Gravy Was the Meal, Not the Sauce: 14 Old-Fashioned Gravy Recipes From Grandma’s Skillet

If you grew up in the South, gravy was not a sauce. It was the meal. Grandma could stretch one pound of sausage across ten biscuits, turn a spoon of bacon grease into supper and make a little meat feel like a feast. These old-fashioned gravy recipes come from that kind of kitchen: a cast iron skillet, a little flour, some milk and a lot of love. Some will bring back memories, and one or two might surprise you. What did your family pour gravy over..

Classic Sausage Gravy and Biscuits, the Gravy Recipes Start Here

This is the one that started it all. Brown a pound of breakfast sausage, sprinkle flour right into the drippings, then pour in milk and stir until it turns thick, creamy and full of black pepper. Split a hot biscuit, ladle the gravy over the top and you have breakfast for the whole family for just a few dollars. The secret is patience: let the flour cook a full minute so the gravy never tastes raw.

You will need: 1 lb pork breakfast sausage, 1/3 cup flour, 3 to 3 1/2 cups whole milk, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp coarse black pepper, pinch of red pepper flakes (optional), hot biscuits to serve.

How to make it: 1. Brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking it into small crumbles. 2. Do not drain. Sprinkle the flour over and stir 1 to 2 minutes. 3. Slowly pour in the milk, stirring the whole time. 4. Simmer 5 to 7 minutes until thick, adding more milk if it gets too heavy. 5. Season with salt and plenty of pepper and spoon over split biscuits.

Sawmill Gravy From Bacon Drippings

Sawmill gravy is what folks made when there was no sausage, only a little bacon grease saved in a can by the stove. The name is said to come from logging camp cooks who fed hungry crews cheap and fast. It is one of the thriftiest gravy recipes ever: plain, peppery and creamy, and it is wonderful over biscuits, fried potatoes or even toast. Did your grandma keep a grease can on the stove too? Tell us in the comments.

You will need: 1/4 cup bacon drippings, 1/4 cup flour, 2 1/2 cups whole milk, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 2 slices cooked bacon (crumbled, optional).

How to make it: 1. Warm the drippings in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. 2. Whisk in the flour and cook 2 minutes until light tan. 3. Slowly whisk in the milk until smooth. 4. Simmer 4 to 5 minutes until thick. 5. Season well with salt and pepper, stir in the bacon and serve hot.

Tomato Gravy, One of the Oldest Southern Gravy Recipes

Tomato gravy surprises people who did not grow up with it. It starts like any skillet gravy with bacon grease and flour, then gets a jar of home canned tomatoes instead of milk. The result is tangy, a little sweet and perfect over biscuits or a pile of white rice. Many families also spooned it over thick slices of loaf bread and called it gravy bread. Have you ever had tomato gravy for breakfast?

You will need: 3 tbsp bacon drippings, 2 tbsp flour, 1 can (14.5 oz) diced or crushed tomatoes with juice, 1/2 cup water or milk, 1 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper.

How to make it: 1. Heat the drippings in a skillet and whisk in the flour. 2. Cook 2 minutes until golden. 3. Add the tomatoes with juice and stir, breaking up big pieces. 4. Add water or milk, sugar, salt and pepper and simmer 8 to 10 minutes until thick. 5. Serve over biscuits, rice or bread.

Chocolate Gravy, an Appalachian Breakfast Tradition

Yes, chocolate gravy is real, and in parts of Appalachia, Arkansas and the Ozarks it is a treasured Sunday breakfast. It is a warm, pudding-like cocoa sauce poured over hot buttered biscuits. Of all the gravy recipes here, this is the one kids lose their minds over, and grown-ups get a little teary remembering grandma making it. Quick poll: have you (A) grown up eating it, (B) heard of it but never tried it, or (C) just found out it exists?

You will need: 1 cup sugar, 3 tbsp cocoa powder, 2 tbsp flour, pinch of salt, 2 cups whole milk, 2 tbsp butter, 1 tsp vanilla, hot biscuits.

How to make it: 1. Whisk the sugar, cocoa, flour and salt together in a saucepan. 2. Slowly whisk in the milk until smooth. 3. Cook over medium heat, stirring all the time, until it bubbles and thickens, about 6 to 8 minutes. 4. Take off the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla. 5. Split the biscuits, butter them and pour the gravy over.

Red-Eye Gravy With Country Ham and Coffee

Red-eye gravy is as simple as it gets: the drippings from frying country ham, loosened with a splash of black coffee. It is thin, salty and bold, not creamy at all, and it soaks right into grits and biscuits. Old timers say the name comes from the red circle of ham fat that floats in the middle like an eye. If you love salty country flavors, this is the one to try next.

You will need: 4 slices country ham (about 1/4 inch thick), 1 tbsp butter, 3/4 cup strong brewed black coffee, 1/4 cup water, 1 tsp brown sugar (optional), grits or biscuits to serve.

How to make it: 1. Fry the ham in a cast iron skillet over medium heat, 3 to 4 minutes per side; set aside. 2. Leave the drippings and browned bits in the pan. 3. Pour in the coffee and water and scrape up every bit from the bottom. 4. Stir in the brown sugar and simmer 3 minutes. 5. Pour over the ham, grits or biscuits.

Turkey Giblet Gravy, One of the Thanksgiving Gravy Recipes Families Fight Over

In a lot of families, the Thanksgiving gravy has chopped giblets and a sliced boiled egg in it, and nobody would dream of making it any other way. The neck and giblets simmer into a rich broth that makes the gravy taste deeply of turkey. It is old-fashioned, thrifty and full of flavor. Be honest: is your family team giblets or team smooth gravy? This one starts arguments every November.

You will need: Turkey neck and giblets (no liver), 4 cups water, 1 onion (halved), 1 celery rib, 1/4 cup turkey drippings or butter, 1/4 cup flour, salt and pepper, 1 hard boiled egg (chopped, optional).

How to make it: 1. Simmer the neck and giblets with the water, onion and celery for 1 1/2 hours; strain and keep 3 cups of broth. 2. Chop the giblet meat and pick the neck meat. 3. Cook the drippings and flour 2 minutes. 4. Whisk in the broth and simmer until thick. 5. Stir in the meat and egg and season to taste.

Make-Ahead Turkey Gravy Recipes Without Drippings

This is the gravy that saves Thanksgiving morning. Roasted turkey wings make a rich, brown gravy days before the big bird ever goes in the oven. Make it on the weekend, chill it, and on the day just warm it and whisk in a few spoonfuls of drippings if you have them. One less pot on the stove when the whole family is in the kitchen is a gift.

You will need: 2 to 3 lb turkey wings, 1 onion (quartered), 2 carrots, 2 celery ribs, 6 cups chicken broth, 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup flour, 1 tsp dried thyme, salt and pepper.

How to make it: 1. Roast the wings and vegetables at 400 F for 1 hour until deep brown. 2. Move to a pot with the broth and simmer 1 1/2 hours; strain and skim. 3. Melt the butter, whisk in the flour and cook 3 minutes. 4. Slowly whisk in 4 to 5 cups of the stock with the thyme and simmer until thick. 5. Cool and refrigerate up to 4 days, then reheat gently.

Brown Onion Gravy for Hamburger Steak

Hamburger steak smothered in onion gravy is one of the great budget dinners of all time. The patties brown in the skillet, then a pile of sliced onions cooks down in the drippings until sweet, and a little flour and beef broth turn it all into a glossy brown gravy. Serve it over mashed potatoes or rice and nobody will believe it started with a pound of ground beef.

You will need: 1 1/2 lb ground beef, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tbsp oil, 2 large onions (sliced), 2 tbsp butter, 3 tbsp flour, 2 cups beef broth.

How to make it: 1. Mix the beef with salt, pepper and Worcestershire and shape 4 to 5 patties. 2. Brown in oil 3 to 4 minutes per side; set aside. 3. Add the butter and onions and cook 10 minutes until soft and golden. 4. Stir in the flour, then the broth, and simmer until thick. 5. Return the patties, cover and simmer 10 minutes.

Cream Gravy for Chicken Fried Steak

No chicken fried steak is complete without a blanket of peppery cream gravy. The trick is to make it in the same skillet you fried the steak in, so all those crispy browned bits end up in the gravy. It is rich, it is comforting and it is one of the gravy recipes that explain why diners in Texas and across the South have lines out the door. Do you put the gravy on top or on the side?

You will need: 3 tbsp pan drippings from frying steak, 3 tbsp flour, 2 cups whole milk, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, pinch of cayenne, 4 chicken fried steaks to serve.

How to make it: 1. Pour off all but 3 tbsp of the frying oil, keeping the brown bits. 2. Whisk in the flour and cook 1 to 2 minutes. 3. Slowly whisk in the milk until smooth. 4. Simmer 4 to 5 minutes until thick, scraping the bottom. 5. Season with salt, lots of pepper and cayenne, and pour over the steaks.

Mushroom Gravy, the Meatless One Everyone Loves

Not every good gravy needs meat drippings. Mushrooms browned in butter with a little onion and thyme give a deep, savory flavor that tastes like it simmered all day. It is perfect for the vegetarian at the holiday table, and it is just as good over mashed potatoes, meatloaf or a baked potato on a cold night. Make a double batch, because the meat eaters will take some too.

You will need: 8 oz cremini or white mushrooms (sliced), 3 tbsp butter, 1 small onion (minced), 2 garlic cloves, 1/2 tsp dried thyme, 3 tbsp flour, 2 cups vegetable broth, 1 tbsp soy sauce, salt and pepper.

How to make it: 1. Melt the butter and cook the mushrooms 6 to 8 minutes until browned. 2. Add the onion, garlic and thyme and cook 2 minutes. 3. Sprinkle in the flour and stir 1 minute. 4. Slowly add the broth and soy sauce and simmer 5 minutes until thick. 5. Season and serve hot.

Milk Gravy, the Hard Times Hero Among Old Gravy Recipes

This is the plainest gravy of all, and maybe the most important. During lean years, when there was no meat at all, mothers made milk gravy with butter or lard, flour, milk and a lot of pepper, and it filled hungry bellies over biscuits, cornbread or fried potatoes. Many people say it is still the best tasting thing they ever ate. Did someone in your family make this when money was tight?

You will need: 3 tbsp butter or lard, 3 tbsp flour, 2 cups whole milk, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, biscuits, cornbread or fried potatoes to serve.

How to make it: 1. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. 2. Stir in the flour and cook 2 minutes without letting it get dark. 3. Slowly whisk in the milk. 4. Simmer and stir 4 to 5 minutes until thick and creamy. 5. Season with salt and plenty of pepper and serve right away.

Sunday Chicken Pan Gravy Over Rice

After the Sunday chicken came out of the skillet or the oven, the drippings became a golden gravy that went over a big bowl of white rice. Rice and gravy is a meal all its own in many Southern homes, especially in Louisiana and the Carolinas. It is cheap, filling and pure comfort. Some people even say the rice and gravy was better than the chicken. Would you agree?

You will need: 3 tbsp chicken drippings or butter, 3 tbsp flour, 2 cups chicken broth, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/4 tsp poultry seasoning, cooked white rice.

How to make it: 1. Heat the drippings in the pan you cooked the chicken in. 2. Whisk in the flour and cook 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown. 3. Slowly whisk in the broth, scraping the bottom. 4. Add the milk and seasonings and simmer 5 minutes until thick. 5. Ladle over hot rice.

Smothered Pork Chops in Brown Gravy

Smothered pork chops are what happens when Southern cooking meets a weeknight. The chops get a quick dredge in seasoned flour, browned in the skillet, then covered in a rich onion gravy and simmered until they are fork tender. All the flavor from the chops ends up in the gravy, so you will want rice, mashed potatoes or biscuits to catch every drop. Need something to soak it up? Try our easy homemade dinner rolls and biscuits.

You will need: 4 bone-in pork chops, 1/2 cup flour (divided), 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp pepper, 3 tbsp oil, 1 onion (sliced), 2 cups chicken broth, 1/2 cup milk.

How to make it: 1. Season the chops and dredge in 1/4 cup flour mixed with the spices. 2. Brown in oil 3 to 4 minutes per side; set aside. 3. Cook the onion in the pan 5 minutes, then stir in the rest of the flour. 4. Whisk in the broth and milk until smooth. 5. Return the chops, cover and simmer 25 to 30 minutes until tender.

How to Fix Lumpy or Thin Gravy

Every cook has had a gravy go wrong right before dinner. Here is grandma’s rescue plan. For lumps, whisk hard or pour it through a strainer. For thin gravy, use a slurry: flour or cornstarch shaken with cold water in a jar, then simmered in. For thick gravy, add warm broth a splash at a time. For bland gravy, add salt, pepper and a dash of Worcestershire. Save this slide for Thanksgiving, because it works for all the gravy recipes in this list.

You will need: 1 jar with a lid, 2 tbsp flour or 1 tbsp cornstarch, 1/4 cup cold water, warm broth or milk for thinning, salt, pepper, a few drops of Worcestershire or soy sauce, a fine strainer.

How to make it: 1. Lumpy: whisk hard over low heat or pour through a strainer. 2. Thin: shake the flour or cornstarch with cold water in a jar until smooth. 3. Whisk the slurry into the simmering gravy and cook 2 to 3 minutes. 4. Too thick: whisk in warm broth or milk a splash at a time. 5. Taste and adjust the salt, pepper and Worcestershire.