Campstove Biscuits and Gravy

Serves: you decide

I love camping. Everything from my "pack light and hike or ride in" days to the occasional "is it an rv or a rolling hotel?" trip. For the last few years I've settled into the mid-range of "tent camping with more gear than I can carry in one trip from the car," and part of the reason it's more than I can carry is food. When you're packing ultra-light you have a tendency to pack processed foods that don't require refrigeration or much actual cooking. But it turns out that if you're taking a cooler then there's no reason to eat pre-packaged foods.

You'll notice there aren't any hard measurements in this recipe. That's because I'm a flexible cook, especially away from my home kitchen, and this is so easy that you can be too - regardless of your skill level.

Items needed:
Bisquick
heavy cream (you can use regular milk, but the biscuits won't be as flaky)
sausage (your choice of type, but stay away from sweet ones; they're not nearly as tasty as savory or spicy when added to the gravy)
flour
butter
milk
salt
pepper
cayenne pepper

Gather everything together before you start, you don't want to be digging into a tub for spices when you should be stirring.

Start with the biscuits. The basic proportions are 3 parts Bisquick to 1 part cream. I just eyeball some Bisquick into a bowl (roughly 1/2 a cup per person) and then start mixing in some cream. Stir it with a fork until the dough comes together then pat it out onto a board or plate until it's about 3/4" thick. Use an upturned coffee cup to cut it into rounds.

With the flame on medium-low melt a pat of butter in your camp pan. When the butter is melted and bubbling drop your biscuits in. Keep in mind this ain't no diet breakfast, because the secret to making biscuits in a pan is lots of butter. If your biscuits absorb all the butter before they're done you'll have to add more. A dry pan will cause them to burn on the outside while remaining undercooked in the middle. When they're golden brown on both sides pull them out and set them aside.

Next cook your sausage. Once it's done, pull it out of the pan and set it aside as well, but not on the same plate as the biscuits. (You don't want the biscuits to soak up the sausage grease.)

Now for the fun step - the gravy. If your sausage was fairly lean and didn't leave much for drippings in the pan then add another pat of butter, but feel free to skip it if there's sausage fat in the pan. With your fat bubbling in the pan add in some flour; about a teaspoon for a little gravy, or a tablespoon for a lot. Stir it around until it soaks up the fat and begins to brown. Once you have a smooth roux and it is the golden light brown color of goodness begin adding milk, start with about a cup. Keep stirring it to keep it smooth and bring it to a slow boil. If it looks too thick, add more milk; if it looks thin then keep stirring. Once you're happy with the consistency then season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of cayenne. Add the sausage back in and pour it over the biscuits.

Put your feet up next to the fire and enjoy some delicious breakfast.

Recipe by Kelly Sink