No Thanksgiving meal would be complete without gravy. You typically want to serve it with family-favorite casseroles or your favorite turkey recipe.
Whatever you decide to make, gravy is a must for every family dinner! It tops everything from mashed potatoes to that magnificent roast turkey you worked hard on.
Since gravy is made in large quantities, you’ll probably have to deal with leftovers afterward.
Tips To Dispose of Leftover Gravy
Between fried food and roast meats, people are usually left with a ton of leftover gravy. However, before you pour it down the drain, you must consider many things.
Gravies contain tons of fats and oil. If it’s disposed of incorrectly, you might end up clogging your sink. This can lead to blocked water pipes and fatbergs.
Fatbergs are a mixture of sanitary products, baby wipes, and oil. The major source of the fat is cooking oil and fat that has been flushed down drains; it may be rather chaotic!
Wet wipes, diapers, and other hygienic products flushed down toilets combine with fat found in gravy.
As a result, your water supply system will get blocked when this mass hardens.
Flooding and sewage leaks can occur when water can no longer flow through the system.
Furthermore, fatbergs also harm wildlife when they inadvertently consume these globs of fats.
With that in mind, here are a few tips to dispose of leftover gravy:
Throw It in the Bin
Small amounts of gravy can be cleaned with lots of paper towels and thrown away. However, if your gravy is expired or you have an excessive amount left over, you should bin it!
You can easily do this by taking a non-recyclable container and pouring the leftover gravy into it. Then, seal it tightly to avoid animals from getting to it.
You can use a bottle or a jar if you don’t have non-recyclable containers at home.
Feed It to the Birds
Sometimes, leftover or used gravy is best left out of the bin. Instead, you can mix it with bird seeds to make a bird feeder ball.
To do this, take three to two tablespoons of birdfeed and add it to 100mls of gravy. Keep until more bird feed until you have a moldable batter.
Create small balls with the batter and hang them in your back or front yard. You will be surprised how many birds flock to eat this make-shift bird treat.
Use It in Different Recipes
Big batch gravy leaves behind leftovers, which can solidify into an ugly glob tossed typically in the trash.
However, there are a lot of reasons to keep that gravy. And one of those reasons is using it in other recipes.
Here are a few recipes you can try with leftover gravy:
Poutine
Although eating gravy with biscuits might be a no-brainer, there is nothing wrong with trying it with other food items. Poutine is an excellent dish that can be made with leftover gravy.
It is a Canadian favorite where you top French fries with cheese curds and gravy. Just reheat your leftover gravy in a saucepan.
Then, add water or stock to thin it out a bit. Finally, drizzle it onto your fries as much as you want!
However, you can take your poutine game to the next level by subtitling fries with nachos or burger patties. You can also add some melted cheese to improve the flavor more.
In the end, the possibilities are endless here with a dish like poutine!
Ragu
A ragu is similar to a soup. However, it has a thicker consistency. You can add a cup of leftover gravy to a pound of sautéed meat, cauliflower, turnips, or mushrooms. The result will be a delicious ragu.
Also, don’t forget to add a few cloves of garlic, a large chopped onion, and a few teaspoons of Italian spices. It will really bring out your ragu’s flavor.
Once you’ve made your ragu, you can toss it with pasta for a nice Italian lunch. You can also stuff it into a pot pie for an extra kick of flavor.
Soup
Gravy is just highly concentrated broth. It can also be thickened with flour. Nevertheless, use leftover gravy as the foundation for making a quick soup.
Add leftover gravy, cooked grains, meat, and sautéed veggies to a large pot. Let the mixture simmer for around thirty minutes or until fully cooked.
According to your liking, you can adjust the consistency of the soup by adding water.
For example, add five cups of water if you like a brothy soup. On the other hand, add around two to three cups if you love a thick soup.
Stew
Leftover gravy is excellent for making stews. If you’re taking this route, add some frozen leftover gravy, vegetable stock, herbs, vegetables, and cooked meat to a slow cooker.
Cook for four hours on your slow cooker’s high or eight hours on the low setting. The end result will be a delicious stew you and your family can enjoy for lunch or dinner.
Grayonnaise
Grayonnaise is a combination of mayo and gravy. It will allow you to make your turn sandwich creamier and richer.
To make your grayonnaise, whisk mayonnaise into your leftover gravy. You can also add a teaspoon of miso paste to improve the flavor.
Then add some fresh herbs and a squeeze of lime juice to finish. You can use this sauce for burgers, sandwiches, fries, fried chicken, etc.
Oven-Baked Meatballs
Meatballs and gravy are a match made in heaven. Plus, this dish can be made in a matter of minutes. Make meatballs from scratch by combining minced meat, herbs, chopped onions, and chili flakes.
Put your meatballs on a baking tray and bake for 15 minutes on medium-high heat. Once your meatballs are cooked, take them out and pour hot gravy on them.
Eat them as is, or add them to spaghetti to create a delicious bowl of meatballs and spaghetti.
Signs That Your Gravy Is Spoiled?
It’s crucial to remember that gravy does expire, and that rule applies to store-bought and homemade types.
Follow the “Use By” or “expiry” date mentioned on the back of the gravy container to enjoy it at its finest quality (color, consistency, taste). This is only applicable for store-bought gravy.
However, several symptoms of spoilage should be considered for proper food safety precautions when it comes to both gravy types.
Start by examining the texture and color to determine whether your gravy has gone bad. Gravy that is unusually slimy, moldy, or discolored is destined for the trash.
Of course, you can try to remove the mold or slime by scooping it out. However, microorganisms may still be able to spread food-related illnesses. It is also the case even if you remove the slime or mold.
Let’s imagine you have an unopened can of gravy. The contents should be thrown out if the can itself appears bloated.
However, there may be other factors at play. So, using the techniques mentioned above will help you identify if the gravy is expired.
You can also contact the company for more details if you cannot determine whether your canned gravy is rotten.
Finally, it is advisable to discard the gravy can by disposing of it in the trash if you are still unsure of its content’s quality.
Whatever happens, do not attempt to repurpose it for human or animal consumption if there is a slight chance the gravy is expired.
How Long Does Gravy Last in The Fridge?
The amount of time store-bought or homemade gravy will last depend on how it is stored.
For instance, properly stored gravies should survive in the fridge for at least a few days.
According to the FDA, beef-based broths and gravy can be kept in the freezer. Similarly, it can also be stored in the fridge for two to three months.
You can treat the gravy like a soup or stew if it is made solely from veggies.
Vegetable-based gravy can be kept in the refrigerator for three to four days. It can also be stored in the freezer for two to three months.
How to Store Leftover Gravy in the Freezer
By freezing your gravy, you can extend its shelf life while preserving its distinctive flavor. Here is a step-by-step process to freeze your gravy:
- The first thing to do is make the gravy itself. Prepare it like you normally do. Use as little fat as possible.
- Once the gravy is done, let it cool down to room temperature. Place the gravy bowl in an ice bath to speed up the process.
- Next, transfer your gravy into a freezable plastic container. Ensure that the container comes with an air-tight lid.
- Write the preparation date on the container and store it in your freezer. As mentioned earlier, you can store gravies in the freezer for three to four months.
- When you want to use your frozen gravy, defrost it. You can do this by leaving it in the open or microwaving it. Don’t forget to the “defrost” setting on your microwave.
- Once defrosted, heat the gravy in a saucepan and serve it with your favorite food items!
Wrapping Up
Gravy or other liquid food items should never be thrown away if they aren’t spoiled. After all, we can reuse it to make hundreds of delicious dishes.
However, if you decide to dispose of gravy, never pour it down the drain. It could lead to unnecessary clogs and expensive repairs.
So, follow the tips in this article and learn how to utilize leftover gravy. You will thank us later!
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