AWESOME SAUSAGE GRAVY

Steps:

• Cook sausage in a large skillet, stirring and breaking up into small crumbles. I prefer the "Seriously Bold" version of a popular brand, but choose your sausage according to your taste, as this will create the character of your sausage gravy. Remove sausage to a stack of paper towels on a large plate, retaining the sausage grease in the skillet. Add butter to skillet until melted, then stir in flour until blended to create a roux. Gradually add milk, 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup at a time, allowing the mixture to thicken and bubble before adding the next round of milk. Repeat until you have one cup of milk remaining. Once the mixture is thick again, season with salt, ground pepper, and cayenne pepper. I use 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, but season to your taste. Continue to stir until it thickens, then add maple syrup and sausage and continue stirring in the rest of the milk. Once it is thick and bubbling, reduce heat to a low simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes, stirring slowly throughout. You can add a bit more milk if it thickens too much. Serve over hot split biscuits.