8 lg baking potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 tsp butter, divided
1/2 cup milk, or as needed
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 lbs beef sausage (I’ve always used pork sausage)
1/2 cup diced onion
1 (.75 oz)) pkg dry brown gravy mix
1 cup water, or as needed

preheat the oven to 350 degrees. place potatoes in a saucepan with enough water to cover. bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. drain; mash with 1 tsp of butter and enough milk to reach your desired creaminess. continue mashing, or beat with an electric mixer until smooth. season with salt and pepper.

in a large skillet over medium heat, cook the sausage until heated through. remove from the pan and set aside. add remaining teaspoon of butter to the skillet and fry the onions over medium heat until tender. mix gravy mix and water as directed on the package, and add to the skillet with the onions. simmer, stirring constantly, to form a thick gravy.

pour half of the gravy into a square casserole dish so that it coats the bottom. place sausage(s) in a layer over the gravy (you can butterfly the sausages if you wish). pour remaining gravy over them, then top with mashed potatoes.

bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until potatoes are evenly browned.

8 servings