This is comfort food at its finest! Serve these savory Country Style Gravy Meatballs, made with sausage and a rich, seasoned gravy, as an app or make them into a meal.
Preheat the oven to 375° F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
Combine by hand the pork sausage, breadcrumbs, diced onion, chopped parsley, eggs, 1 teaspoon of the black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of the salt in a large bowl. Mix until the ingredients are evenly distributed, and if the mixture seems dry you can add a tablespoon or two of water.
Roll the sausage mixture into 1½ inch balls (you can also use a spring-loaded scoop) and place the balls on the lined baking sheet. Space them evenly apart with about an inch between them.
Bake the meatballs for 25-30 minutes until they're cooked through - the internal temperature should be 160 degrees F, and there should be no pink remaining.
While the meatballs are cooking, make the cream gravy:
Drop the butter and bacon drippings into a medium saucepan, and melt them over medium heat. Stir in the flour, remaining black pepper, and the remaining salt until they're combined with the butter.
Stir the mixture over medium heat for about a minute. Pour in the milk and stir everything together.
Continue cooking the mixture, stirring constantly until it comes to a simmer. Lower the heat just a little, and stir it for a minute or two - it should thicken quickly after coming to a simmer. Once it has thickened remove the pan from the heat.
Taste the gravy and add a bit more salt or pepper if you think it needs it - don't oversalt though, because the meatballs have some salt as well.
When the meatballs are done, use tongs to move them to a serving platter. Pour the hot gravy over the meatballs and serve them immediately.
To serve them as an appetizer:
Set tongs next to the platter of meatballs and gravy so guests can serve themselves. Provide forks or toothpicks.
To serve them as part of a meal:
The meatballs and gravy are delicious over biscuits for an old-fashioned breakfast. Split biscuits in half and set them on plates. Spoon the meatballs and gravy over the halves.
For a dinner dish, combining the meatballs and gravy with freshly cooked egg noodles or other pasta, or over cooked rice.