There are countless dishes that can be benefitted with a side of creamy, peppery country gravy. Whether it's Thanksgiving turkey, fried chicken, hot biscuits, and of course, mashed potatoes, my mouth is starting to water thinking of the possibilities.
But more often than not, whenever it's time to whip up some gravy, we go to a packet or the canned stuff. We're here to tell you, you're missing out a lot if you're still not making your gravy homemade.
RELATED: Easy Turkey Gravy Recipe
Step Away From the Can and Make It Yourself
Creamy and Easy Gravy Recipe
The great thing about making luscious country gravy at home is that it's very simple and only takes a few ingredients. This recipe only has 5 ingredients and will take you just 15 minutes to prepare.
What You'll Need:
- 1/2 cup of vegetable Oil
- 3/4 cup of all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper
- 4 cups of milk
Step 1: Pre-Heat the Pan
Firstly, heat up a skillet or a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat and add in your oil.
Step 2: Whisk the Flour
Once heated through, start whisking in your flour and cook until it starts to brown slightly which should take about 5-10 minutes. Be sure to whisk your flour well as this will help reduce lumps later in the cooking process.
Step 3: Add the Milk
After your flour mixture has browned, slowly add in your milk and whisk vigorously to prevent lumps from forming. Continue cooking your mixture until thickened and don't forget to season to taste with salt and pepper.
If gravy is a bit on the thick side, you can even it out by adding more milk. On the flip side, if your gravy is a bit thin, keep reducing the gravy until it reaches your desired consistency.
Alright I Can Make Gravy, Now What?
The aforementioned recipe is the bare bones guideline for making homemade country gravy. Once you get this down to a science you can start using it in different ways and in a variety of dishes. However, there are a few tips you should keep in mind when making your gravy.
Tip 1: Season at the End
You may be tempted to aggressively season your gravy with salt and pepper right from the onset of cooking. Try to refrain from doing that because unlike some dishes, as a gravy cooks down and the liquid reduces, flavors concentrate. While this is great for flavor, the salt will also be concentrated.
So a gravy that tastes amazing at the beginning could become inedible after reducing down. To prevent that from happening, check for seasoning after the gravy is at the desired thickness or before serving.
Tip 2: Always Cook Your Roux
Anytime a recipe calls for a roux, always cook it enough so that the flour doesn't taste like raw flour. You can usually tell when it's ready by its color and smell. Once the roux starts to brown and give off a nutty aroma, it's probably ready to be used.
Tip 3: It's All About Texture
Whether you like your gravy thick or thin, it is possible to make a gravy overly thick or thin. Keep in mind that as a gravy cooks down, the liquid will evaporate causing it to thicken. Before serving your gravy, check the texture.
If things are looking a bit too thick, thin it out with some water or stock. If your gravy is looking a bit thin, mix a little cornstarch with cold water and add some to your gravy. Bring your gravy to a boil and check texture again and add more if needed.
Tip 4: We Like It Hot
Always serve your gravy hot. Personally, one of the worst things in this world is trying to pour gravy over your food only to be greeted by cold, gluey globs.
You can help prevent that by serving your gravy after all the food is on the table. Also, you can heat your gravy boat by pouring boiling water into it and draining it out right before you need your gravy.
RELATED: How to Make Mashed Potatoes | Mashed Potato Recipe
Meals Great With Gravy
Hopefully by now, you're a gravy pro so let's give you some meals that you can use that delicious gravy with. Here are 3 meals that are absolutely lacking without the presence of country gravy.
1. Chicken Fried Steak
Let's be real. You cannot serve chicken fried steak without gravy. You just can't. But now that you know how to make a mean gravy, you can serve it with this recipe from Tasty.
Instead of using new cooking oil, use the drippings and leftover oil from frying off your steak as the base for your gravy. This will give a huge boost of meaty flavor to your gravy.
2. Biscuits and Gravy
A classic breakfast combination for a reason, it's so delicious and comforting to eat. But don't limit yourself to just serving this for breakfast, it always makes for a hearty dinner. The key here is the sausage. We recommend using a spicy sausage to give your country gravy a little more bite.
We also love this recipe because of the multi-tasking factor. While your biscuits are baking away in the oven, you can prepare your gravy in the same amount of time.
3. Hot Sandwiches
This is particularly handy if it's the day after Thanksgiving and you just happen to have some leftover turkey and gravy in your refrigerator. Get yourself some good sandwich bread, we'd recommend ciabatta, and toast it. In the meantime, reheat your meat and your gravy. And you know what to do the rest of the way.
Trust us when we say, homemade country gravy is lightyears better than the canned stuff. You'll soon find out that you can upgrade the taste of a lot of dishes, just by upgrading your gravy-making technique.
What are some of your favorite dishes to put gravy on? Did we miss any? Tell us in the comment section below!
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