Nestled between heaping plates of vegetables, mountains of meat, buttered rolls and bread baskets, is a small but powerful Thanksgiving table accoutrement: gravy. The flavorful sauce is privy to many iterations, yet its essential formula remains steadfast. Gravy, in its most basic form, is made from the rich juices that run off of meat combined with a binding agent like flour or cornstarch. The flour allows the juices to thicken, forming a delicious, savory liquid with a consistency somewhere between a sauce and a paste. Often brown in color, and always decadent in flavor, gravy is like Thanksgiving secret sauce—it's easy to make, and even easier to like.
Our site has got a small but formidable collection of gravy recipes. They cover the gamut from meaty and hearty to woodsy and vegetarian—one of them is even gluten-free. Try your hand at any of the gravy recipes this Thanksgiving. Your guests will thank you.
What's your go-to gravy? Let us know about it in the comments.
Top-notch recipes, expert tips, and all the tools to pull off the year’s most memorable feast.
Check It Out
See what other Food52 readers are saying.