You’ve heard about Southern style biscuits and gravy, but what about Wisconsin style biscuits and gravy?
A few weeks ago, while nursing a Sunday hangover with a few Bloody Marys at El Dorado in Madison, I searched the menu for something to help recover from the previous night’s debauchery.
And I stumbled upon the Texas Two Step, El Dorado’s take on the classic southern style biscuits and gravy. Right from their menu it reads, “A Texas-sized house-made buttermilk biscuit split down the middle; one half topped with a fried egg, cheddar cheese, and smoked bacon; the other half topped with buttermilk gravy and served with a sausage patty.”
Just what my hangover needed. After ordering that and a margarita, my mind, in it’s hungry and delirious state, began to wander. I’m somewhat of a food history geek and I’ve been reading Grapes of Wrath, which mentions a lot of the fireside camp dishes the migrant farm workers would survive on while enduring the Dust Bowl and Great Depression. And one the main meals happened to be biscuits and gravy.
Biscuits and gravy has a long history. A history that’s as old as the United States itself. While reflecting on the origin and evolution of biscuits and gravy, I started to wonder what a regional biscuits and gravy would like.
We’ve got a traditional southern style, why not a northern style?
So I took everything that makes Wisconsin cuisine great, and threw it into this recipe. The Wisconsin-style biscuits and gravy includes a pretzel biscuit, a beer brat patty, smothered in a classic beer cheese ‘gravy’.
Just what a Wisconsite needs after a long weekend.
Time You’ll Need
- ~30 prep
- ~45 minutes cooking
- Yields: ~4-5 servings
What You’ll Need
For the beer cheese gravy:
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3 ½ tbsp flour
- 3 ½ cups of shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup of diced white onion
- 1 tbsp of diced pickled red jalapeno peppers (optional)
- 1 cup of whole milk
- ½ cup of preferred beer
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp cayenne
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 4 strips of bacon, cooked and cut into small pieces (optional)
For the pretzel biscuits and brat patties:
- 1 can of refrigerated biscuit dough
- 1 cup of baking soda
- 3-4 brat patties (or regular beer brats)
- ~2 tbsp olive oil
What You’ll Do
For the beer cheese gravy:
- In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter and add the diced onion. Let the onions cook for about 4 minutes, then whisk in the flour.
- Remove the pan from the heat, and whisk in the milk starting with 2 tbsps at a time. Repeat until the whole cup of milk has been added.
- Next, stir in the beer, mustard, jalapeno, bacon, and your seasonings (salt, garlic powder, cayenne, black pepper).
- Place the pan back on the heated stove, over medium heat. Continuously stir, and let it get to a simmering bubble. Remove from heat again.
- Add your shredded cheese, a handful at a time, making sure to whisk the cheese in until it’s blended in smoothly. Then add another handful. Repeat until all these cheese has been added. Season to taste with garlic powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Turn heat down to a low simmer, and let the beer cheese sit covered. Make sure to stir occasionally while preparing the biscuits and brats.
For the pretzel biscuits and brats:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with a nonstick baking spray.
- In a small pot, bring about 12 cups of water to a rolling boil. Then slowly add the baking soda. Add one biscuit at a time to the boiling water. Let them sit for about 30-40 seconds before removing and placing on the baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the biscuits. Place the finish biscuits on the baking sheet and salt liberally.
- Place the biscuits in the oven and cook for about 12-15 minutes.
- While those are cooking, heat a skillet over medium high heat, add 2 tbsp of olive oil and your brats or brat patties. Feel free to add a cup of beer in there too. Cook for around 10-13 minutes until they are cooked fully through and no longer pink.
- Remove from heat. Serve the brats on top of a pretzel biscuit or two, smothered with the beer cheese gravy. Enjoy.