Southern Breakfast: 12 Biscuit, Gravy and Grits Classics Grandma Made for Sunday Company

A Southern breakfast is not just a meal, it is a memory. Ask anyone who grew up in the South and they will tell you about the smell of biscuits in the oven and gravy in the skillet before the sun came up. People everywhere are curious about it too. A video of British high school students trying biscuits and gravy for the first time has almost 17 million views, and one where grandmas rate each other’s grits has more than 4.8 million. With family coming home for Thanksgiving and Christmas, this is the perfect time to cook the old-school way. Here are the plates grandma set out on Sunday morning and for holiday house guests..

The Southern Breakfast That Woke Up the Whole House

Before anyone was allowed near the coffee, there was a pan of biscuits in the oven and a skillet of gravy on the stove. Everything on this table starts with a good biscuit, and grandma’s secret was simple: cold butter, cold buttermilk and a light hand. Do not twist the cutter, or the biscuits will not rise as tall. Who made the biscuits in your family..

You will need: 2 cups self-rising flour, 1/2 cup cold butter, 3/4 cup cold buttermilk, a little melted butter for the tops.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 450F. 2. Cut the cold butter into the flour until it looks like small peas. 3. Stir in the buttermilk just until a shaggy dough forms. 4. Pat it 1 inch thick and fold it over 3 times. 5. Cut straight down without twisting and set the biscuits touching in a skillet. 6. Bake 12 to 15 minutes and brush with butter.

Biscuits and Sausage Gravy, the Heart of a Southern Breakfast

This is the plate that made those British students’ eyes go wide. Brown breakfast sausage, sprinkle flour over the drippings, then slowly pour in milk and stir until thick. Lots of black pepper is a must. Cowboy Kent Rollins’ version alone has more than 4 million views. Do you like your gravy thick or a little runny?

You will need: 1 lb breakfast sausage, 1/4 cup flour, 2 1/2 to 3 cups whole milk, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, warm biscuits.

How to make it: 1. Brown the sausage in a skillet, breaking it up. 2. Do not drain the fat. 3. Sprinkle the flour over and stir 2 minutes. 4. Slowly pour in the milk, stirring all the time. 5. Simmer until thick, about 5 minutes. 6. Season with lots of pepper and spoon over split biscuits.

Creamy Cheese Grits, the Southern Breakfast Staple

Grits are the soul of a Southern breakfast, and every grandma has an opinion about them. Use stone-ground or old-fashioned grits, never instant, and cook them low and slow with milk. Stir in sharp cheddar and butter at the end. In that famous video, the grandmas did not hold back on each other’s grits. Salt and butter or sugar?

You will need: 1 cup old-fashioned grits, 2 cups water, 2 cups milk, 1 tsp salt, 4 tbsp butter, 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar, black pepper.

How to make it: 1. Bring water, milk and salt to a simmer. 2. Slowly whisk in the grits. 3. Cook on low 20 to 25 minutes, stirring often. 4. Add more milk if they get too thick. 5. Stir in butter and cheese until melted. 6. Season with pepper and serve hot.

Shrimp and Grits From the Lowcountry

Shrimp and grits began as a simple fisherman’s breakfast along the coast of South Carolina and Georgia. Today it is a brunch star. Sauteed shrimp with bacon, garlic and a little lemon go over a bowl of cheese grits. It is a special holiday morning dish that feels like a restaurant brunch. Have you had it for breakfast or dinner?

You will need: 1 lb shrimp peeled, 4 slices bacon chopped, 2 cloves garlic, 1/2 cup chicken broth, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 2 green onions, a batch of cheese grits.

How to make it: 1. Make the cheese grits and keep them warm. 2. Cook the bacon until crisp and set aside. 3. Cook the shrimp in the bacon fat for 2 minutes per side. 4. Add garlic, broth and lemon and simmer 1 minute. 5. Spoon the shrimp and sauce over the grits. 6. Top with bacon and green onions.

Country Ham With Red-Eye Gravy

Red-eye gravy is one of the oldest Southern breakfast recipes, and it only takes two ingredients: the drippings from fried country ham and black coffee. It is thin, salty and bold, and you spoon it over the ham, biscuits or grits. Country ham is very salty, so slice it thin. Would you try coffee gravy?

You will need: 4 thin slices country ham, 1 tbsp butter, 3/4 cup strong black coffee, 1 tsp brown sugar (optional), biscuits or grits.

How to make it: 1. Fry the ham slices in butter in a hot cast iron skillet. 2. Cook 2 to 3 minutes per side until browned. 3. Move the ham to a plate. 4. Pour the coffee into the hot pan and scrape up the brown bits. 5. Stir in brown sugar and simmer 2 minutes. 6. Spoon over the ham and biscuits.

Tomato Gravy Over Hot Biscuits

Tomato gravy was a thrifty breakfast in Appalachian and Southern homes, made from bacon grease, flour and a jar of home-canned tomatoes. It tastes a little like a creamy tomato soup with lots of black pepper. Spoon it over biscuits with a slice of bacon on the side. Did anyone in your family make tomato gravy?

You will need: 3 tbsp bacon grease or butter, 3 tbsp flour, 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with juice, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 tsp sugar, salt and lots of black pepper.

How to make it: 1. Heat the bacon grease in a skillet. 2. Whisk in the flour and cook 2 minutes. 3. Pour in the tomatoes with their juice. 4. Stir in the milk and sugar. 5. Simmer until thick, about 5 minutes. 6. Season well and spoon over split biscuits.

Chocolate Gravy, the Christmas Morning Surprise

Yes, chocolate gravy is real, and in parts of Arkansas, Tennessee and the Appalachian mountains it is a Christmas morning tradition. It is a warm, thin chocolate pudding poured over buttered biscuits. Kids go crazy for it, and grown-ups get misty eyed remembering it. Have you ever heard of chocolate gravy before today?

You will need: 1 cup sugar, 3 tbsp cocoa powder, 3 tbsp flour, pinch of salt, 2 cups milk, 2 tbsp butter, 1 tsp vanilla, warm biscuits.

How to make it: 1. Whisk sugar, cocoa, flour and salt in a saucepan. 2. Slowly whisk in the milk until smooth. 3. Cook over medium heat, stirring all the time. 4. Simmer until it thickens like gravy, about 5 minutes. 5. Stir in butter and vanilla. 6. Pour over split, buttered biscuits.

Fried Salmon Patties From a Can

Salmon patties were a budget Southern breakfast and supper in many homes, made from a can of salmon, an egg and crushed crackers. They fry up crispy outside and tender inside. Collard Valley Cooks’ salmon patty video has more than 3 million views, so plenty of people still love them. Serve them with grits or on a soft bun. With ketchup or tartar sauce?

You will need: 1 can (14.75 oz) salmon drained, 1 egg, 1/2 cup crushed saltine crackers, 1/4 cup minced onion, 1 tbsp mayonnaise, black pepper, oil for frying.

How to make it: 1. Flake the salmon and remove any large bones and skin if you like. 2. Mix in the egg, crackers, onion, mayo and pepper. 3. Shape into 6 patties. 4. Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a skillet. 5. Fry 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden. 6. Drain on paper towels.

Skillet Fried Apples, the Sweet Side of a Southern Breakfast

Fried apples are the sweet side that makes the morning feel like a holiday. Sliced apples cook in butter with brown sugar and cinnamon until soft and glazed. Spoon them next to ham and biscuits, or on top of pancakes. Your kitchen will smell like apple pie. Do you leave the peels on or take them off?

You will need: 6 apples sliced, 4 tbsp butter, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, pinch of nutmeg, 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup water.

How to make it: 1. Melt butter in a cast iron skillet. 2. Add the apple slices. 3. Sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. 4. Cover and cook 10 minutes, stirring now and then. 5. Stir in the cornstarch mixture. 6. Cook 2 more minutes until glossy.

Sausage, Egg and Cheese Biscuits for a Crowd

When the whole family is home, build a Southern breakfast of biscuit sandwiches. A sausage patty, a fried egg and a slice of cheese go inside a warm biscuit. Wrap them in foil and they stay warm for late sleepers. They also freeze well for busy school mornings. Are you a sausage or bacon person?

You will need: 2 cups self-rising flour, 1/2 cup cold butter, 3/4 cup cold buttermilk, 1 lb breakfast sausage shaped into patties, 6 eggs, 6 slices American or cheddar cheese.

How to make it: 1. Bake the biscuits. 2. Cook the sausage patties until browned and cooked through. 3. Fry or scramble the eggs. 4. Split the warm biscuits. 5. Layer sausage, egg and cheese inside. 6. Wrap in foil to keep warm.

Pecan Sticky Buns for Holiday House Guests

Nothing says welcome home like a pan of sticky buns on Christmas morning. Soft rolls bake on top of a brown sugar, butter and pecan caramel, then get flipped out so the gooey topping runs down the sides. Make the dough the night before and bake in the morning. Who would grab the first one at your house?

You will need: 1 lb frozen bread dough or homemade sweet dough, 1/2 cup butter, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 2 tbsp corn syrup, 1 cup pecans, 1 tsp cinnamon, 2 tbsp sugar.

How to make it: 1. Melt butter, brown sugar and corn syrup and pour into a 9×13 pan. 2. Sprinkle the pecans over. 3. Roll the dough out, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and roll up. 4. Cut into 12 rolls and set them on the pecans. 5. Let rise until doubled, then bake at 350F for 25 minutes. 6. Flip onto a tray right away.

The Classic Southern Breakfast Plate

Sometimes the best Southern breakfast is the simple diner plate: sausage links, soft scrambled eggs and a side of gravy with a biscuit. It is what you order after church or on a road trip through the South. Make it at home and let everyone fill their own plate. Watch Cowboy Kent Rollins make biscuits and gravy for a step by step look. For another holiday favorite, try our sausage balls recipes Southern grandmas make. What is on your perfect breakfast plate?

You will need: 1 lb sausage links, 8 eggs, 2 tbsp butter, 1/4 cup milk, salt and pepper, sausage gravy, warm biscuits.

How to make it: 1. Brown the sausage links in a skillet until cooked through. 2. Whisk the eggs with milk, salt and pepper. 3. Melt butter in a pan over low heat. 4. Stir the eggs slowly until soft and creamy. 5. Warm the gravy and biscuits. 6. Fill the plates and serve hot.