Nothing beats homemade anything…especially homemade mushroom gravy, or as my mama used to call it mushroom “saucik”.

I was in the grocery store prior to Thanksgiving picking up last-minute grocery items when I noticed a woman picking up a packaged gravy mix and placing it into her cart. I cringed to myself because making mushroom gravy is so simple. Even better, you know exactly what is in the gravy you are making. I can’t even begin to imagine the ingredient list of a product that has a shelf life of about two years if stored correctly. After that statement…I will stick to making it from scratch. Yes, it may cost a bit more but at least you know exactly what ingredients you are using. Does it take a little extra time…sure it does. You have to slice, dice, measure, pour, and taste. But in the end, your tastebuds will thank you. I would say that’s worth the extra bit of time.

If you feel like adding this gravy to your holiday lineup, I highly encourage it. I hope you enjoy this simple, yet tasty recipe that has been in our family for quite a while. My mama would be proud!

This is what you will need:

  • 6 Tbsp. butter
  • 1 medium onion, finely diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 8 – 10 ounces (2 1/2 cups) diced mushrooms – Bella and Button
  • 2 Tbsp. flour
  • 2 cups Chicken Broth – I used Organic Imagine Free Range Chicken Broth, low sodium
  • ¼ cup Half & Half
  • ½ – 1 tsp. salt
  • Fresh ground pepper
  • 1 tsp. Dill, optional, finely minced

Directions:

  1. Prepare your onions, mushrooms and garlic by chopping, dicing and mincing each. You want your onions and mushrooms to be smaller in size…but don’t forget they will cook down.
  2. Melt 5 Tbsp. butter in a large, non-stick fry pan.
  3. Once the butter is melted, add onions and sauté on medium (medium high) until they start turning golden brown on the edges.
  4. Add mushrooms into the onions and cook until they start turning a golden color as well, about another 10 minutes or so on medium (medium high). You want them to cook down and caramelize.
  5. Add in ½ tsp. salt and about 10 turns freshly ground pepper, stir.
  6. Then add in garlic and cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute…you want to smell the aroma of your garlic.
  7. Make a well in the center, add in 1 Tbsp. of butter, melt and then add in the 2 Tbsp. flour. Stir until flour is incorporated into the onion/mushroom mixture. It will look lumpy. This should take a couple of minutes.
  8. Add in 2 cups of chicken broth and gently stir until everything is smooth. Cook on medium-low heat for about 5 – 7 minutes.
  9. Once the mixture starts to thicken, add in 2 Tbsp. of Half & Half, stir. If the mixture is too thick, add in the remaining 2 Tbsp.
  10. Taste and if necessary, add in more salt and pepper.
  11. Continue cooking for about 10 minutes on low heat…you want it to bubble gently.
  12. If you want to add in minced dill, you can do so at this time. It is an optional item.
  13. Transfer your mushroom gravy into a nice bowl and enjoy.

Notes:

This time around I used 1 cup low sodium chicken broth and 1 cup regular chicken broth and was careful not to add in too much salt at one time. I started with ½ tsp. and then added more to taste.

I love mixing my mushrooms…white button/cremini with Bella.

Never be afraid to try your food as you are cooking it. For example, as I was making this recipe, I tried my mushrooms because I wanted them to be cooked but still firm. Once I added in my chicken broth, I tasted the gravy again and then I tasted it after I added in the Half & Half.  This is the only way you are going to know how your dish tastes and how you want it to taste.

Once you have added all of your ingredients and the gravy is too thick for your liking,  you can add in more chicken broth or Half & Half. My recommendation…do it a little at a time.

Finally, you can freeze the mushroom gravy. I froze mine in a BPA free Ziploc Freezer Quart Slider with a stand and fill base. I am hesitant to freeze in glass as it does crack.

Hope you enjoy this as much as we do. Bon Appétit!