Our family TG had a new member for dinner. I asked his wife of 6 weeks, if there was something special he might like added. He said no, but then she said he did want gravy. My reply was my attempts at gravy from Ham drippings was too salty, but he said anything was fine even white gravy. I had not planned on anything that called for gravy, but his wife brought over a nice size dish of mashed spuds. I thought the gravy I ended up make was not fit to eat, and he not only loved it his sisters have bought called to get the recipe because he raved so much about it. In case you wondered, I used commercial chicken stock and added just enough defatted dripping to get the flavor, seasoned it and put it on the table. LOL Good luck phoggie, I'm sure yours will be better then this was.

We are having ham for our family dinner and my DIL will being her famous cheesy potatoes to go with it. If someone asked me for gravy it would have to come out of a can or a pkg dry mix. I have never made gravy~~I do not even like it.

In our house,

Food requirements for health reasons - are always accommodated.

Picky eaters - never receive a special effort. It's your problem, not ours.

The quid pro quo is that we always try to make every meal very good and enjoyable, If we prepare something you don't like, you're welcome to quietly take something else that's available. If you think something is missing, fortunately, every day has three meals, maybe you'll see it next time.

Wondering why you are considering ham if you have gravy and potato lovers attending? I hope that doesn't sound rude. We served both ham and turkey for Thanksgiving so everyone was happy. The kids really go for the ham. But my husband and I do the meal together so there are two cooks. Prime Rib is our choice for Christmas. As I read this, I realize I have offered no help! Sorry.

This isn't prepared, but it's really good especially if you really caramelize the onions. I serve it at Thanksgiving.

Ina Garten's Cognac Gravy

Ingredients
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (2 onions)
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Defatted turkey drippings plus chicken stock to make 2 cups, heated
1 tablespoon Cognac or brandy
1 tablespoon white wine, optional
1 tablespoon heavy cream, optional

Directions
In a large (10 to 12-inch) saute pan, cook the butter and onions over medium-low heat for 12 to 15 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned. Don't rush this step; it makes all the difference when the onions are well-cooked.

Sprinkle the flour into the pan, whisk in, then add the salt and pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock mixture and Cognac, and cook uncovered for 4 to 5 minutes until thickened. Add the wine and cream, if desired. Season, to taste, and serve.

Snidely, just curious where on your hospitality spectrum you consider vegetarians/vegans? Assuming ethical reasons over health. Curious if you consider that legitimate for accommodation or consider it to be picky eating.

snidely? amen...

actually they did used to serve ham with more of what i'd call a sauce with raisins...but it was clear and not exactly mashed p's covering...haven't seen it for years...

Ham with red eye gravy! Love it! Just google, easy and delicious.

chi83 - Legitimate and always accommodated within reason, There are so many kinds of eating preference - vegan, pescatarian, gluten-free, high carb, low carb - we try to have something easy for the person to be given and to make other things that can be shared.

IF (and only if) - that person understands that the reason for their presence is NOT to lecture everyone else on what they do and don't eat. Or to make faces when people are eating what they don't eat, right in front of them. That's unwelcome. Equally unwelcome is for people to talk to excess about what religion they do or don't have, what others do or don't have, what politics they do or don't have, etc.

Picky is - "Why did you put that sauce on the broccoli, you know I like it plain. No dinner rolls, how can it be a holiday dinner without dinner roles?" Comments like that are ignored.

(PS, I'm a Californian too, every sand toss at any beach hits at least someone with an eating limitation or preference)

We have a few food allergies in our family, so I am accustomed to accommodating dietary restrictions. When the kids were young and I wanted to make one meal that they could all eat, I had to make something that had no dairy, poultry or peanuts. 'Twas not easy. But I don't give a lot of thought to fussy eaters. I do try to avoid making unique foods for fussy company so that they will have more success finding something they want to eat. Having said that, I know SIL does not like mushrooms, so I will leave them out or often just be sure to cut them into large quarters so that he can move them aside. If I have a vegan visit, I would be sure to have enough to make a meal, though I am not sure what that would be if I have to avoid eggs and dairy too, but I would find out so that I could serve one dish that would be filling along with some bread or whatever.

I boil some chicken and use the small pieces of chicken and the broth for gravy. That is the way I make chicken pot pie, when it is tender, I thicken it a little and pour it in a deep dish and put Bisquick biscuits on top of it and bake until the biscuits are brown. Very good.

I second red eye gravy it is the gravy for ham or sausage and other smoked meats. Wonderful and very tasty.

I have used a refrigerator gravy I found at Walmart I believe it was mainstay or something like that. It was in a sealed plastic container, every one commented on how much they liked the gravy. I have also bought gravy from the Logan Farms ham stores.
I generally make my own gravy though, it's very easy to do.

My mom has always made what she calls 'creamed potatoes' to go with ham at holiday dinners. She peels the potatoes, cuts them into large chunks, boils them until done and drains them... she usually adds some onion to the boil for flavor, but I do not. She then makes a basic white sauce, adds cheddar cheese to taste, and mixes it with the potato chunks. Everyone seems to really like them. Maybe your crew that wants gravy would be interested in trying something like that?

Otherwise, although I'm a gravy-maker, I think I'd consider just buying a 'good' jar of gravy for this purpose and make enough mashed potatoes for those that won't eat anything else... and make the creamed potatoes for the rest of us. :) Since I don't buy jarred gravy, I don't know what brand/flavor is good so I'd probably choose a name-brand that I recognize. :p

We are mashed and gravy people. Thanksgiving and Christmas is often ham and turkey so we can have the gravy lol. If we make just ham (Easter, for example) we make creamed peas to go on the potatoes. Basically tiny peas in a thinner white sauce.

Canned peas (my mother and sisters insist on Le Sueur small peas in the silver can, I prefer Green Giant sweetlets but will use any tiny peas I can find). The can liquid is mixed with milk and thickened with cornstarch AND flour, a bit of sugar and salt. Then the white sauce is mixed with the peas...if you add them too soon you bash them up and the sauce turns an ugly olive green LOL. Tasty, but not pretty!

If I want gravy without a roast, I simmer turkey wings and necks and use that. Browned ground beef or pork simmered in beef or chicken broth, strained, and thickened is good too. Better than a plain broth version, tastes meatier.

I also have made a mushroom gravy with a bit of red wine when I didn't have a roast.

I have a genetic disorder though....my gravy is ethereal but I can't make a lump free mashed potato to save my life ;).

Dances.

I don't like purchased gravy.

Between now and Christmas, I'd make my own broth by either baking a chicken in the oven or boiling some chicken, spices, and appropriate veggies on the stove. Use the chicken in a meal and freeze the broth. When the time comes, scoop the fat off the top and make gravy with the broth. Home made broth is a lot more flavorful than the watered down stuff in a can.

I agree with adellabedella, if you're roasting a chicken any time between now and then, it makes some really good gravy.

I've made a pretty good gravy with a packet of dried chicken gravy mix and then mix it with milk instead of water..I also think there are other dried gravy mixes now that also might work with a ham. I actually like the dried gravy mixes better than jarred gravy.
Joann

Thanks for all of your responses. Since I am not from the South, red-eye gravy is something I am not familiar with eating.

My family is such a meat, mashed potatoes, and gravy people, I think I might do smothered steak instead, which makes wonderful gravy. Since browning all of the steak will take quite awhile, I am hoping I can brown it the day before and stick it in a low oven for several hours.

Pioneer farms a packaged mix for gravy and it actually tastes pretty good...

My momma make red eye gravy with coffee. Anyone else do that?

Rob333, my grandmother made red eye gravy with coffee nearly every morning. She lived to her late nineties eating biscuits with red eye gravy every morning and vegetables cooked with fatback every day.

In the olden days, people ate what they had. There often wasn't much choice or variety. Good for your grandma to have had a long and happy life.

A lot more is known today about healthy and unhealthy eating habits. Are you suggesting that your grandmother was lucky and lived long despite her habits, or that her experience contradicts modern recommendations to limit high and especially saturated fats?

I'm a caregiver to the elderly. The longest lives seniors are the ones who were meat and potatoes and bread people. The saddest thing I see in the elderly is when they begin to decline and always starve and worse, dehydrate literally to death. I can't help but believe that good old normal food is the best way to eat. There have been times when CANDY AND SODA would have been better than what was happening to these dear people. I say, "EAT UP !" I don't care what it is, just EAT UP !

cool to know daisy! I always thought she was bonkers for doing that. Made her daddy quite happy.

You can always make a roue with butter or little olive oil and flour, then use any canned broth for the liquid. I would probably use chicken broth to make gravy to go with ham.

Red eye gravy MUST be made with black coffee, rob. Country ham (very different stuff than other ham) is browned in a heavy skillet; black coffee poured in to make a very thin 'gravy'. Sometimes, beef or chicken both is added, too, but coffee is a must. No flour in the traditional red eye.

Gravy is never on the table when I have ham. Neither are white mashed potatoes, but that's not the point for Phoggie. I'd probably make a standard sausage gravy for the mashed potato lovers.

I like the Swiss Chalet Gravy pkgs. myself.

kathy