Wondering if there’s a way to make healthy gravy? Yes, there is!! I’ll tell you everything you need to know about the ingredients and the process for how to make the best gravy. This homemade turkey gravy is so delicious, easy to make, and is one of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving dinner.
Every year, my favorite part of my Thanksgiving meal is the cranberries. It’s my usual.
Well, a few years back, things changed. I went out on a limb and changed up my “usual” gravy recipe.
I know: Watch out. Lacey’s getting adventurous.
I have always made turkey gravy from scratch by just adding some flour and chicken broth to the turkey drippings. For some reason, I never considered adding in even more flavors, like onion and garlic.
Silly me.
This change was a total success. Love when that happens!
Oh my goodness. I absolutely swoon for this homemade gravy. It’s super easy to make and takes the perfect amount of time while you’re waiting for the turkey to rest.
Also, we’re talking about healthy gravy here. Did I actually manage to make healthy gravy? YES, I did.
Now you get why I’m so excited about this easy turkey gravy, right?
I like to drizzle some (probably way too much from any objective observer’s perspective) over my stuffing, turkey, and mashed potatoes.
Okay… and on my green beans too. Try this turkey gravy recipe and you’ll understand. It’s that good, people.
Yay for trying new things!
Gravy is delicious. That’s a fact. A positive fact. But is gravy healthy? I hate to break it to you but no, not usually.
I know, I know. Don’t worry, I’ll teach you how to make homemade gravy healthy but first, let’s see why gravy isn’t healthy in the first place to see what we have to change in the traditional recipe. Deal?
Let’s start with the most obvious problem. Gravy is made with fat drippings. I don’t think I have to tell you that consuming foods that contain a lot of fat is not good for you. Traditionally, gravy is thickened with roux, a mix of flour and fat (more about it later), or cornstarch. A mix of carbs and fat? That doesn’t sound very good. Am I right? You can also make or buy creamy gravy. Creamy gravy is made with full-fat milk, cheese or sour cream. The texture is rich but the calories count sky-rockets when adding more fat to something that already has a high-fat content. Packaged gravies contain a ton of salt, which automatically means a ton of sodium. Even homemade gravy can contain too much sodium. Darn it. There are people who prefer a gravy that is slightly sweeter than traditional gravy. You know what that usually means? Refined white sugar.
If you learn how to make turkey gravy, you might be able to fix some (if not all) of the problems I just listed.
Yay!
Let’s see what you can do to make gravy healthier:
To reduce the fat content of gravy, use more chicken stock and lower the quantity of turkey drippings. In fact, you can entirely replace the turkey drippings with chicken stock. If you make turkey gravy from scratch, you can make the roux healthy. Or at least healthier. I’ll show you how to make a roux in a bit. And yes, it’s a healthy version of roux. It’s easy, actually. All you have to do is to replace the butter or vegetable oil with olive oil and the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour or gluten-free flour alternatives. Options are coming your way in a bit. Do you prefer creamy gravy? Well, in that case, opt for skimmed milk and stay away from full-fat milk or cheese. To reduce the sodium content, use low-sodium chicken stock and add flavor to your homemade gravy by adding vegetables and herbs instead of salt. I like to use garlic and onion but you can add celery, parsley, oregano and so on. Those who prefer sweet gravy should skip the sugar and add cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, nutmeg, and even applesauce.So far so good, right? It’s not hard to transform traditional gravy into healthy gravy. Am I right?
Now, let’s talk about how to make gravy:
The first thing you have to do – make the roux. Keep reading if you want to learn how to make a roux; When the roux is ready, add the turkey drippings and the broth to the pan and stir to combine; Cook until mixture has thickened; Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until the gravy is smooth.
HOW TO MAKE A ROUX
It’s time to discuss roux now. Roux is a mix of equal parts of fat and flour. The mixture is cooked together and used to thicken gravy. Or béchamel. Or other types of sauce.
The fat in the roux can be any type of fat. Butter, vegetable oil, or even pan drippings or bacon. I opted for olive oil because this a healthy oil.
As for the flour, you can replace all-purpose flour with chickpea flour like I did or choose another option from the list I made for you.
You can add vegetables and herbs to the roux. I added onion and garlic. Plus a little bit of salt and pepper.
To make a roux:
Heat the olive oil in a pan. Add onion and garlic (and other veggies and herbs if you want); Saute until the garlic and onion are tender; Add chickpea flour, salt, and pepper; Stir to combine; Cook for another 2 minutes.When it’s done the roux smells a little bit nutty and looks amazing.
As promised, here are some gluten-free flour alternatives you can use in this turkey gravy recipe:
Chickpea flour replaces all-purpose flour nicely and it’s what I regularly use to make this easy turkey gravy. Chickpea flour is high in fiber and folate, it contains minerals (calcium and magnesium), and vitamins, particularly B vitamins. Coconut flour is another great replacement for all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour. This flour is high in fiber and it contains healthy fats as well. Plus, it’s low-carb and carries a low glycemic index. Almond flour and buckwheat flour are other gluten-free flour alternatives you can use to make turkey gravy from scratch. Almond flour is packed with minerals (magnesium, manganese, potassium, calcium, and copper) and it contains healthy fats and a high amount of fiber. Buckwheat flour is the last gluten-free flour alternative but not the least. By any means, not the least. This gluten-free flour is high in antioxidants and nutrients. Buckwheat flour contains minerals (magnesium, folate, zinc, and iron) and B vitamins.
HOW TO THICKEN TURKEY GRAVY
I showed you how to make a roux but I also mentioned that homemade gravy can be thickened with cornstarch. Which is true. However, I wouldn’t recommend it. First of all, the nutty flavor of roux is definitely better and roux gives you the opaque and thick gravy we all love. Second of all, if you’re not careful with cornstarch, you can end up with a gel-like gravy. And cornstarch is a highly processed starch so you don’t get any nutritional benefits if you use it in your homemade gravy.
So, how to thicken gravy? With healthy roux. This is the short answer.
And some extra tips for how to thicken gravy you:
You can make more roux and store it separately and add more in the gravy until you reach the desired consistency. Reduce the heat and allow the gravy to simmer for a few more minutes if it did not reach your desired consistency in the recommended time. Use arrowroot starch, half a teaspoon at a time, like you would cornstarch. Arrowroot starch is a less refined option for thickening.And remember, it’s easier to thin a thick gravy than it is to thicken a way too thin gravy so don’t be afraid you’ll ruin the gravy with too much roux.
CAN YOU FREEZE GRAVY?
I get this question a lot during this time of the year. The answer is – YES, you can freeze turkey gravy. I’m talking about my chickpea flour-based gravy recipe. However, not all gravy recipes freeze well. Creamy gravies aka milk-based gravies don’t freeze well because they separate during the thawing process.
To freeze gravy:
Allow it to cool; Transfer it to an airtight container or into freezer bags; Store the homemade gravy in the freezer for up to 4 months. 3 MORE HEALTHY THANKSGIVING RECIPESI hope I made this turkey gravy recipe easy for you. I also hope that all my tips and recommendations will help you to make a healthy gravy you can enjoy guilt-free during Thanksgiving. And it’s time for 3 more easy, healthy, and delicious Thanksgiving recipes I want to talk to you about.
NO-FAIL THANKSGIVING TURKEY RECIPENow that you know how to make gravy from turkey drippings, it’s time to talk about the turkey. I have a No-Fail Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe and I can guarantee that your Thanksgiving turkey will be amazing.
People are intimidated by the Thanksgiving turkey but roasting is probably the easiest method of cooking so you’ve got nothing to worry about. Plus I’ll give you all the tips you need to make a delicious, tender, and flavorful turkey. Get the recipe.
CAULIFLOWER MASHED POTATOESCauliflower Mashed Potatoes – a low-carb and healthy alternative to mashed potatoes that can be made vegan.
I didn’t jump on the cauliflower mashed potatoes bandwagon from the very beginning because I love my mashed potatoes a lot. But, once I tried the cauliflower mash, I fell in love with its texture and taste. Get the recipe.
BEST HOMEMADE CRANBERRY SAUCEAnother thing I look forward to – the Best Homemade Cranberry Sauce. Seriously, I love cranberry sauce and making it at home makes a whole lot of difference.
Canned cranberry sauce can’t be compared to homemade cranberry sauce. And you only need 4 ingredients to make it. Plus it’s super easy. Get the recipe.
Wondering if there’s a way to make healthy gravy? Yes, there is!! I’ll tell you everything you need to know about the ingredients and the process for how to make the best gravy. This homemade turkey gravy is so delicious, easy to make, and is one of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving dinner.
Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a skillet or sauce pan. Add onion and garlic and sauté until very tender and almost golden, about 6-8 minutes.
Add the chickpea flour, sea salt, and pepper, and stir to combine. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the turkey drippings and broth. If there are not enough turkey drippings to make a full 1 cup, add additional chicken broth. Stir to combine. Cook until mixture has thickened, about 8-10 minutes.Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth.
Serve immediately.This post contains affiliate links for products I use often and highly recommend.
The post My Go-To Healthy Homemade Turkey Gravy Recipe appeared first on A Sweet Pea Chef.
This Norwegian Vegetarian Meatballs recipe was created in partnership with Ancestry. All opinions are our own.
This Norwegian Vegetarian Meatballs recipe is a healthy plant based dinner, featuring baked meatballs in a delicious vegetarian gravy.
Remember our AncestryDNA results a few months ago? Alex and I were interested to find that our cultural heritage wasn’t exactly what we thought! And it sparked a ton of fun conversation within our families. Now, we’re back with some updates: this Norwegian vegetarian meatballs recipe and info about the new Traits feature in AncestryDNA! Even though I’m nearly half Norwegian, we’ve never posted a Norway inspired recipe on A Couple Cooks—so we’re fixing that now. Keep reading for our Norwegian vegetarian meatballs with vegetarian gravy, and more on AncestryDNA!
A few months ago Alex and I sent a spit sample to the Ancestry lab to analyze our DNA. We got back some interesting results! And it sparked a really fun conversation in both Alex and my families about our heritage. Now that we’ve tried them, we think AncestryDNA kits would be fantastic holiday gifts to help you connect with your family. And this season, Ancestry has a brand new feature called Traits. Alex and I got to try out Traits to show you how it works!
Traits is a fun and easy way to discover how your DNA influences the traits that you’ve inherited from your ancestors and share with people all over the world. There are two categories: Appearance traits (like freckles, hair color, male hair loss, unibrow) and Sensory traits (like bitter / savory taste perception and cilantro aversion). You can use the Traits feature to compare traits you share with your family, and then what region of the world your traits come from. Are you wondering what Alex and my traits are? Or hungry for Norwegian vegetarian meatballs? Keep reading.
Using the Traits feature has already again, sparked some fun conversation within our families. For example: not liking cilantro is a genetic trait! Do you think you have it? Both my parents do, since we get dirty looks every time we sprinkle cilantro! Keep reading for some of Alex and my interesting traits:
Alex’s Traits:
Cleft chin: Yes. This was spot on! Male hair loss: No. Ahhh major win here! Cilantro aversion: No. Which explains why we eat so much cilantro! Bitter taste perception: Sensitive. Alex can taste bitter very strongly (and loves bitter flavors like coffee and celery). Savory taste perception: Not sensitive. Meaning, Alex needs lots of savory in order to taste it…which is exactly the case with these Norwegian vegetarian meatballs with vegetarian gravy.Sonja’s Traits:
Freckles: Yes! And it was spot on. I’ve never loved my freckles, but knowing they’re a genetic marker just like anything else makes them more interesting. Cilantro aversion: Also no, like Alex! Luckily he and I match here and make many delicious recipes with cilantro. Bitter taste perception: Extra sensitive. I’m a “taster” of bitter flavors. The Traits app predicted I’d shy away from Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and kale–but these are some of my favorite foods! Savory taste perception: Not sensitive…which also matches Alex! Luckily our palates are a perfect match, which helps to explain why we work so well together developing recipes. How to get AncestryDNA?You can purchase AncestryDNA with Traits for yourself or as a gift for $119 ($99 basic kit + $19.99 for traits). Existing AncestryDNA customers can upgrade to this new feature for $19.99. Click here to order. And stay tuned for a huge Black Friday sale coming, too.
So, what’s this got to do with Norwegian vegetarian meatballs with vegetarian gravy? My AncestryDNA results show my top DNA region at 53% is Norwegian. It even shows the very exact regions in Norway! This heritage is from my mom’s side. I grew up making only one Norwegian recipe around the holidays (lefse!), but otherwise Norwegian foods have not influenced the way I eat.
This Norwegian vegetarian meatballs with vegetarian gravy recipe is the first Norway inspired recipe here on A Couple Cooks. Now, be warned this vegetarian meatballs recipe is not authentic Norwegian at all! Since Alex and I eat mainly vegetarian, we wanted to find a way to take this classic Scandinavian dish and make it meatless. So, we’ve created these simple vegetable chickpea meatballs—which are actually also vegan—using frozen mixed veggies you can get at any grocery store and chickpeas. Because it can be somewhat time consuming to make vegetarian meatballs, we’ve simplified the process quite a bit.
And in honor of the Savory (umami) detection Traits feature, we brought in all the savory elements to up that savory flavor, covering the vegetarian meatballs is in a salty, savory vegetarian gravy. It’s so good that we’re already dying to make it again. Serve it with a grain like quinoa and a refreshing salad like this shaved Brussels sprouts salad. Let us know if you try out the recipe—and if you’ve tried AncestryDNA!
Meatballs before baking: a 2 teaspoon cookie scoop (size 60) is very helpful for shaping! See the recipe below.
This recipe is…This Norwegian vegetarian meatballs recipe is is vegetarian. (The meatballs alone are vegetarian, vegan, plant based and dairy free.)
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(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 1)
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 4 to 6
Category: Main Dish
Method: Baked
Cuisine: Norwegian
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeThis Norwegian Vegetarian Meatballs recipe is a healthy plant based dinner featuring baked chickpea meatballs in a delicious vegetarian gravy.
For the vegetarian meatballs
2 tablespoons olive oil 3 cups frozen mixed vegetables (corn, carrots, peas and green beans) 15-ounce can chickpeas 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1 teaspoon oregano 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/2 cup whole wheat flourTo serve
Vegetarian gravy* Chopped Italian parsleyPreheat the oven to 400F.
Drain and rinse the chickpeas. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Saute the vegetables, chickpeas, garlic powder, smoked paprika, oregano, kosher salt, and pepper for 3 to 5 minutes until warmed through and the vegetables are evenly coated in spices.
Add the vegetables and the flour to a food processor. Pulse about 20 times until chunky paste forms, scraping down the bowl of the food processor as necessary.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Gently form the dough into about 40 to 46 balls (using a 2 teaspoon cookie scoop** or two spoons) and place each on the baking sheet. Resist the urge to roll the balls in your hands or they will come out too dense. Use a pastry brush to brush the outsides of the meatballs with olive oil.
Bake the vegetarian meatballs for 30 minutes until lightly browned, rotating the pans at 15 minutes to allow for an even bake. Allow to cool on the pan for 10 minutes before adding to the gravy.
Meanwhile, make the vegetarian gravy. When the meatballs are done, add them to the pan with the gravy. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
*For vegan gravy, try this vegan gravy or this one.
**A size 60 cookie scoop is helpful to get the round shape for these vegetarian meatballs; we’d highly recommend using one! It also makes the process much faster. (If you buy one, you can use it over and over for cookies too, so it’s not single use!) If you use the two spoons method to shape the dough, the meatballs will look less beautifully round — but they’ll still taste good. You can use your hands to spot fix any balls that are misshapen on the baking sheet. The timing in this recipe is based on using a cookie scoop.
Keywords: Norwegian Meatballs, Vegetarian Meatballs, Vegan Meatballs, Vegetarian Gravy, Chickpea Meatballs, Vegetarian, Healthy Dinner Recipe
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A Couple Cooks - Recipes for Healthy & Whole Living
Let’s talk about cranberry sauce! It’s the neglected, afterthought condiment of Thanksgiving, but no holiday table is complete without it. Cranberry sauce adds a very necessary burst of sweet-tart flavor and ruby red color to an otherwise beige meal.
This naturally sweetened cranberry sauce recipe is much prettier than store-bought, not to mention extra delicious thanks to the honey or maple syrup.
Plus, this homemade cranberry sauce couldn’t be easier to make. It’s ready in about 10 minutes. If you need a quick and easy Friendsgiving option, sign up for the cranberry sauce!
Here’s what you’ll need to make this cranberry sauce recipe:
1 bag of fresh cranberries honey or maple syrup water the zest from one orange, or orange juiceAnd a pot to cook it in. That’s it.
The post Naturally Sweetened Cranberry Sauce appeared first on Cookie and Kate.
Friends, it’s been a long time coming, but my take on a vegan “meatloaf” is here (just in time for the holidays)! And it’s so very delicious. Let’s do this!
This recipe is simple, requiring just 10 ingredients and simple methods. I relied on canned lentils (don’t judge) to save time and dishes! Feel free to do the same and proceed to act like you made everything from scratch (I won’t tell).
Vegan Lentil Nut “Meatloaf” from Minimalist Baker →
The BEST creamy slow cooker mashed potatoes infused with garlic. This healthy, lightened up version will be your family’s new favorite mashed potato recipe! Fact: cooking time is very limited on Thanksgiving. You’ve got to somehow fit a turkey in your oven, make mashed potatoes and gravy, serve a pie and put the other amazing [...]
The post The Best Creamy Garlic Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes appeared first on Ambitious Kitchen.
