Going to the fast food place for a sausage biscuit in the morning can get expensive, especially if you factor in the time and gas. But you can make them for your whole family for less than $5 (that’s $5 total for ten, versus $5 each at a fast-food restaurant), and you don’t even need to get out of your pajamas. Indeed, cooking at home is one of the best ways to save money. This will allow you to find the extra money you need to pay down debts and then invest and get interest coming in instead of going out.
Making scratch biscuits really isn’t difficult, and anyone who can turn on a stove can make sausage patties. Here’s how, step-by-step, for those who rarely or never cook:
Ingredients:
1 tube sausage
2 Cups self-rising flour
1/2 Cup shortening (buy it in the stocks and cut it)
2/3 to 3/4 cups milk or buttermilk
Sausages:
1. Freeze the sausages when you bring them home, then put them in the microwave for 20 seconds or put them out on the counter for 10-20 minutes when you are ready to use them. This will not appear to do anything but make them cut like a dream.
2. Cut them into 1/2″ slices right through the package, put them in a skillet on medium heat, and forget about them for a while.
3. Turn them once when they have shrunk slightly and juices start to appear.
4. Check for doneness by gently pressing (don’t press the juices out). They should be firm and you shouldn’t see any red juices.
5. Remove the sausages to a plate with a paper towel to wick away some of the grease.
Biscuits:
While the sausages are cooking:
1. Turn the oven to 450 degrees.
Place the two cups of flour in a bowl. Measure using a dry ingredient measuring cup (from a set of cups at 1/4 cup, 1/2 cup, 1 cup, etc…), making the flour even with the top of the cup with the back of a knife.
2. Cut the shortening into four or five pieces and bury in the flour. With two knives dipped in the flour, cut into pieces the size of a pea, mixing with the flour as you do so. With two knives this will take 5-10 minutes. If you do this more than a few times a year, buy a pastry cutter which will make this a lot quicker.
3. Make a well in the middle of the flour and add 2/3 cups of milk. Very gently stir, grabbing flour and folding it into the milk well as you go until all of the flour and milk are mixed and moist. Add a little more milk if needed to get the last bits of dry flour incorporated. (The amount of moisture in the flour will vary). Be very gentle since being rough will result in tough biscuits. It’s OK if it is a bit lumpy at this point.
4. Flour a clean surface lightly and dump dough out. Add a little flour to the top of the dough and flour your hands. Try not to add too much flour or the biscuits will be dry, but add just enough so the dough is workable and doesn’t stick to your hands. Very gently fold the dough over itself a couple of times and then press into a ball to mix everything. Again, if you overwork it your biscuits will be tough, so do just enough to make a smooth, consistent dough.
4. With your hands, press the dough out to a circle 1/2 inch thick. With a floured biscuit cutter, a floured glass, or a floured tin can with both ends cut off cut out the biscuits. Try to get as many as you can before needing to form the dough again since the biscuits will get tougher each time you reform. Shape the last bit of dough into a final biscuit with your hands. Note, some people claim your biscuits will be tougher if you spin the cutter, saying you should just press down. I have not found any difference personally.
5. Bake the biscuits at 450 deg F. Set a timer for 8 minutes and check progress. The tops should be lightly brown and the bottoms golden. Add a minute or two if needed, but watch them closely since they will burn easily if left a minute too long.
There you have it – sausages and biscuits. Personally I like to eat them separately and use jam on the biscuits rather than make a sandwich, but the choice is up to you. The whole process from start to finish should take you about 30-40 minutes at first, and maybe 20 minutes once you’ve done it a few times. You can also use products like Bisquick which have the shortening and flour combined already, saving you the step of cutting the shortening into the flour. With Bisquick you can probably make biscuits in less than 15 minutes – less than the time it takes to load everyone in the car and head to McDonald’s or Hardees.
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Disclaimer: This blog is not meant to give financial planning or tax advice. It gives general information on investment strategy, picking stocks, and generally managing money to build wealth. It is not a solicitation to buy or sell stocks or any security. Financial planning advice should be sought from a certified financial planner, which the author is not. Tax advice should be sought from a CPA. All investments involve risk and the reader as urged to consider risks carefully and seek the advice of experts if needed before investing.
