Bulgur Sausage Gravy Breakfast Bowl

Jazzed up bulgur pilaf.

I sadly did not take a picture of this before I ate it. Not that I suppose it matters because my food photography definitely leaves a lot to be desired (just look at the horrible low-quality of my bulgur pilaf image).

This was my first time working with bulgur. It’s a nifty grain and in the pilaf was very chewy, but in this bowl it’s barely noticeable, probably because the extra liquid helped detract from the earlier chewiness.

I made the bulgur pilaf two days before as an accompaniment to a spiced chicken dinner with baked beans. It was very yummy (a little dry because I let it sit a little too long with the lid on after it was finished cooking). That makes this a very quick to make breakfast. My main problem was getting my hashbrowns cooked. I didn’t have enough butter/oil at first so it took a lot longer than it should have.

• Servings: approx. 4
• Difficulty: medium
• Print

Enjoy the chewiness of bulgur pilaf married to the down home goodness of sausage gravy for a great comfort food breakfast.

This pilaf recipe is modified from the standard pilaf recipe available on the Hodgson Mill bulgur box.

Bulgur Pilaf

• 1 cup uncooked bulgur
• 2 leeks, finely chopped
• 1 tsp minced garlic (I used a mounded tsp)
• 1/4 cup dried cherries & berries mix
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tbsp butter
• salt and pepper to taste

How to Make Bulgur Pilaf

1. Melt 2 tbsp of butter in a nonstick pan.
2. Add leeks, garlic, and bulgur. Stir, cooking until bulgur is golden brown.
3. Slowly add your broth. Stir occasionally while bringing to a boil. Add your dried fruit mix and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat and cover. Cook 15-20 minutes until liquid is absorbed.

For the gravy mixture…I didn’t actually come out and measure anything, lol. That’s not very helpful is it? I just took my flour scoop and sprinkled it on. I know it’s under a quarter cup and how much you add really depends on thickness preferences and the amount of milk you’re adding.

Sausage Gravy

• 16oz roll of Jimmy Dean regular pork sausage (or any pork sausage – you don’t want to use a drier sausage)
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1-2 cups milk (I’m lactose intolerant so I used lactose-free Vitamin D whole milk)
• 1/2 – 1 cup bulgur pilaf (to suit your taste)
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Brown sausage in a large cast iron skillet. I use a spatula to break it up into large crumbles.
2. Add pilaf and stir until combined. Sprinkle flour over sausage and pilaf mixture and stir for about a minute until all the flour is worked in.
3. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly. What I did was take my milk carton, and add milk until sausage was completely covered and liquid was about a quarter inch from the top of the pan. When the milk thickened, I added a bit more so the top of the sausage mixture was covered again. It thickened very well, so you can do this until you achieve the desired consistency of sausage gravy. I wanted mine to be slightly thicker than when I make sausage gravy for biscuits.
4. During the gravy-making process, make sure to taste test as you go. Sometimes you have to add extra salt or pepper as the milk you add won’t be fully seasoned by the sausage alone depending on the amount you use. If this happens, add seasoning to your taste.

Breakfast Bowl Additions

• 3 cups frozen shredded hashbrowns
• 3 tbsp butter
• salt & pepper to taste
• 4 eggs
• 1 tbsp lard (or oil of choice to fry eggs)

Directions

1. Melt butter in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat.
2. Add the hashbrowns into the pan, spreading into an even, thin layer. I sprinkle salt and pepper on the top side. Fry until bottom layer is browned. Flip hashbrowns over to brown the other side. You can season this side with salt and pepper if you like.
3. While the hashbrowns are frying, heat lard in a small nonstick frypan on medium heat. When nice and hot, crack in 1 egg. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook until egg is mostly solid and white then gently flip over and cook as long as you want depending on desired doneness of eggs. Repeat until all 4 eggs are cooked to desired doneness. I prefer over medium so it’s not super yummy, but still has a creamy, non-solid yolk.
4. Time to build the bowls. Take your 4 bowls and split the hashbrowns evenly between them; add the sausage gravy; and then top with the fried eggs. Voila! A hearty and yummy breakfast bowl that had just the right amount of seasoning for me.

This would actually work well as a make ahead breakfast bowl where you’d have a quick heat & eat hearty breakfast for about a week. I think next time, I’d love to try this with home fries versus hashbrowns.

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