Life
9 Crazy Easy Thanksgiving Gravy Recipes That Won't Take All Day
Thanksgiving is not the time to be skimping on extravagances, least of all gravy. The weather is getting colder, after all, and one of the best ways to offset the austerity of winter is with the warmth of insanely delicious home-cooked food. Perhaps the most decadent and comforting concoction of all is gravy.
These recipes celebrate all that is good and righteous about gravy, while keeping their instructions clean and simple. Simple is good. Between the turkey and the stuffing and the cranberry sauce (and all those people at your house!), you're going to need all of the simple you can get. To that effect, the following recipes have your back.
But these recipes don’t just cut down on your Turkey Day multitasking. They also offer something extra — a lot of flavor and a handful of unexpected ingredients. Because it turns out you can put bacon in gravy. And sriracha. And just when you thought a sauce that is composed of meat drippings couldn’t get any more noble and magnificent, somebody went ahead and threw some Bourbon into the mix. There’s something here for everybody — the vegans, the gluten-intolerant, and the traditionalists. So many gravies! So get your boat and ladle ready — and gravy on.
Image: Fotolia
Classic Turkey Gravy
Katie at Good Life Eats promises you will have no lumps in your gravy if you follow her lead. This recipe is straightforward and traditional — one you can use for years to come.
Image: Good Life Eats
Bourbon Cream Gravy
Looking for another reason to take a long nap post-feast? The Kentucky whiskey in this Bourbon Cream Gravy from Chow could give you a hand with that. Simmered with Bourbon and sage and then finished with heavy cream (oh, and more Bourbon!), it virtually guarantees sweet dreams.
Vegan Gravy
Vegan? You too deserve some gravy on your plate. This recipe from Oh She Glows combines tamari, nutritional yeast, tahini, balsamic vinegar, and blackstrap molasses for a gravy with all the complexity and none of the animal products. You’ll be drowning your veggies in it.
Walnut Gravy
Want to try something different this year? This Walnut Gravy from Cooking Light starts with a bird that’s basted in walnut oil. The gravy is made from its drippings and is fortified with more walnuts and blended until creamy. It’s sophisticated — just like you.
Pan Gravy
This Pan Gravy recipe from The Comfort of Cooking is fool-proof. Georgia starts with a turkey roasted with butter, white wine, thyme, and paprika, and then uses the drippings in a gravy preparation that is both simple and classic. Grandma will be pleased.
Image: Comfort of Cooking
Apple Cider Turkey Gravy
This recipe from A Spicy Perspective, which calls for only five ingredients, is crazy simple and crazy good. The apple cider and sage are the stars of this sauce. Absolute genius.
Image: A Spicy Perspective
Bacon and Turkey Neck Gravy
It’s hard to imagine that anything could make turkey and gravy even better — until you remember that bacon is a thing. This recipe from Food52 starts with a bacon-wrapped turkey. The gravy is prepared using the bird’s magical bacony drippings, additional butter, and a drag of sherry. (Deep breath.)
Easy Paleo Herb Gravy
Looking for a recipe that’s gluten-free or Paleo? Try this Easy Herb Gravy from Nom Nom Paleo. The coconut aminos (a Paleo-friendly alternative to soy sauce) will give your gravy great depth and umami.
Image: Nom Nom Paleo
Sriracha Gravy
Is a classic pan gravy just too pedestrian for you? Keep things interesting with this Sriracha Gravy from White on Rice Couple. In their recipe, Todd and Diane start with a chicken, but you could easily adapt it for a turkey.
