Biscuit and Gravy Burgers!

Ok, fair warning:  This recipe will not be healthy.  In fact, it will be rather unhealthy.  I’m stating that up front so you don’t think I’m nuts.  But let’s back up a bit.

My husband’s birthday was last week.  I always make him whatever he wants for dinner on his birthday.  I do that for my kids too.  The hubs wanted biscuits and gravy.  The kids wanted hamburgers.  It wasn’t their birthday, so I didn’t really care what they wanted….but then it dawned on me.  What if I combined the two?  Would it be a hot mess?  Or would it be one of the most heavenly things ever put on a plate?

So  yeah, my Biscuits and Gravy Burger ended up being amazing.  It is the perfect combination of ground beef, sausage, and creamy milk gravy, all nestled between a perfect fluffy biscuit.  Chris loved it, I loved it and the kids loved it.  Huge win, all around.

I’ll back up for a minute….are we all familiar with biscuits and gravy?  It is a typically southern thing, usually a breakfast thing.  It is a tender, flaky biscuit, coated in a rich gravy made from sausage fat and milk.  The creamy gravy usually has a pretty good kick of black pepper too.

I started my burgers by combining lean ground beef and ground sausage.  You know, the breakfast kind.  I lightly mixed the two together with my hands.  Seriously, lightly.  Otherwise your meat will get tough.

I formed my burgers by hand, and then I cooked them on the stovetop.  This is an important part of the recipe.  I didn’t grill the burgers because I will use the drippings left in the pan later.  I cooked my burgers about six minutes on the first side, and about four minutes the second side.  Then, I took the burgers out to take a little rest.

Once the burgers were cooked, I added some butter to the pan that had cooked the burgers.  I needed to pad the amount of fat left in the pan.  That doesn’t sound right…I know, but you will see why next.

I whisked some flour into the melted butter/fat combo until it was smooth.  I let that cook for a bit to get rid of the raw flour taste.  Then, I whisked in some whole milk.  Once the gravy thickens, and it will as it comes to a boil, I seasoned it with salt and lots of black pepper.  You will want to eat this gravy on anything and everything.

For my biscuits, I used (gasp) a can of buttermilk biscuits.  I used “Grands” biscuits for the bigger size.  They are delicious and perfect for a weeknight meal.  I baked the burgers according to the package directions.

I serve my Biscuits and Gravy Burgers with smoked cheddar cheese, lettuce, and tomato.  I stack the burger on the bottom half of a biscuit, then cheese, lettuce, then tomato…then I drown the whole thing with gravy.  I put its lid on, and it is perfection.  Pure gravy-laden perfection.

The ground beef and sausage combine to make a perfect burger.  I love the way ground sausage is spiced.  It adds real pizazz to your burger.  And yes, I can’t believe I just used the work “pizazz”.

The gravy is creamy, rich and peppery.  I think I might start topping everything, not just burgers, with gravy.  That’s ok, right?  Someone tell me it’s ok!

 

Biscuits and Gravy Burgers

1 can refrigerated buttermilk biscuits-“Grands” (8 count)

1 pound ground beef

1 pound ground breakfast sausage (pork)

3 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

2 cups whole milk

1 teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon salt

Lettuce, tomato and cheese for garnish

Bake biscuits according to package directions.

Lightly mix together ground beef and sausage with your hands.  Form 8 burgers, about ¼ each.

Pan fry burgers over medium heat in a large sauté pan, about 6 minutes first side and 4 minutes second side, or until cooked through.  Set aside to rest.

Add butter to frying pan.  Whisk melted butter with remaining fat in the pan.  Whisk in flour until smooth paste is formed.  Cook for about a minute over medium heat.  Add milk and whisk until smooth.  As gravy comes to a boil, it will thicken.  This will take about 3 to 5 minutes.  Turn off heat when gravy is thickened and add salt and pepper.

Serve burgers on biscuits with gravy ladled over the tops.

Makes 8 burgers.