Easy Chicken Gravy

If you need to make a big batch of good ole easy chicken gravy and you don’t have any chicken drippin’s on hand, this is the way to go. Hands down, the best fast gravy you can make! I wasn’t shy when I went to pouring when I made a chicken sandwich, either. It’s my take on a French dip, but using chicken and delicious gravy instead.

Chicken and Gravy Sandwiches

Great Gravy For All Gravy Situations

This easy chicken gravy is good on just about anything. Pour it over chicken-fried steak. Or over fried chicken. Speaking of fried chicken. if you have a charcoal grill, you just have to try my Vortex fried chicken!

I also make an outstanding turkey gravy for Thanksgiving. It’s a lot more work, but oh, is it ever worth the time.

This recipe is based on a recipe from Kittencal.

Chicken and Gravy Sandwiches
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Easy Chicken Gravy

If you need to make a big batch of good ole easy chicken gravy and you don’t have any chicken drippin’s on hand, this is the way to go. Hands down, the best fast gravy you can make! 
Course Sauce
Cuisine American
Keyword gravy
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4 cups
Calories 116kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Add the butter to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and melt.
  • Add pepper.
  • Reduce heat to low.
  • Whisk in the flour, cooking, for 3 minutes.
  • Whisk in the broth.
  • Add bouillon.
  • Stir constantly for 3-5 minutes or until bubbly hot and thickened.
  • Add salt and more pepper, to taste.

Nutrition

Calories: 116kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 1608mg | Potassium: 264mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 56IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

The Perfect Marinade for the Grill

I’m always leery when someone says “This is the best in the world!”.  We all have different tastes, so of course what you like might not be what I like. This perfect marinade for the grill is the exception. It is really great, and it can be modified to suit your tastes. Like a bit of heat? Add more cayenne.  Like more savory? Add more spices and herbs. Like sweet? Add a tablespoon of honey. Me, I made the recipe just like it’s written before and absolutely loved my steak. Great flavor, moist and tender. Perfect.

The Perfect Marinade for the Grill

Steak Perfection

This is a very versatile marinade that is perfect on all meats. It’s called the perfect marinade for the grill for a reason. My first time using it I had it on a thin T-bone steak that I quickly grilled to 145 F and then let rest for 10 minutes. It was perfectly tender and flavorful! There’s no meat you can’t use this one and end up with a delicious result.

Also try my Asian steak marinade.

The Perfect Marinade for the Grill
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The Perfect Marinade for the Grill

This makes enough marinade for a large steak or 2 butterflied chicken breasts.
Course Marinade
Cuisine American
Keyword marinade, steak
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 5 minutes
Servings 2
Calories 153kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredients. Adjust the seasonings to taste.
  • Place meat in a resealable baggie or container. Add marinade.
  • Marinade for at least 4 hours, turning the meat every hour.
  • Shake off excess marinade before grilling.

Nutrition

Calories: 153kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 2889mg | Potassium: 698mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 288IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 224mg | Iron: 9mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Southwestern Sauce

This is my go-to sauce for anything Southwestern. I use it on grilled stuffed Fritos. I use it as a dip for chips. I’ve dunked pigs-in-a-blanket into it. Chicken nuggets often find their way into this sauce. I drizzle it over tacos or enchiladas. And I use it in place of mayonnaise or remoulade on my sandwiches and po boys. Like I said, it’s a great sauce for anything!

Grilled Stuffed Fritos

A Little Sauce With A Mighty Taste

This isn’t quite the sauce where ‘a little dab will do you’. But you don’t need much of this southwestern sauce to spice up whatever you’re using it on. You can make some easy variations on it too. Just swap out the cayenne with some other seasonings. Try Creole or Cajun seasoning. Chipotle powder adds a little heat with a great smokiness! Get creative with it!

This sauce is also fantastic on crispy corn fritters.

Grilled Stuffed Fritos
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Southwestern Sauce

This is my go-to sauce for anything Southwestern.
Course Sauce
Cuisine American, Asian
Keyword sauce, southwestern
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 2 1/2 cups
Calories 678kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredients.
  • Refrigerate until ready to use.

Nutrition

Calories: 678kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 65g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 31g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 2139mg | Potassium: 149mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 1204IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 92mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Creole Meatball Sauce

This is the sauce I use on my Creole meatballs if I am serving them over pasta or on meatball sandwiches. The meatballs already have some kick, so this sauce is a little more mellow. But, if you want more heat, just substitute Rotel tomatoes for the diced tomatoes and pucker up!

How can you pass up a Creole meatball sub sandwich, smothered in this great sauce? I can’t, that’s for sure. The messier the better I always say!

Creole Meatball Sub Sandwich

Or meatballs over pasta, heaped with delicious sauce?

Creole Meatballs and Spaghetti

I double or even triple this recipe to make sure I always have some sauce on hand. It freezes well and makes for a quick and easy dinner over noodles.

This sauce is also fantastic on my Creole pizza.

Creole Meatball Sub Sandwich
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Creole Meatball Sauce

This is the sauce I use on my Creole meatballs if I am serving them over pasta or on meatball sandwiches. The meatballs already have some kick, so this sauce is a little more mellow.
Course Sauce
Cuisine Creole
Keyword Creole, meatballs, sauce
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 87kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Heat the olive oil in a medium pan over medium-high heat.
  • Add the onion, bell pepper and celery and cook until slightly softened.
  • Stir in the tomato paste and cook another 3-4 minutes.
  • Stir in the tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Add sugar, Creole seasoning to taste, and the basil. Stir and continue simmering for 15 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 87kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 513mg | Potassium: 797mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 950IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Holiday Make-Ahead Gravy

I like to make as much of our Thanksgiving meal ahead of time as I can. And I like to have a lot of gravy for my turkey, dressing, and mashed potatoes. And I like to save some for sopping with rolls, too.

This holiday make-ahead gravy came out fantastic. I ‘fry’ my turkey in my Char-Broil The Big Easy TRU-Infrared Oil-less Turkey Fryer. I don’t usually get a lot of drippings to make a lot of gravy. This recipe saves the day.

Holiday Make-Ahead Gravy

This Gravy Is More Than Worth The Effort

Note that this recipe for holiday make-ahead gravy consists of two parts. In the first, you’ll make 8 or so cups of turkey stock using roasted turkey wings (you can also use smoked turkey wings). You can skip this step if you can find turkey stock in the store. The second step uses SOME of the stock to make the gravy. You’ll have leftover stock unless you double or even triple the gravy ingredients (which will make a HUGE batch of gravy!).

Oh, and if you have cats or dogs, they’ll love the turkey meat that is left from making the stock. If you need an easy chicken gravy recipe instead, use my favorite.

Don’t use this gravy on good ole turkey and stuffing and mashed potatoes. It’s great as a dip for turkey and stuffing egg rolls too.

Holiday Make-Ahead Gravy
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Thanksgiving Make-Ahead Gravy

Fantastic flavor, perfect for that Thanksgiving turkey.
Course Sauce
Cuisine American
Keyword gravy
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 12 hours
Total Time 12 hours 10 minutes
Servings 16
Calories 144kcal

Ingredients

For the stock

For the gravy

  • 2-3 cups turkey stock, from above you’ll get about 8 cups of stock, so triple the gravy recipe if you want to use it all for gravy
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • ½ cup whole milk more or less

Instructions

For the turkey stock

  • Preheat oven to 375 F.
  • Place the wings, celery, onion and garlic in a roasting pan. Place in oven and roast for 2 hours.
  • Place roasting pan on a burner on the stove (if you don’t have room, you can transfer the contents to a large stockpot).
  • Add 8 cups of water, the peppercorns and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 1 hour.
  • Remove turkey and vegetables. Strain the resulting stock into a large resealable container.
  • Refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Skim off any fat.

For the gravy

  • Melt butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
  • Whisk in the flour. Cook, whisking constantly, until golden in color.
  • Slowly pour in 2-3 cups of the stock, a little at a time, whisking constantly.
  • Add in the vinegar. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  • Whisk in some of the milk. Taste and add more if you wish, but don’t make the gravy too thin. Let simmer until the desired thickness is achieved. Add more milk if it gets too thick.

Nutrition

Calories: 144kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 36mg | Potassium: 165mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 197IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Bacon Jam

I can’t believe that it has taken me this long to make bacon jam. This stuff is truly magical. Although I used it mostly on my bread machine southern biscuits, you can put it on anything you would put jam. Or bacon. Even pizza. No really, bacon jam on pizza is delicious. Ditto for pancakes and waffles.

Bacon Jam

Good Things Take Time. Lots of Time

You can’t rush making this jam, so if you don’t have an hour and a half to commit to it, you shouldn’t even try. Just relax and hang out while it comes together. But if you do, you’ll be very happy with the results.

Bacon Jam
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Bacon Jam

Best "jam" ever.
Course Sauce
Cuisine American
Keyword bacon
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings 2 cups
Calories 4698kcal
Author Mike

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Fry bacon in a large skillet until lightly browned, but not crispy. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Remove all but about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings.
  • Add the onion to the skillet and saute for about 4 minutes or until soft.
  • Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for another minute.
  • Add the bacon back in and stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.
  • Cook, stirring almost constantly, for about 1 1/2 hours or until most of the liquid has evaporated and you have a big, gooey, sticky, bacony mess.
  • Serve slightly warm. Keep in the fridge. I microwaved the jam just slightly when I used it the next day to soften it up a bit.

Nutrition

Calories: 4698kcal | Carbohydrates: 124g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 451g | Saturated Fat: 177g | Cholesterol: 431mg | Sodium: 718mg | Potassium: 596mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 112g | Vitamin A: 2IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 175mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Ancho Chile Butter

This ancho chile butter is absolutely over-the-top on grilled corn-on-the-cob.  It is also great on crostinis, or really, anywhere you’d normally use butter. But on corn, that’s where it really shines. This is butter on steroids, with a pretty serious kick to it. Use it lightly or go all-in. It’s the perfect contrast to the yummy sweetness of fresh corn-on-the-cob.

Ancho Chile Butter

Add Some Heat

If you prefer a sweeter butter for your corn, try my grilled corn with honey butter. Or make ancho chile butter and honey butter and have a little heat and a little sweet!

Here in central Indiana, nothing beats My Dad’s Sweet Corn. We grab it whenever we can while it’s in season. It’s something special!

Ancho Chili Butter
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Ancho Chile Butter

Kicked-up butter.
Course Sauce
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword butter, spicy
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 1 cup
Calories 1529kcal
Author Mike

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Heat oil over high heat. Add onion and saute for 2 minutes.
  • Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds.
  • Add in the chili powder, paprika, cumin and cayenne. Stir and cook for 1 more minute.
  • Add in the water and whisk until the mixture becomes very thick. Remove from heat and let cool 10 minutes.
  • Place butter in a blender or food processor. Add in the chili mixture and Worcestershire sauce. Blend until smooth.
  • Taste the mixture and add salt and pepper as desired.
  • Spoon into a container with a lid and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  • Soften slightly before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 1529kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 167g | Saturated Fat: 110g | Trans Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 364mg | Sodium: 222mg | Potassium: 426mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 7364IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 121mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Maple Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

If you like the twang of mustard with a hint of sweet, then this maple honey mustard dipping sauce is the sauce for you. Keep that bottle of ketchup in the fridge. Try something new. Although the recipe calls for Dijon, you can use any of your favorite mustards. We’ve found Creole and spicy mustards to be great too!

Maple Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

Dip Everything You Can Think Of!

We use this maple honey mustard dipping sauce for dipping chicken fingers and corn dogs and yes, even French fries. For a little more kick, add some hot sauce. But whatever you do, make sure you use real maple syrup. The fake stuff isn’t actually maple syrup, it’s made from corn syrup. Only the real stuff has that true maple flavor.

Also try my mango-basil dipping sauce.

Maple Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
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Maple Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

If you like the twang of mustard with a hint of sweet, then this maple honey mustard dipping sauce is the sauce for you.
Course Sauce
Cuisine American
Keyword dipping sauce, honey, mustard, sweet
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 1 cup
Calories 283kcal
Author Mike

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredients. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 283kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1889mg | Potassium: 330mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 43g | Vitamin A: 118IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 141mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Creamy Italian Dressing

I needed creamy Italian dressing for a recipe I was making. I searched all over my local grocery store and couldn’t find any. I ran across this simple yet tasty version that goes great on sandwiches or salads. Yep, I said ‘sandwiches’. One of my favorite sandwiches uses a variation of this dressing instead of mayonnaise. For some reason the thought of that had never occurred to me. I wish it had because this really changes any sandwich… for the better.

Creamy Italian Dressing

Give It A Rest

This creamy Italian dressing really needs to sit overnight in the fridge to “get happy”. The spices need to have time to flavor it. Make sure that you give it a really good shake or two before serving.

Check out my new site, Dress My Salad, for more great salad dressing ideas!

Creamy Italian Dressing
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4 from 1 vote

Creamy Italian Dressing

I needed creamy Italian dressing for a recipe I was making. I searched all over my local grocery store and couldn’t find any. I ran across this simple yet tasty version that goes great on sandwiches or salads.
Course Dressing
Cuisine American
Keyword creamy, homemade salad dressing, Italian
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Fridge 4 hours
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 1596kcal
Author Mike

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Combine the mayo, onion, and vinegar in a blender and blend until smooth. Season with remaining ingredients.
  • Note: Onions obviously vary in size. Start with a little of the onion and taste as you go. You might use more or less than a half of the onion. You may also have to adjust the spices, to taste. It all depends on how strong and big the onion is that you are using.
  • Place in a covered container.
  • Let rest in the fridge for at least 4 hours before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 1596kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 168g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 2009mg | Potassium: 139mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 173IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Taco Seasoning

This is my go-to taco seasoning mix. I usually make a really big batch and store it in the pantry. Use 2-3 tablespoons of mix per 1 pound of ground beef (or ground turkey) to make a great taco meat. I prefer to make my own mixes like this one. This allows for changing it up to suit my tastes. And another big thing is that I get to control the amount of salt. So many packaged seasonings are absolutely loaded with salt.

Taco Seasoning

I Use This Seasoning A Lot!

It may seem a bit odd, I know. But one of my favorite uses for taco seasoning is on enchilada chicken wings and taco pasta. But for tacos, I make my great slow cooker taco meat.

Depending on how I’m going to use it, I might place this mix into a spice blender and give it a few whirls. Sometimes I need a little finer texture. My spice blender is actually a coffee blender that I use just for spices!

Taco Seasoning
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Taco Seasoning

My go-to taco spice mix. Use instead of store-bought packets.
Course Seasoning
Cuisine American
Keyword seasoning, taco
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 42kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. I prefer to then transfer it to a spice grinder and give it a little grind so the resulting mix is a little finer.
  • To use, add 2-3 tablespoons to every 1 pound of ground beef, along with 1/3-1/2 cups of water.
  • The mix will keep for up to a year in an airtight container in a pantry or closet.

Nutrition

Calories: 42kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 0.02mg | Sodium: 1132mg | Potassium: 224mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2505IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional values are approximate.