Make Ahead Thanksgiving Gravy

 I am a planner in pretty much every aspect of my life, including in the kitchen. When it comes to holiday meals or parties I like to do as much ahead of time as possible. For a meal like Thanksgiving, it is essential to be organized and efficient if you want to get all the food out on time, piping hot. Even the calmest of kitchens can get a little crazy between making sure the casseroles all get cooked, the turkey isn't dry , the potatoes are mashed, and the ham gets glazed....You should/want/desire to be feeling THANKFUL but wind up cursing and yelling at your sister to throw you the potholder! (Or does this only happen in my kitchen Thanksgiving morning?)

Over the years, I've tried making a few different gravies for Thanksgiving, traditional ones made with the neck and giblet of the turkey, a gravy with chicken stock and cognac, and one with a roux and pan drippings. They were all tasty; but didn't make enough quantity for leftovers and more importantly couldn't be made ahead of time. So while the rest of the food was sitting there getting cold--- I was at the stove vigorously whisking up a gravy.  For me, it was the most frustrating part of Thanksgiving. Last year, I even thought of just using store bought gravy, but really, the gravy is the star of the Thanksgiving table. The gravy makes the meal and I wanted a good one! In the past, I noticed that my mother in law always had plenty of gravy to go around and I really enjoyed it; so I asked her for her recipe and she happily obliged. The best part of this recipe is that it can be made ahead of time, frozen, and reheated on the stove! This is my second year making it and I love how that small but very significant part of the Thanksgiving table is now stress-free!

Another tip for a relaxing Thanksgiving? Have whoever didn't help with cooking ( usually the guys enjoying their 5 hours of football on the couch) do the cleanup, and go have a glass of wine!

Gravy
makes 4 cups
Adapted from www.mealsthatmatter.org

A Food processor and immersion blender are suggested for this recipe. If you don't have those kitchen tools available, you can use a blender.

Ingredients:

2 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
2 ribs celery, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
2 small yellow onions, roughly chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
4 cups low sodium chicken broth (I use Better Than Bullion)
4 cups low sodium beef broth (I use Better Than Bullion)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
10 whole black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

In a food processor, pulse carrots, celery, and onion in about 5 quick pulses until they are in tiny 1/8 inch pieces. In a large, heavy pot, heat butter over medium high heat until butter starts foaming. Add vegetables and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are well browned, about 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add flour. Stir constantly until the rough is a deep golden brown, about 5 minutes. Whisking constantly, add broth and bring to a boil. Skim off any foam that forms on the surface. Reduce heat to medium low and add thyme, peppercorns, and bay leaves. Simmer, stirring on the stove until gravy is reduced and thickened, about 45 minutes. When gravy is a nice consistency, remove bay leaves, then take immersion blender and blend vegetables into the gravy until all vegetables and peppercorns are incorporated. Season with salt and pepper. Serve or let cool and freeze.

To reheat add frozen gravy to a large pot with 2 tablespoons of water over medium heat. If gravy separates continue to whisk until reincorporated. Serve hot and enjoy!