Wow, you have your turkey already out of the oven and drippings ready for the gravy at 8:00 AM? No reason why you can't make the gravy, let it simmer and then refrigerate it until dinner time. Then just reheat. There is no reason to leave it heating in a crock pot. Make sure you cover the gravy though so that a skin doesn't form on the surface. Ann

Hi Ellen, here it is! I hope your friend likes it, I'm making mine right this minute (I don't use the giblets, I think they're ick). Make-Ahead Turkey Gravy Makes about 2 quarts For more flavor, after roasting the turkey you can skim the drippings from the pan and add them to the gravy just before serving. It's best to discard the strong-tasting liver before using the giblets. This recipe makes enough to accompany a large turkey and still have plenty for leftovers. 6 turkey drumsticks, thighs, or wings reserved turkey giblets reserved turkey neck 2 carrots , chopped coarse 1 head garlic , halved 2 ribs celery , chopped coarse 2 onions , chopped coarse Vegetable oil spray 10cups low-sodium chicken broth 2 cups dry white wine 12 sprigs fresh thyme 1/2 cup all-purpose flour Table salt and ground black pepper 1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Place giblets, neck, drumsticks, carrots, celery, onions, and garlic in roasting pan, spray with vegetable oil, and toss well. Roast, stirring occasionally, until well browned, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. 2. Transfer contents of roasting pan to Dutch oven. Add broth, wine, and thyme and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until reduced by half, about 1 1/2 hours. Pour through fine-mesh strainer into large container (discard solids), cover stock with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until fat congeals, at least 2 hours. 3. Using soup spoon, skim fat and reserve. Heat 1/2 cup fat in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until bubbling. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking constantly, until honey colored, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in stock, bring to boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Gravy can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.) Reheat gravy in saucepan over medium heat until bubbling.

Ironically, I do this method for all kinds of bone broth and I make it several times a year with meaty bones I collect from cooking, or those I buy when they are drastically reduced, and store in the freezer until I have about 10# of bones per batch, and make it with poultry, beef, and occasionally a ham bone and/or ham hocks. Pour the strained and reduced stock into a shallow cake pan, chill until it gels, cut into cubes, place the cubes on a plate lined with paper towels and leave them in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours more to dehydrate a little, which makes them a little more solid from loss of moisture, and the flavor concentrates. Next, place the cubes in containers in the freezer, or I'll freeze the cubes and place them in a FoodSaver bag and vacuum-seal them for longer freezer storage. These are my "instant" bouillon cubes for making flavorful sauces, gravy, broth.... Never buy instant bouillon cubes or granules ever again. I also have some ice cube trays I use only for food (not ice), and I'll make the cubes in them. -Grainlady

"...The definition of gravy refers specifically to a sauce made from pan drippings of a roasted protein. If you are not roasting the protein first, where are the drippings? Roasting necks and wings is not gonna do it! IMO," I picked up our turkey Monday night and did all the misc shopping. They had big necks and wings. (usually gone by the week or two before thanksgiving). Decided to make another fresh stock. One wing, one neck. DH roasted with veg when he got home. Then into the mauslin. I got home close to midnight last night and did the finishing. Straining and chilling. 2 quarts of gorgeous stock for gravy and the stuffing/dressing. Roasted proteins make drippings. Necks and wings are proteins and they are huge.