Cornmeal Dumplings with Apple Sausage Gravy, photo by Allison McAdams
This recipe is truly comfort food in a bowl. It’s the perfect dinner after a time outside in the chilly Fall air. Light and airy cornmeal dumplings are the perfect companion to apple sausage gravy. We know it’s molting season, so you only need one egg to make this. As always, we include substitutions to make this dish gluten, dairy, and/or meat free.
We talk you through making these Cornmeal Dumplings with Apple Sausage Gravy in Episode 304 of our podcast. If you liked this dish, you may also enjoy our recipes for Skillet Hash with Potatoes, Apples, and Sausage and Sausage and Apple Pot Pie.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound pork sausage, plant sausage, or your sausage of choice
1/2 large yellow or white onion, diced
1 pinch salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or dairy free butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour of gluten free 1-1 flour
1 large apple, peeled and diced
4 cups chicken or veggie broth
1/2 cup milk or plant milk
freshly ground black pepper to taste
cayenne pepper to taste
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, or to taste
Cornmeal Dumplings
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup yellow cornmeal (fine or medium grind)
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or ½ teaspoon dried thyme)
1 large egg
½ cup whole milk (or buttermilk)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or dairy free butter, melted and slightly cooled
Directions
Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and add sausage. Cook and stir, breaking up chunks with a spatula, until browned and crumbly, about 5 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium heat, add onions and a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring, until onions start to turn soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the butter, let it melt, then add flour. Cook, stirring them together, for about 2-3 minutes. Add diced apple, and cook, continuing to stir for another few miutes.
Pour in the broth, turn the heat up to high, and stir with a spoon or spatula, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add milk and bring the broth to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for about 15 minutes or sp. Turn the heat down to medium-low and stir up your dumpling batter.
Dumplings
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, thoroughly whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the chopped chives and thyme leaves so they are evenly distributed through the flour.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk the egg until it is well blended and smooth. Pour in the milk and melted butter, whisking gently with a fork or spatula, just until the flour disappears and a soft, sticky dough holds together. The batter should look thick and slightly lumpy. Don’t overmix, it will make the dumplings turn out heavy and gummy.
Ensure your pot of gravy is at a steady simmer, not boiling. Using a teaspoon or a small cookie scoop, drop rounded tablespoonfuls of the dough directly into the gravy. When all dumplings have been added, cover the pot and do not open the lid for about 10-12 minutes. When finished, the dumplings will be plumped up and floating on top, fully cooked, and absolutely delicious!
Taste the gravy and add extra seasonings as needed. Serve generous bowls full of gravy and dumplings and enjoy!
Cornmeal Dumplings with Apple Sausage Gravy, photo by Allison McAdams