This All Purpose Country Gravy is rich, creamy, and packed with comforting flavor. Made with a simple roux of butter and flour, it thickens beautifully for a smooth, velvety texture. Freshly minced onion, celery, and garlic add depth, making this gravy stand out from traditional versions.
The recipe is highly versatile—you can use sausage or bacon for a meaty twist or opt for mushrooms to keep it vegetarian. Whether served over potatoes, eggs, or biscuits, this gravy adds a hearty and flavorful touch to breakfast or brunch.
The combination of aromatics and a creamy base creates a well-balanced, savory flavor. With a bit of time and simple ingredients, you can make a homemade gravy that’s worth the effort!
Read on for all the loving details to make All Purpose Country Gravy.
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Featured Ingredients
Read below about a few of the ingredients used to make All Purpose Country Gravy.
Olive oil - You will only need this if you are making Mushroom Country Gravy.
Flour - Use all-purpose white flour for the best results.
Butter - The recipe calls for unsalted butter. If you use salted butter use 2 ½ teaspoons to season the gravy and taste to see if it needs more at the end.
Ground pork sausage - I use plain ground pork sausage in this recipe, not seasoned.
See recipe card for quantities.
Tools for the job
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Sharp knife (paid link) and cutting board
- Small pot and large, 3+ quart pot
- Spatula and whisk
How to make All Purpose Country Gravy
Prepare the ingredients before making the Country Gravy
Here are a few small steps to take before starting the gravy to make it the best gravy ever!
- Warm the milk in a small pot over low heat to take the chill off, but do not simmer or boil it. Once it is warm, remove it from the heat. If you've ever made gravy that turned out lumpy, it's usually because the liquid was too cold.
- Mince the onion, celery, and garlic and set aside so they're ready when you need them.
- If you're using bacon, slice it into 1 inch pieces.
- If you're using sausage, gently pull it apart and crumble the ground meat into small pieces into a bowl. See the Hot Tip! below to learn why.
- If you're using mushrooms, quarter them or chop them into bite-size pieces. I like to chop the mushrooms instead of slicing them because it leaves larger, "meatier" chunks to chew on rather than a sliver of a piece.
Make the Add-in of choice
- Set a large, heavy pot on the stove to warm over medium heat.
- BACON OR SAUSAGE: If you're using bacon or sausage, add it to a dry pan right away; preheating is not necessary. Sprinkle the sliced bacon or crumbled sausage all over the pan while it's heating up.
- Cook the meat until there is no pink left. Remove it from the pot with a slotted spoon and set aside. Drain the grease from the pot, but there is no need to clean it.
- MUSHROOMS: If you're using mushrooms to make a vegetarian gravy, first warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the pot, then add the quartered mushrooms.
- Cook them until they are browned and most of the liquid has evaporated, then remove them from the pot and set aside.
Make the Country Gravy
- Return the pot to the stove, add the butter, and warm it over medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted, add the onion, celery, and garlic.
- Cook and stir the vegetables until they soften, about 7 minutes, then add the flour.
- Stir the flour, salt, and black pepper into the butter until it becomes a paste to create a thickening roux. Continue stirring for 2-3 minutes.
- Slowly whisk the warmed milk into the roux and continue stirring until the butter and flour mixture is incorporated. Bring it to a boil for 1 minute, then reduce the heat to a simmer and let it thicken, about 5 minutes.
- Once the gravy is thick, add the meat or mushrooms back to the pot and cook on medium-low until everything has warmed through, about 5 minutes. Stir in some hot sauce for a spicy kick!
- This gravy even tastes fantastic without the meat or vegetarian add-in, making it a basic peppered white gravy. I encourage you to try it every way!!
Substitutions and Variations
- Add-ins - You can substitute any type of mushroom in this recipe for the crimini as long as it's diced into bite-sized pieces. Swap the regular bacon out for pepper bacon. Try using pre-seasoned breakfast sausage instead of plain ground pork sausage. I've made this gravy with Italian sausage as well, and it was fantastic!
Leftover All Purpose Country Gravy
- Reheat the gravy by warming it over medium-low heat in a pot on the stove. Add ½ cup to 1 full cup of water to the gravy as it warms up. Stir occasionally until the gravy starts to bubble. If the gravy is frozen, let it thaw in the refrigerator for a few hours first.
- Refrigerate the gravy in a sealed container for up to 5 days.
- Freeze the gravy in a sealed container for up to 6 months.
I love these Souper Cubes! This version freezes the gravy into 1 cup cubes. It's a silicone tray so you can easily pop them out and transfer 8 cubes into a 1-gallon ziploc bag. Or, using the clear lid just store them right in the container. The stack well and are conveniently sized. (paid link)
FAQ
Country gravy, also called white gravy or pepper gravy is made from milk, butter, flour, and seasonings. You can also use meat drippings from cooked breakfast sausage or bacon as a substitute for some of the butter.
It is important to cook the flour and butter together for 2-3 minutes before adding any liquid, or you will be able to taste the flour. Don't cook it for too long, though, or the milk won't thicken properly.
Food Safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 160 °F (71 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with a high smoke point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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All Purpose Country Gravy
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
This All Purpose Country Gravy is rich, creamy, and packed with comforting flavor. Made with a simple roux of butter and flour, it thickens beautifully for a smooth, velvety texture.
Ingredients
- 1 lb sliced bacon, ground sausage, or quartered mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons olive oil if using mushrooms
- ½ cup unsalted butter (SEE NOTE)
- ½ cup minced onion
- ¼ cup minced celery
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1 tablespoon salt, more to taste
- 1-3 teaspoons black pepper (SEE NOTE)
- Hot sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Warm the milk in a small pot over low heat to remove the refrigerator chill, but do not simmer or boil. Once it is warm, take it off the heat.
- Next, choose a gravy add-in below to prepare or move on to the gravy instructions if you're making plain country gravy.
Bacon:
- Warm a large, heavy pot on the stove over medium heat. Sprinkle the sliced bacon all over the dry pan. As it cooks and releases oil, stir it occasionally and turn down the heat if it starts to sputter and the frying is loud. This means it's too hot and will cook unevenly. Continue cooking the bacon until the color darkens, but it is still slightly chewy. Then, scoop the bacon onto a plate covered with paper towels using a slotted spoon. The bacon will continue to cook while it's on the plate.
Sausage:
- Warm a large, heavy pot on the stove over medium heat. Pinch and crumble the sausage into the pan with your hands, placing it evenly across the bottom and dropping more on top if needed. Let the sausage cook for a while before stirring it. When you flip it, you want to see browning and caramelization on the meat. Break it up with the edge of a spatula into bite-sized pieces. Cook until it has completely browned, then, using a slotted spoon, scoop the sausage onto a plate covered with paper towels.
Mushrooms:
- Warm a large, heavy pot on the stove over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the quartered mushrooms. Cook them until they are browned and most of the liquid has evaporated, then remove them from the pot and set aside.
Country Gravy
- Drain any excess grease from the pot and return it to the stove, warming it over medium-high heat. Add the butter to the pot.
- Once the butter has melted, add the onion, celery, and garlic. Cook and stir the vegetables until they soften, about 5-7 minutes.
- Turn the heat down to medium-low and whisk the flour, salt, and black pepper into the melted butter until a paste forms. Continue stirring for 2-3 minutes.
- Slowly whisk the warmed milk into the butter/flour mixture and stir to incorporate. Turn the heat up to medium-high and continue stirring while it thickens and comes to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Once the gravy is thick, add the meat or mushrooms back to the pot and cook on medium-low until everything has warmed through, about 5 minutes. Stir in some hot sauce if you like a spicy kick!
Notes
If you are using salted butter, season the gravy with 2 ½ teaspoons of salt, then add more to taste at the end.
Country gravy and white gravy are often heavily seasoned with black pepper. You can start with 1 teaspoon and add more if you like it.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: sauce
- Method: Stove-top
- Cuisine: American
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