Whether or not you’ve already celebrated Thanksgiving, gravy is one of those staples that everyone needs a good recipe for.

For all the future holiday celebrations, and some of those nights when you just need something warm and cozy to eat, this is the perfect finishing touch.

It’s something that’s surprisingly simple to make, and one of those recipes that you can definitely tell is homemade.

The effort can be tasted, and that’s the very best kind of made from scratch.

Have you ever spent hours in the kitchen to make something homemade, rather than taking shortcuts, only to have it taste like it came from a can or a box?

I’ve been there, and that just isn’t the kind of outcome that we want.

Why would you spend all that time if the results don’t reflect it?

There was one night a couple of weeks ago when my husband wasn’t going to be home for dinner, but the kids and I needed something quick and cozy because it was frigid outside.

I decided to make some Chicken & Biscuits, which is one of my very favorite meals, made often by my mom growing up.

The reason for making it on this particular night was that for some bizarre reason, it isn’t a dish that my husband prefers.

My kids also hadn’t had it in quite some time because, why cook a meal only one of us loves?

To make what could be a long, detailed explanation short, two of our kids absolutely loved it. I mean, they loved it to the point of trying to lick their plates clean while I wasn’t looking.

Our son who is just like my husband in many ways, ate about half and was unimpressed.

Going into the meal, none of the knew mine or my husband’s opinions concerning this dinner, although the three of them collectively agreed that it looked like a messy pile of trash on their plate.

It took some convincing to get them to try it, and I am still laughing at the divisive opinions concerning such a simple dish.

So whether you want to baffle your children with a classic comfort dinner, or save this for Christmas or Thanksgiving is totally up to you.

This recipe is worth a shot no matter how you end up incorporating it.

As always, thanks for reading, and happy cooking!

Chicken Gravy

INGREDIENTS

™ C. butter

1/3 C. unbleached flour

2 C. chicken broth, cold

2 Tbsp. chicken or turkey drippings

1-2 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. paprika

Pinch chili powder

Pinch salt, to taste

1. Melt butter in a saucepan on medium high heat.

2. Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon flour until it becomes a paste and starts to brown. Continue stirring and cook over low-medium heat for 10-12 minutes.

3. While whisking, slowly pour in the cold chicken broth. Continue whisking until gravy starts to thicken.

4. Add in seasonings and meat drippings, continue whisking until thick. Once the gravy is thick enough to coat the whisk, remove from heat.

5. Optional step – use an immersion blender on low for two minutes to smooth out gravy.

6. Enjoy! Serve while warm. Will yield about 3 cups of gravy.

Katy Wise is a Fredonia resident.