Creamy Country Gravy Recipe

Gravy, as many of us know and love it, is brown and made from some sort of meat-based broth. But there is another, paler type known as white or country gravy. No meat juices in this condiment; instead, it is just made from butter, flour, and milk plus a few seasonings. Recipe developer Catherine Brookes describes this type of gravy as "a richer, creamier, super flavorful and smooth topping for your roasted meats or veggies," but it is most often used as a topping for chicken-fried steak or biscuits. With the latter dish, cooked sausage crumbles are often stirred in.

This gravy is fairly simple to make, as Brookes points out that it incorporates "just a few simple ingredients that you most likely already have in your cupboards." Although none of the ingredients she uses are unusual for such a sauce, she notes that one in particular plays a significant role in this recipe: "Adding a little onion powder to the gravy gives it a little more umami flavor."

To make this gravy, you'll need flour, butter, and milk, plus salt, pepper, and onion powder. While Brookes favors using whole milk here, if this isn't the kind you tend to use on a regular basis, there's no need to buy a carton just for this recipe. She says it's perfectly okay to use whatever type of milk you like, adding that the gravy "may be slightly less thick, but you can adjust the quantity of milk if needed."

Melt the butter over medium heat, taking care not to let it brown. Once it has melted, begin stirring in the flour a bit at a time. When all the flour has been added, you now have a roux. Keep cooking that roux for 2 minutes, stirring all the while.

Add the milk to the roux, just a tiny bit at a time, whisking after each addition until the mixture is mostly smooth. The more gradually you add the milk, the less lumpy the gravy. If the gravy does get too lumpy, though, you can always put it through a sieve (or even in the blender) once it has finished cooking.

Add the seasonings to the gravy, then cook it (keep on stirring) for a few more minutes until it thickens up a bit. You don't need to let the sauce get too thick, though, since as Brookes points out, "it does tend to get thicker as it cools." You can also stir in some additional milk if needed to thin it out.

Leftover gravy should be refrigerated in an airtight container, and you can expect it to keep for 3 days. If you won't be using it up during that time frame, though, you might want to freeze it for later use.