Gravy is a savory sauce made from the drippings of cooked meat combined with liquid and a thickener such as flour or cornstarch. Use any meat to make flavorful gravy, including turkey, chicken, beef, pork or ham. While gravy is most often used to top meat, potatoes or biscuits, it also adds rich creaminess to a variety of everyday dishes.
Beef Casserole
Brown chunks of inexpensive round steak in a large skillet or Dutch oven to make a tasty beef casserole. You can add beef gravy and chopped vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, celery, onions, tomatoes, turnips and garlic along with liquid such as beef or vegetable broth, tomato juice, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce or wine. Season the dish with pepper, salt and extra seasonings such as garlic powder, cayenne pepper, chili powder, oregano, cumin or thyme. Cook until the steak and vegetables are tender.
Breakfast Casserole
Combine sausage gravy with cooked sausage and beaten eggs to make a hearty breakfast casserole. If you don't have time to make gravy, use a packet of sausage-flavored gravy mix. Top the sausage mixture with grated cheddar cheese, and then with a layer of bread cut into 1-inch cubes. You can also add a chopped green onion. Drizzle melted margarine or butter over the mixture just before baking. For a quick breakfast on a busy morning, make the casserole the night before, then bake it in the morning. For a low-fat version, use turkey or chicken sausage and skim-milk mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese.
Pot Pies
Pot pie is easy to make from simple ingredients and meat such as turkey or chicken. Mix chicken or turkey gravy with canned, cooked or frozen vegetables. For an even easier pot pie, use a powdered gravy mix blended with milk or water in place of homemade gravy. Top the pot pie with biscuits made from scratch or from a baking mix. You can also top the pot pie with refrigerator biscuits.
Salisbury Steak
In spite of its elegant name, Salisbury steak is just hamburger combined with fillers such as cracker crumbs, stuffing mix or breadcrumbs along with a beaten egg and minced onion. Form the mixture into patties, then saute the patties in a small amount of oil. Heat gravy in a separate pan, add sliced mushrooms, then serve the gravy mixture over the Salisbury steaks. Serve Salisbury steak with rice or potatoes.
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