Mushroom Gravy
Up your gravy game…by adding mushrooms! This Mushroom Gravy is a fun way to add a new flavor to an old favorite!
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As a kid, you wouldn’t have caught me anywhere near mushroom gravy. Heck, even as a younger adult, I wouldn’t have ventured anywhere near mushroom gravy. Growing up, I wouldn’t touch gravy. I’m not sure why. Perhaps it just looked strange. Either way, you would never find gravy on my plate. And mushrooms? Yeah, right! (I actually always liked the earthy flavor of mushrooms – I just couldn’t get past the texture.)
I have to chuckle a bit as I write this because I have nightly discussions with my 5-year-old son about trying new foods. Robbie likes about 4 things, but that’s mainly because he won’t try new foods. I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, though – he wouldn’t touch this mushroom gravy when I offered it to him.
Fast forward some number of years, and I’m all in on this Mushroom Gravy! My aversion to gravy actually came to a sudden halt when I tried poutine for the first time. Sometimes called the national dish of Canada, poutine is french fries covered with gravy and topped with cheese curds. It’s amazing. (Check out this Pulled Pork Poutine for a fun twist on the classic poutine recipe.) One bite of poutine, and suddenly gravy was my new best friend!
Mushroom Gravy
Mushroom GravyOver the years, I’ve gotten over my aversion to the texture of mushrooms. And when combined with gravy? It’s a match made in heaven! The hearty flavors in this gravy pair so well with creamy mashed potatoes – I served it with a batch of Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes. Actually, come to think of it, I bet this Mushroom Gravy would be amazing in poutine. I mean everything is better when you add french fries and cheese curds, right?
I know gravy gets a bad rap as it can end up lumpy and flavorless. Not this Mushroom Gravy! The key to this gravy is whisking the cornstarch together with the water before adding it to the pot. If you add the cornstarch by itself, it tends to clump together, and you end up with lumpy gravy. I find that making a cornstarch slurry is an easy way to avoid lumpy gravy.
As we head into the holiday season, keep this Mushroom Gravy in mind! It’s a relatively simple recipe, and it’s sure to catch people’s attention when you set it on the table. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do here. Cheers!
Did you make this Mushroom Gravy at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog). I’d love to see your version – especially if you used it to make poutine!
Mushroom Gravy
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp cornstarch
- ¼ cup water
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
- ½ cup diced yellow onion
- ½ tsp minced garlic
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- 8 oz. button mushrooms sliced
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock can use ½ chicken and ½ beef stock for a deeper flavor
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Using a small bowl, add cornstarch and water; whisk together until well combined. Set bowl aside.
- Using a large saucepan, add butter and place over medium-low heat. Once butter has melted, add onions and garlic. Sauté, stirring frequently, for 1-2 minutes.
- Add flour, thyme and mushrooms; continue sautéing, stirring frequently, for 5-6 minutes or until mushrooms have begun to turn golden brown.
- Add chicken stock, vinegar and black pepper; stir until well combined. Increase heat to medium-high and bring mixture to a boil.
- Once boiling, add cornstarch mixture. Using a whisk, stir until mixture is well combined.
- Continue cooking, stirring often, for 3-5 minutes, or until gravy thickens noticeably.
- Reduce heat to low to keep gravy warm.
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Will be making this soon can i use vegan butter and vegetable broth i never had mushroom gravy before i love mushrooms sooooooooooooooo much perfect for my after office meals with rice love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work will dm you if i make this and let you know how it goes Thanks Ramya
Hey Ramya! Yes, I do think you could use vegan butter and vegetable broth here. I know you love mushrooms, and mushroom gravy is really good! I recommend serving this over mashed potatoes!
It’s funny how our tastes change over the years. I’d hate to be stuck in our 5 year old tastes….it would be pretty boring now! This gravy would be perfect for pouring over mashed potatoes. So much flavor in those mushrooms!
You make a good point, Kathy – I get frustrated when Robbie won’t try new stuff, but I was the same way. Now I’ll eat (almost) anything! And, yes, this gravy over mashed potatoes is SO good!
David, this mushroom gravy looks SOOOOO GOOOD (Can I emphasize this enough?) Indeed, I don’t need anything to enjoy it except for a huge bowl of mashed potatoes. Dangerous stuff, you know! 🙂 You also made me think of combining mushrooms with chestnuts – must be delicious, too!
You’re totally right, Ben. A big bowl of mashed potatoes with this gravy would be a great meal by itself! Also, the chestnuts is a fun idea – it would add a good holiday vibe!
I didn’t grow up with mushrooms in our gravy, but my husband’s side of the family loads theirs with mushrooms and I love it!! The more mushrooms the better in my book!
Mushrooms were never included in our gravy growing up, either, Marissa – but now I love ’em! The earthy flavor is so tasty…especially when it’s served over mashed potatoes!
Definitely my favourite gravy, I can never live with any roasts, steaks or even fried meats without this type of gravy.
And this gravy is so easy to make, too – it really takes meats and mashed potatoes to a whole new level!
I could live on mushroom grave. And poutine. I use your slurry trick all the time. It’s foolproof. Thanks for the recipe, David!
Thanks so much, Jeff! The only thing that would make this mushroom gravy better would be a big bowl of hot fries to pour it over. 🙂
i’m just curious – is that ramya a real person? 🙂 and does she ever DM you? yep gravy is great and mushies are great. i hate slimy stuff but somehow mushrooms pass muster with me. yep a slurry is the way to go…
Yup am real person i dont dm him
David, I’ve never known anyone who grew up in the south not liking gravy. What, no biscuits and gravy growing up? Glad to hear you’re now on the gravy bandwagon. We love mushroom gravy and like Jeff, I’ve been tuned into the cornstarch slurry tip for some time. Good solid recipe, but I think I’ll add a shot of sherry to it.
Now how did I get my comment here? Must have been a senior moment.
Haha – no worries, Ron! 🙂
good to know! 🙂 cheers
sherry
Haha! Ramya is indeed a real person – she lives in Singapore, and it’s been fun to chat about differences in ingredients in Singapore vs. the States. Actually – kinda the same way we chat about ingredients in Australia! Either way, I do understand your point about slimy foods. I think that’s what made me shy away from mushrooms for so long. But I love ’em in this gravy! Thanks, Sherry!
OK, here you go again…
David, I’ve never known anyone who grew up in the south not liking gravy. What, no biscuits and gravy growing up? Glad to hear you’re now on the gravy bandwagon. We love mushroom gravy and like Jeff, I’ve been tuned into the cornstarch slurry tip for some time. Good solid recipe, but I think I’ll add a shot of sherry to it.
It’s true, Ron. I’m the first Southerner who didn’t grow up eating gravy. Biscuits? Heck yeah! Gravy? Nope. But don’t worry – I’m making up for that lost time now! Also, the shot of sherry is an excellent call. I’ll do that for Thanksgiving Day!
That’s a great tip to add the cornstarch and water together and whisk them first to make a thickenning mixture. I love how that helps to make unlumpy gravy every time David. Your mushroom gravy is definitely a holiday season winner and would go down really well in this household!
I didn’t love gravy as a kid, but I can’t imagine a holiday meal without it now! This mushroom version is packed with flavor! Thanks, Neil!
I love mushrooms, but I have to say when I was preggo with my 2nd, I couldn’t stand mushrooms — had to completely avoid them! But this mushroom gravy looks perfect for the Thanksgiving table!
Pregnancy cravings (and disgusts) are the strangest things! I don’t remember Laura avoiding anything here, but she couldn’t get enough watermelon. I think we ate a gigantic watermelon every 3-4 days! Either way, thank you so much for the comment. I hope mushrooms are back on your radar again! 🙂