Turkey would be kinda dry {depends on if it’s cooked right or not!} and mashed potatoes boring if it weren’t for the savory, delicious, comfort condiment that is turkey gravy. This warm, golden, aromatic, smooth sauce is simply a requirement for any decent Thanksgiving meal!
Since my family and I aim to eat as healthfully as possible, nothing will do except wholesome, real food turkey gravy. And since I’m also trying to lose weight using the Trim Healthy Mama lifestyle, I need something that is friendly for that. But I also don’t want that said gravy to bland and boring.
Enter: THIS TURKEY GRAVY RECIPE!
This recipe is very Trim Healthy Mama friendly and coincides beautifully with a gracious S {Satisfying} fueled Thanksgiving meal. BUT, it’s also just my go-to gravy recipe {healthified of course} that’s perfect for anyone who wants to eat healthfully. It’s one of the recipes I would make for Dr. and Shirley Dobson when I worked at Focus on the Family. It’s not only tasty, it’s SUPER tasty! It is for sure a cherished family favorite.
- 1/4 c. unsalted butter
- 1/4 c. sprouted spelt flour
- poultry stock {can be store-bought or homemade}
- turkey drippings
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp. coconut sugar {THM & SF Variation: 1 pinch Gentle Sweet}
- 2 tbsp. fresh chopped parsley, optional
- Real Salt and ground black pepper to taste
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Carefully transfer your turkey to a platter for carving in a bit. As it rests and cools off some, remove any unwanted chunks from the roasting pan {such as veggies that were roasting with the turkey or stuffing}. Then add 1/2 cup or so of the poultry stock to the pan and, using a rigid spatula, scrape off as many of the crispy bits from the pan as you can {it's easier to do this while the pan is still very hot}. Pour this crispy bit and stock mixture into a glass bowl or a large measuring cup. Add more poultry stock until it reaches the 4 cup mark. Set aside.
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Melt the butter over medium heat in a saucepan. Add the flour so that a paste forms. Cook this roux, stirring constantly, for about 20 to 30 seconds.
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Slowly pour in the 4 cups of stock and turkey drippings into the saucepan, whisking briskly to beat up the roux and ensure it mixes without any lumps.
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Whisk in the garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, sweetener, salt, and pepper {taste as adding the salt and pepper so that you neither overdo nor underdo it}.
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Bring the gravy to a slow boil, whisking constantly. Keep whisking over medium heat until the gravy thickens. You know it is done when you dip a spoon and the gravy stays at least somewhat coated on the spoon when you pull it out. It will also thicken up a bit more as it cools.
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Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley.
For those on low carb diets or THM, one serving of this gravy is about 1/4 cup and contains around 2 net carbs.