Amp Up The Flavor Of Store-Bought Gravy With Just One Ingredient

Whether you're using it to bathe a batch of buttermilk biscuits or smother a Thanksgiving plate, gravy is a rustic, homestyle condiment made from pan drippings thickened with flour or cornstarch, and often jazzed up with added ingredients and seasonings. Although scratch-made gravy is inimitable, store-bought varieties are far more convenient and don't require the extra step of cooking meat to collect drippings. However, packaged gravy often lacks depth, flavor, and soul. But with the help of a little browned butter, you can achieve that homemade bravado without roasting a whole turkey.

Browned butter is butter that has been cooked over medium heat until the water evaporates and the milk solids turn golden brown. When it's heated, butter undergoes the Maillard reaction – a chemical heat reaction in food between amino acids and sugars that results not only in a jute-colored tint but also a toastier, richer flavor. Introducing browned butter to store-bought gravy provides it with a new dimension of savory, slightly sweet complexity that deepens it with a homemade feel and lush consistency boost. Whether you purchase creamy white gravy, brown gravy, or vegetarian options, browned butter works.

Adding browned butter to store-bought gravy is enough to give a bland batch a much-needed, flavor-forward facelift. However, if you want to take it a step further, there are additional ingredients you can introduce to brown butter-infused store-bought gravy to give it even more pizazz.

For something subtle yet transformative, finely chopped herbs can go a long way. Rosemary brings a piney, aromatic quality, thyme provides a touch of earthiness and warmth, and sage can add a savory, slightly peppery undercurrent. Pro tip: use dehydrated herbs when making gravy (yes, even store-bought) as fresh ones will quickly lose their aroma and flavor when heated.

Most recipes can be improved with a touch of satisfying allium goodness. Sautéing minced garlic into the browned butter can give it a savory, mouthwatering flair that's both familiar and timeless. Similarly, caramelized onions can achieve a similar effect with a more substantial mouthfeel. But if allium veggies aren't your thing, diced mushrooms are an easy way to amp up the umami.

The next time you have sad, store-bought gravy wasting away in your pantry, know that it can be transformed into a restaurant-quality condiment with the help of a little browned butter. It's so delicious you might even be tempted to drink it, and how could we blame you?