Before learning about no-turkey-needed gravy, we wanted you to know that we posted our favorite green bean recipe over on our friend Amanda’s fashion blog, Little Miss Fearless today. IF you are needing inspiration for Thanksgiving sides, go check it out!
This is my favorite gravy for Thanksgiving for 3 reasons.
- You can make this recipe up to 4 days ahead of all the chaos of prep and timing dinner with the turkey being finished. Just microwave and voilá! There’s less dishes on the day of and you can look like a wiz of a host. Not hosting? You can still make this recipe and bring the gravy! It’s ground breaking – I know!
- This gravy is not made off the turkey grease. Yes, turkey skin might be delicious, but the grease it produces is not equivalent to bacon grease, so don’t fool yourself in thinking it’s full of flavor. This gravy is made on the “holy trinity”. A staple of many recipes and great soups the “holy trinity” is the dynamic trio of onion, carrot and celery. The color of this gravy comes from the vegetables and flour until their well browned.
- It’s delicious, smooth and full of flavor. You can’t beat it on your potatoes or for any meal year round.
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 carrot, peeled and chopped fine
1 rib celery, chopped fine
1 onion, minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried
5 whole black peppercorns
salt and pepper
1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the vegetables and cook until softened and well browned, about 9 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until thoroughly browned about 5 minutes.
2. Gradually whisk in the broths and bring to a boil. Add the bay leaf, thyme and peppercorns and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 20 to 25 minutes, skimming off any foam that forms on the surface.
3. Pour the gravy through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean saucepan, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids. Season the gravy with salt and pepper to taste.
Note: To double the recipe, just add 50% to the cooking times.
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 carrot, peeled and chopped fine
- 1 rib celery, chopped fine
- 1 onion, minced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or ¼ teaspoon dried
- 5 whole black peppercorns
- salt and pepper
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the vegetables and cook until softened and well browned, about 9 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until thoroughly browned about 5 minutes.
- Gradually whisk in the broths and bring to a boil. Add the bay leaf, thyme and peppercorns and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 20 to 25 minutes, skimming off any foam that forms on the surface.
- Pour the gravy through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean saucepan, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids. Season the gravy with salt and pepper to taste.