As its name would suggest, sausage gravy is made using sausages in a similar method to how other gravies are made from roast beef or chicken. The residue left from cooking sausages in a pan is turned into a roux and seasoned, creating a wonderfully tasteful accompaniment.
Many people cheat by using granules to make their sausage gravy, but they are nothing compared to homemade sausage gravy. To save you the effort of making sausage gravy fresh when you want a simple Saturday morning breakfast, try freezing a big batch of gravy in advance!
To freeze sausage gravy, allow it to cool fully before portioning it out into containers or an ice cube tray and freezing.
How to Freeze Sausage Gravy
There are 2 ways you can choose to freeze sausage gravy which can suit your needs in various ways.
Just decide how much sausage gravy you would typically want to defrost at one time and follow the appropriate freezing method below:
How To Freeze Batches of Sausage Gravy
You can never have too much sausage gravy when you are serving breakfast to a ravenous bunch of kids or are hosting a family get-together.
In fact, more often than not, you will find you have made too little sausage gravy, and those unlucky few will have to enjoy their biscuits dry!
To prevent such a mistake, make a double or even triple batch of sausage gravy and freeze it in bulk:
- Allow To Cool
Before you even attempt to freeze your sausage gravy, allow an hour for the gravy to cool to room temperature. - Make Space
While your sausage gravy is cooling, arrange some space in your freezer to fit the amount of sausage gravy you plan to freeze. There’s nothing worse than spending time preparing something for the freezer, only to find there’s no room – we’ve all been there! - Transfer
Ready a large air-tight container or freezer bag. Then use a spatula to transfer the sausage gravy to the container or freezer bag, scraping all of that sausage goodness in with the gravy. - Secure Shut
You want your usage gravy to be as air-tight as possible to seal the air-tight container shut securely. Or push all of the air out of the freezer bag and quickly zip it shut. - Freeze
Place the air-tight sausage gravy directly into your freezer to freeze. You can leave bulk batches of sausage gravy in your freezer for roughly 3 months.
Defrosting a massive batch of frozen sausage gravy is as simple as finding a pot big enough to reheat the gravy from frozen. Heat the freezer bag or container with the frozen gravy for 10 seconds in the microwave to loosen the gravy, then add the sausage gravy directly to your pot to reheat and defrost.
How to Freeze Portions of Sausage Gravy
When it is just you or you and your partner in the house, it is easy to make one too many servings of sausage gravy and have the rest go to waste.
That is why freezing your leftover sausage gravy in individual portions is a great idea, as you can save waste and only defrost as much sausage gravy as you need. Here is how:
- Leave To Cool
Of course, before you start preparing your sausage gravy for freezing, leave the gravy to cool for an hour. - Cube It Up
Once your gravy is cool enough, use a tablespoon to scoop up a hearty helping of sausage gravy and pour it into an ice cube tray. Continue to portion out the gravy into the ice cube tray until the tray is full. - Flash Freeze
Carefully move the gravy-filled ice cube tray to the freezer. Leave the gravy to flash freeze for 2 or so hours or until frozen solid. - Transfer
Remove the ice cube tray from the freezer and pop out the frozen cubes of sausage gravy. Transfer the cubes to a freezer bag. - Secure Shut
Push out as much air as possible from the freezer bag and zip it shut, ensuring the seal is secure and airtight. - Freeze Again
Now you can place the sausage gravy cubes back into the freezer and leave them in there for up to 3 months.
To defrost the sausage gravy, remove a few cubes of the frozen sausage gravy from the freezer and add them directly to a pan on medium heat. Allow the heat of the pan to defrost the gravy completely.
How to Freeze Sausage Gravy Successfully
It may seem a little silly to freeze a dish that is so easy and cheap to make from fresh when needed. But when you freeze sausage gravy properly, it can make your mornings that much more manageable and breakfast that much simpler.
To really see the benefits of freezing sausage gravy, keep these tips in mind:
- Cool in the Fridge – When you do not have the time to wait around for your sausage gravy to cool before freezing, transfer the gravy to a large container and leave it in your fridge to cool. You can keep the gravy in your fridge for 5 days before freezing it.
- Leave Room for Expansion – No matter if you are using an airtight container or freezer bag, allow at least 1/2 of space between the top of the container and the gravy. This will allow the moisture in the gravy room to expand while it freezes, preventing a gravy explosion in your freezer.
- Loosen With Milk – If you find your sausage gravy to be a little too thick while defrosting it in a pan, there is nothing wrong with adding an extra splash of milk to loosen the gravy up some.
Does Sausage Gravy Freeze Well?
The good thing about sausage gravy is that it does not need to be perfectly smooth to be delicious, so you do not have to worry too much about the gravy potentially getting freezer burn and changing consistency. Likewise, sausage gravy is simple in flavour but holds that flavour well. These two factors are exactly why sausage gravy freezes so well.
Freezing Sausage Gravy FAQs
If you have more questions about freezing (and storing) sausage gravy, then these queries might be useful:
Sausage gravy can be kept in an airtight container or covered jug in the fridge for around 3 days.
Yes, sausage gravy that has been made with milk and flour will freeze fine. Most gravies will thicken once frozen and thawed so simply loosen it. witha splash of milk.
Acacia may be a freelance writer by day, but they are a food fanatic by night. They are always trying out new recipes or finding different ways to elevate classical dishes. But their biggest culinary aim is to educate others on the basics of the kitchen so that they too can enjoy delicious food.
