the kids like it better with peeled potatoes. 
• I say the garlic powder is optional because I don’t ever remember Mama or Nanny using it in their fried potatoes but I sure like it. 
• Kielbasa, andouille or any precooked, smoked sausage can be used in this recipe.

MORE SKILLET MEALS TO ENJOY

BETTER-THAN-BOJANGLES DIRTY RICE - A copycat recipe for Bojangles iconic Cajun dirty rice, made with sausage and a favorite throughout Southern states, especially the Carolinas! 

CHICKEN & MUSHROOM RICE - A quick and easy skillet meal recipe with savory chicken and buttery mushrooms cooked with rice in one pan. 

SOUTHERN SMOTHERED SAUSAGE & POTATOES - An old-fashioned country recipe with smoked sausage and onions smothered in stewed potatoes for a simple, hearty homemade meal. 

CHICKEN SCAMPI WITH GARLIC PARMESAN RICE - The ORIGINAL quick and easy skillet meal recipe for tender chicken scampi over perfectly cooked buttery, garlic parmesan rice. 

Recipe for How to Cook Southern Fried Potatoes Sausage

Southern Fried Potatoes & Sausage

Yield: 6 Servings

Author: Mandy Rivers | South Your Mouth

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 30 Min

A simple budget-friendly recipe for a one-pan skillet meal with smoked sausage, onions and southern-style fried potatoes.

Ingredients

• 1 lb smoked sausage
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 5-6 russet potatoes
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
• Vegetable oil

Instructions

1. Cut sausage into bite-sized pieces. Drizzle a little vegetable oil in a large skillet (nonstick is best if you have it) then sauté sausage until well browned.
2. Meanwhile, peel potatoes then cut into cubes (about 3/4 inch).
3. Add potatoes, onions, 3-4 tablespoons vegetable oil, water, salt, pepper and garlic then stir well.
4. Once water starts to boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover skillet then cook for 10 minutes. Using a spatula to scrape the bottom, flip sausage/potatoes once or twice to make sure they’re not sticking.
5. Remove lid then increase temperature to medium-high. Continue cooking 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender with some crispy edges. Use a spatula to flip sausage/potatoes (scraping the bottom) so that potatoes can crisp up a bit in the oil. Don’t stir the potatoes or they will fall apart (still tasty but not what we’re after here).
6. Serve immediately.

Notes

• You’ll need about 5-6 cups cubed potatoes (around 2 pounds)
• Feel free to use bacon drippings instead of vegetable oil.
• Any type of potatoes will work but I prefer starchier russets in this.
• You don’t have to peel the potatoes. I did in this batch but sometimes I don’t. I like the way the skin crisps up a little but the kids like it better with peeled potatoes. 
• I say the garlic powder is optional because I don’t ever remember Mama or Nanny using it in their fried potatoes but I sure like it. 
• Kielbasa, andouille or any precooked, smoked sausage can be used in this recipe.
• Check the article above if you have any questions because it's entirely likely that I covered it there :o)

https://www.southyourmouth.com/2022/05/southern-fried-potatoes-sausage.html

Images and text © South Your Mouth LLC 2022

sausage and potatoes, sausage, potatoes, taters, kielbasa, smoked sausage, onions, fried, home fries, southern, how to, best, recipe, crispy, breakfast, hash, one-pan, skillet, meal, easy, southern

dinner, supper, breakfast

American, Southern

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How to Cook Grits – a Recipe from an Actual Southern Cook

A simple recipe for the best way to cook tender, creamy stone-ground or hominy grits from a Southern cook who knows good grits.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

1. JUMP TO RECIPE
2. WHAT ARE STONE-GROUND GRITS?
3. WHAT ARE HOMINY GRITS?
4. HOW DO YOU EAT GRITS?
5. DO YOU COOK GRITS IN MILK, WATER OR CREAM?

If you’re not from the South, you probably don’t like grits. Actually, the odds are stacked against you ever liking grits unless you know someone who cooks them the way they’re supposed to be cooked.

Non-Southerners have two things working against them when it comes to trying grits: 1 - grits suck at most restaurants and 2 - the terrible awful lies passing as cooking instructions from major manufacturers.

Every year millions of tourists visit the American South. They come for the beaches, the charm, the mountains and the hospitality (or they stop by on their way to Florida). 

Almost everyone that comes here, at one point or another, thinks to themselves, Self, we are in The South so we should drink some sweet tea and eat grits! So, sometime along their journey, they’ll order grits in a restaurant.

And the grits they will be served will most likely be undercooked, under-seasoned and taste about like a bowl of hot water. Unless, of course, they are in a local restaurant with a cook or a chef who can cook good grits but those are getting harder and harder to come by.

Restaurant chains are bad at grits. They don’t cook them long enough and don’t season them much (if at all). I am sad to tell you, some of the local breakfast joints right here in my neck of the woods can’t cook them either.

Side note on that… if you run a BREAKFAST restaurant in the South and serve pre-cooked biscuits or sausage, canned sausage gravy or crappy grits, you shouldn’t run a breakfast restaurant. 

So, OK, Terry Tourist tries grits in a restaurant and doesn’t like them. I don’t blame you there, Terry. But on his last day of vacation he buys a few souvenirs, including a box or bag of grits. Because why not, right Terry?

A few months later, he finds the grits and decides to cook them. He’s a good cook so he knows they’ll be better than what he had in the restaurant. He reads the instructions, follows them to a tee, then 10 minutes later sits down to try grits again. And they’re terrible. 

GOOD GRITS CAN’T BE COOKED IN 10 MINUTES – NOT EVEN “QUICK” GRITS

There are basically two kinds of grits: stone-ground and hominy grits. Polenta is not grits. Cornmeal is not grits.

WHAT ARE STONE-GROUND GRITS?

Stone-ground grits are made from whole, dried kernels of corn that are ground down in a grist mill (that’s not a typo, that’s what it’s called). A grist mill grinds the whole kernels between two stone wheels.

Stone-ground grits are less processed than hominy grits. Because the entire kernel – including the hull and germ – is used, stone-ground grits are much more flavorful. While very subtle, to me, the taste is somewhere between roasted corn and popcorn.  

Stone-ground grits also have a lot more texture. Even after slowly cooking for hours, the larger pieces of dried corn in the meal will remain al dente which contrasts perfectly with the creamy texture created from the finer bits in the meal.

WHAT ARE HOMINY GRITS?

Hominy grits also start with whole, dried kernels of corn. The dried corn is soaked in an alkaline solution (usually lime or lye) to soften the hull. The hull is removed then the kernels (now called hominy) are dried again. Once dried, the dried hominy is finely ground into grits.

Most mass-produced grits sold in grocery stores are hominy grits. They come in three varieties: regular (sometimes called “old-fashioned”), quick and instant. The difference in regular and quick grits is simply how finely they are ground. The finer the meal, the quicker the grits cook. Instant grits are hominy grits that have been cooked then dried (sort of like Minute Rice).

No matter what the instructions say, you cannot cook decent hominy grits in less than 30 minutes (even “quick” grits). The recipe I have below for stone-ground grits can also be used with regular hominy grits. You cannot overcook grits. Mama would put a pot on at 7:00 in the morning and we’d eat them anywhere from an hour later to five hours later.

Obviously, stone-ground grits are my favorite but since I don’t always have an hour or two to cook them, my pantry always has regular hominy grits too.

HOW DO YOU EAT GRITS?

There are plenty of savory recipes that feature grits. Shrimp & Grits has become something of a touristy rite of passage and menu staple at high-end restaurants but for the most part, we Southerners are pretty simple with our grits.

Obviously, we eat them with breakfast. Baby Girl likes hers best under a sunny-side-up egg. The Boy uses bacon like a fork to eat his grits. I like to crumble up sausage into mine or just eat them plain. Daddy liked to drizzle a little bacon grease over his instead of butter. Cheese grits are insanely delicious (I prefer American cheese because it melts more smoothly).

Grits are often served with fried fish and salmon patties. When I was pregnant I would pan-fry canned salmon in a little bacon grease (to make sort of a hash) then eat it over grits. My Canadian husband almost left me over it. He would come in and say, my GOD what is that smell??! I craved it so much I had to ask to doctor if it was OK for me to be eating so much canned salmon.

DO YOU COOK GRITS IN MILK, WATER OR CREAM?

Growing up, we usually just had hominy grits made with water, salt and butter. So long as you cook them long enough to get nice and creamy, they’re just fine cooked that way.

But if you want something that’s way better than just fine, you really need to use stone-ground grits and cook them with a mixture of water and milk (or some cream). 

My personal opinion is that grits shouldn’t be made with too much milk or cream.  I find that some recipes just taste too “milky”. You still want to taste the corn so I always use at least half water. 

Recipe for How to Cook Grits

How to Cook Grits – A Recipe from an Actual Southern Cook

Yield: 6 Servings

Author: Mandy Rivers | South Your Mouth

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 1 HourTotal time: 1 H & 5 M

A simple recipe for the best way to cook tender, creamy stone-ground or hominy grits from a Southern cook who knows good grits.

Ingredients

• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup stone-ground grits

Instructions

1. Combine milk, water, salt, pepper and butter in a saucepan then bring to a boil. Once boiling, add grits then stir well with a whisk.
2. Bring grits to a slow, soft boil then cook on low heat, covered, for at least an hour (two hours is even better). Stir grits frequently to ensure they’re not sticking to the bottom.
3. If time allows, let grits rest, covered and off the heat, for about 15 minutes before serving.
4. Serve hot with a generous pat of butter.

Notes

• Keep an eye on your pot of grits the first 15 minutes of cooking to make sure they’re not going to boil over. Until you get the temperature regulated, the grits are prone to bubble up. 
• This recipe can also be used to cook regular (“old-fashioned”) hominy grits. When cooking hominy grits, I usually use 3 cups of water and 1 cup of milk.
• Cooking something this long on the stove yields different results depending on how much steam escapes your pot and lid. Add more water if your grits start to get thicker than you’d like. Or, to thicken the grits, increase the heat to medium-low then cook uncovered until the grits have thickened. 

https://www.southyourmouth.com/2022/01/how-to-cook-grits-recipe-from-actual.html

Images and text © South Your Mouth LLC 2022

grits, stone-ground, stone ground, hominy, coarse, old-fashioned, regular, best, how to, how long, south, southern, milk, cream, cook, chef, creamy

breakfast, side dish

southern

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Savory Homity Pie

A cheesy, flavor-packed English potato pie popular during World War II amid ration restrictions that's perfect for meatless main dishes or as a scrumptious side dish.

JUMP TO RECIPE

I’m reading The Rose Code by Kate Quinn, a novel about the mostly female code breakers in World War II. The book is fantastic, which I knew it would be, since I enjoyed her books The Huntress and The Alice Network as well! 

The book mentions something called Woolton Pie a time or two, and true to my recipe-obsessive nature, I wanted to know more about this seemingly meager, savory pie. 

I researched Woolton Pie which lead me down a rabbit hole of English recipes from WWII which were most often vegetarian due to war rations and a general shortage of livestock. The Woolton Pie looked interesting (boiled winter veggies like potatoes, parsnips, cauliflower, carrots, turnips, etc. with an oat thickened vegetable gravy, topped with whipped potatoes and cheese) but the recipe that really caught my eye was Homity Pie.

WHAT IS HOMITY PIE?

Homity Pie is savory British baked dish with a bottom pastry (an “open pie”) filled with potatoes, onions, leeks and a little cream, topped with cheddar cheese.

Sounds great, right??

Well, let me tell you this... IT IS.

I mean, it sounded good enough to me to figure out how to make it (and how to properly prep leeks which I’m glad I researched a bit or I would have 100% screwed this pie up) but it’s not just good... IT IS FANTASTIC!

The Oldest came walking through just after I’d taken these photos, said it smelled good, so I gave her some to try without saying too much because I wanted to see her initial reaction. Which was the same as mine! Her eyes bugged out a bit and she said over a mouthful, thuth eth RULLY gooh! 

While it was cooking I was thinking to myself, hmmmm that was a fair amount of work for one little ole potato recipe, it can’t be much different from Scalloped Potatoes and they’re a lot easier to make.

Wrong. I was wrong. This is SO MUCH BETTER than any other potato recipe I’ve made before. I don’t know why this isn’t a thing here in the States. Hey, maybe it will be after enough of y’all make it!! 

My pie looks a little cheesier than yours will. That's because the one pictured here has more cheese in it than it should.

That's because [deep breath in] I originally had my pastry in my BIG deep dish pie pan. The crust was pinched and lovely and beautiful. But when I spooned the filling in, it was way too shallow [slow exhale out].

So... [deep breath in] I turned it out onto a cutting board then flipped it into a smaller pan which wrecked the pretty crust. I shaped it back as good as I could but it still looked like a throwaway. To try to make it look less like something that was dropped on the floor, I stirred up the filling and added more cheese all over the top [slow exhale out].

NOTES ABOUT MAKING HOMITY PIE 

• I used russet potatoes which are starchy. If you use a waxy potato instead (like Yukon gold or red), start with 1/2 cup of cream. Most of the recipes I looked at used less cream but my russets soaked it all up so I kept adding until things didn’t look dry.
• I used a little over 2 pounds of potatoes to get 6 cups of 3/4-inch cubes.
• To prepare leeks, cut the dark green ends off and discard. Use only the white and light green part (about where the leaves start veering off). Cut off the root as well (you should be left with a tight little cylinder). Slice the trimmed leek in half lengthwise. Turn both pieces cut-side down then dice each into half-moon pieces. Add diced leeks to a bowl then clean with cold water. Drain well.
• Two prepped and diced leeks yield about 2 cups diced pieces.
• I used one Pillsbury refrigerated pie pastry crust in a 6-cup deep dish pie plate but any prepared frozen deep dish pastry should work. The filling will not expand or spill out so it’s OK to mound it up a bit if necessary.
• You can use dried thyme but the fresh thyme REALLY came through in this. I mean, if you’re going to buy leeks you might as well buy some fresh thyme too, right??

Recipe for Homity Pie

Savory Homity Pie

Yield: 8 Servings

Author: Mandy Rivers | South Your Mouth

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 40 Min

A cheesy, flavor-packed English potato pie popular during World War II amid ration restrictions that's perfect for meatless main dishes or as a scrumptious side dish.

Ingredients

• 1 deep dish pie pastry
• 6 cups diced potatoes
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 leeks, chopped
• 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions

1. Wash and peel potatoes then cut into cubes (about 3/4 inch). Boil in salted water for 5 minutes or until just tender. Drain then set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pierce pie pastry on bottom and along sides with a fork several times to vent the crust.
3. Sauté onion and leeks in butter over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until slightly caramelized. Add garlic then continue cooking for 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Add thyme, salt, pepper and cream to onions then mix well. Add potatoes and HALF of cheese then gently fold until well combined.
5. Spoon mixture into pie pastry then top with remaining cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is just starting to brown.
6. Let pie rest 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh thyme if desired.

Notes

• I used russet potatoes which are starchy. If you use a waxy potato instead (like Yukon gold or red), start with 1/2 cup of cream. Most of the recipes I looked at used less cream but my russets soaked it all up so I kept adding until things didn’t look dry.
• I used a little over 2 pounds of potatoes to get 6 cups of 3/4-inch cubes.
• To prepare leeks, cut the dark green ends off and discard. Use only the white and light green part (about where the leaves start veering off). Cut off the root as well (you should be left with a tight little cylinder). Slice the trimmed leek in half lengthwise. Turn both pieces cut-side down then dice each into half-moon pieces. Add diced leeks to a bowl then clean with cold water. Drain well.
• Two prepped and diced leeks yield about 2 cups diced pieces.
• I used one Pillsbury refrigerated pie pastry crust in a 6-cup deep dish pie plate but any prepared frozen deep dish pastry should work. The filling will not expand or spill out so it’s OK to mound it up a bit if necessary.
• You can use dried thyme but the fresh thyme REALLY came through in this. I mean, if you’re going to buy leeks you might as well buy some fresh thyme too, right??

https://www.southyourmouth.com/2021/12/homity-pie.html

Images and text © South Your Mouth LLC 2021

homity, pie, devon, wwii, ww2, world war, England, English, British, savory, potatoes, vegetarian, leeks, onions, pastry, cheddar, cheese, cream, crust, open, baked, ration, cards, restrictions, Women's Land Army, land girls, casserole, meatless, vegetarian

dinner, vegetarian, side dish, casserole

English

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