Apple-Sausage Gravy Boats

Ingredients

• 1 loaf French bread , 16 ounce
• 1 package bulk pork breakfast sausage , 16 ounce
• 1 small apple - peeled , cored, and finely chopped
• 0.33 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups whole milk , or more to taste
• 1 cup apple juice
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. 1

   Cut bread into six 4-inch pieces. Hollow out an oval shape in the top of each piece; scoop out some of the bread inside with your fingers or a spoon and discard. Set bread "boats" aside.

2. 2

   Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and apple. Cook, breaking up sausage with a spoon, until crumbly and no longer pink, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle flour over the sausage mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until it has been absorbed by the fat, about 3 minutes.

3. 3

   Reduce heat to medium-low and gradually pour in 2 cups milk and apple juice; bring to a simmer. Stir and simmer until gravy thickens, 5 to 7 minutes. If gravy is too thick, add more milk to thin it out to your desired consistency. Stir in Dijon and season with salt and pepper.

4. 4

   Ladle the sausage gravy into the bread boats, allowing some to spill over the sides.