How to Make Gravy

Did you know that you can make homemade gravy at a fraction of the cost of buying it at the grocery store? Homemade gravy only takes 4 ingredients and about 20 minutes and you can flavor it to your taste.

What I’m going to teach you how to make is called a rue. It’s the base for any gravy. The only difference in the type of gravy will be the flavors you add and anything you put in it, such as meats or veggies or pasta.

Ingredients:

• Flour
• Butter
• Water
• Bullion or flavoring

Tools:

• Pot
• Spoon
• Whisk

Step 1: Melt Your Butter

For two people, I usually use only a tablespoon (you know how much to use based on the lines on the side of the package).

Step 2: Add Flour

Add as much flour as you have butter. So if you melted 1 tablespoon (TBS) of butter, add 1 tablespoon of flour. Mix these together until you have a dough-like mixture.

Step 3: Add Water and Whisk

Now add water. For my 1 tablespoon I add about 1-1.5 cups of water. If you add too much, don’t worry! You just need to let it boil longer to evaporate the excess water.

Step 4: Add Your Flavoring and Meats/Veggies

Now to add the flavoring. In this instance I am adding chicken bullion and broccoli, but you can do any combination you like. Once you add all your ingrediants, make sure to stir everything together thoroughly.

Note: If you are adding meat, make sure it is precooked! Raw meat will not cook in time.  For safety reasons, cook your meat separately.

Step 5: Simmer and Stir Until Ready

Turn your heat down to 3-5 (depending on how hot your stove is) and let it boil for 10-15 minutes. Stir every minute or two. This process allows the gravy to be thick. The longer you let it boil, the thicker it will be.

I know it’s tempting to leave it on a high heat, so it’ll cook faster, but the issue is that your gravy will begin to burn to the bottom of the pot unless you are constantly stirring it. That’s not to mention the hot lava of gravy that will spray you if it is boiling too high. In this case, it’s best to be patient.

Step 6: Serve it Up!

Here is the best part! Gravy can go over noodles, rice, potatoes and just about any other starch or carb heavy food item. You can also customize your gravy to be vegetarian, beef, pork, fish or chicken! The possibilities are endless and so are the meals. Left over gravy can be stored in the fridge for 1-2 weeks and can be reheated again and again.

What’s your favorite kind of gravy? What do you like to put it on?