1. 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.
2. Next, choose a gravy add-in below to prepare or move on to the gravy instructions if you're making plain country gravy.

Bacon:

1. 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:

1. 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:

1. 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

1. 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.
2. Once the butter has melted, add the onion, celery, and garlic. Cook and stir the vegetables until they soften, about 5-7 minutes.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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!