Making Mama's Kitchen: Sausage Pinwheels with White Pepper Gravy

This Mama's original creation is a combination of two of my favorite breakfast foods - biscuits and sausage gravy and cinnamon rolls (don't worry, I'm not making cinnamon flavored sausage gravy... think the flavor of biscuits and gravy meets the methodology of cinnamon rolls). Inspired by this beef pinwheel recipe, I decided to try to make a unique version of this breakfast food classic. I think the result screams breakfast for dinner (a favorite in our household), but obviously you could make it for actual breakfast or brunch, too. Not only does it taste delicious, but the presentation is pretty and sure to impress any guest! Here's how Mama makes it:

Sausage Pinwheels with White Pepper Gravy

Ingredients:
for the pinwheels:
- 3 c. Bisquick mix
- 1 c. milk
- 1/2 t. hot sauce
- 1 lb. italian sausage
- 1 c. shredded pepperjack cheese
- 1/4 c. cornflake crumbs
- 1 egg
- 2 t. salt
- 1/2 t. black pepper
for the gravy:
- 4 t. butter
- 1/4 c. flour
- 2 c. whole milk
- 1/4 t. cayenne pepper (optional)
- salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place 3 c. Bisquick into a medium bowl. In a measuring cup, combine milk and hot sauce, then pour into Bisquick and stir until just combined (it will be lumpy). I actually used 1 c. Bisquick and 2 c. of this multigrain baking mix from Trader Joes. Honestly, I couldn't tell the difference.

2. Roll dough into a 15 x 10" rectangle. (lightly flour the surface you are rolling it out on)

3. Combine remaining pinwheel ingredients and stir to combine (then, let's be honest, use your hands to really get it mixed well!).

4. Spread meat mixture evenly over the biscuit dough, then roll as if you were making cinnamon rolls (The Pioneer Woman refers to this as "type writer style", going back and forth as you roll). Pinch seems to seal, then turn so seem is facing down.

5. Cut into about 12 slices and arrange evenly spaced on a shallow baking sheet. Sprinkle with a few shreds of cheese. Bake 30 minutes at 375 degrees until slightly browned and cooked through.

what smells so yummy?

I just love how the cheese browns up

6. Meanwhile, make the gravy! Oftentimes, white gravy starts with some sort of sausage/bacon fat or lard, but since the sausage gets cooked inside the pinwheels, I'm going to use butter. Start by melting the butter over medium high heat.

7. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute until slightly browned.

8. Slowly add the milk, about 1/4 c. at a time and cook for 5-10 minutes. Gravy will thicken as it cooks.

9. Add cayenne (if you need an extra kick!), salt, and pepper. Pour gravy over pinwheels and smile as you savor every last crumb of the best biscuits and gravy you've ever made.