This homemade, white gravy recipe is a great addition to your meal at a moment’s notice, and not only for typical Southern cuisine. With only three simple ingredients, one of them being bacon (always a plus), it is an easy recipe to mix together and cook in less than twenty minutes.
What is White Gravy?
Like a sawmill gravy, it is creamy and starts with a roux base of bacon or sausage drippings and flour. This is then combined with milk. The end result is a smooth and thick white gravy (also called country gravy).
Ingredients
- raw bacon
- AP flour
- milk
- salt and white pepper
The white pepper is used to match the color of the dish and for its more subtle flavor, but feel free to use black pepper instead.
How to Make it
- Cook bacon. Lay the bacon strips in a large, deep skillet. Heat over medium heat. Cook for about 5 minutes per side, until crispy.
- Combine grease and flour. Remove the bacon strips to a plate lined with paper towel. Transfer 2 1/2 tablespoons of the bacon grease to a small saucepan and heat over medium heat. Slowly mix the flour into the bacon grease. Cook until it just starts to smell nutty, stirring constantly (about 2 minutes).
- Whisk. Slowly add the milk while whisking, until there are no lumps. Continue to cook, whisking often, until thickened (1-2 minutes). If the gravy is too thick for your liking, whisk in a little more milk until desired consistency.
- Serve. Season with salt and white pepper, to taste. Serve!
This is a thick gravy, but if you’d like it to be thinner, simply whisk in some more milk until it reaches your desired consistency. If you aren’t going to eat the bacon right away, it can be reserved in the fridge for another meal.
Serving Suggestions
White gravy is best served with biscuits and sausage for breakfast. You can also serve it in less conventional ways. You can pour it over steamed vegetables, mashed potatoes, pierogies (one of my favorite ways), pork chops, chicken-fried steak, country chicken, rice, fries, etc.
One of the most popular dishes in Canada is poutine: a dish of fries covered with gravy and topped with cheese curds. It is normally covered in brown gravy, but using white gravy would make for a unique and tasty poutine.
Storage
This white gravy is best used up within 2 days, but can be refrigerated for up to 4 days. For long-term storage, you can put it in airtight containers and freeze it. That way it can last up to four to six months.
The fried bacon can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.
What dish will you cover with your white gravy? Let me know in the comments!
White Gravy Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 strips raw bacon
- 2 ½ tablespoons AP flour
- 1 cup milk
- salt - to taste
- white pepper - to taste
Instructions
- Lay the bacon strips in a large, deep skillet. Heat over medium heat.6 strips raw bacon
- Cook for about 5 minutes per side, until crispy.
- Remove the bacon strips to a plate lined with paper towel. Transfer 2 1/2 tablespoons of the bacon grease to a small saucepan and heat over medium heat.
- Slowly mix the flour into the bacon grease. Cook until it just starts to smell nutty, stirring constantly (about 2 minutes).2 ½ tablespoons AP flour
- Slowly add the milk while whisking, until there are no lumps. Continue to cook, whisking often, until thickened (1-2 minutes). If the gravy is too thick for your liking, whisk in a little more milk until desired consistency.1 cup milk
- Season with salt and white pepper, to taste.
- Serve!
Notes
- This recipe yields 1 cup gravy.
- The fried bacon can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.
- If you have leftover bacon grease on hand, you can use that up instead of cooking the bacon.
- This white gravy is best used up within 2 days, but can be refrigerated for up to 4 days. For long-term storage, you can put it in airtight containers and freeze it. That way it can last up to four to six months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may not include toppings and/or sauces.
Hungry for more? Try our Dessert Gravy