Hamburger Gravy

Truely, this I believe is just a variation on the sausage and cream gravy of the South and Midwest. It is a family recipe and I know its simple, but it is quite good to feed to picky eaters. Variations are to add vegetables that your family will enjoy, onions, garlic, green peppers, etc.

1 lb hamburger
1/2 cup flour
2 cups milk
2 tsp salt
black pepper to taste
any other spices you feel to add

Brown meat. The cheaper, fattier 70/30 works really well here because what you are going to do is turn the grease into a roux. Add the flour gradually and whisk it until all the grease is absorbed. If there is too much flour left, add a TBSP of vegetable oil. Let brown briefly and then add the milk. Start with one cup, mix it in well, and then as it thickens, add the second cup. Keep mixing until the gravy has no lumps. It will look a bit runny at this stage but will become very thick in the next 5-10 minutes. When it looks to be as thick as you want it, turn off the heat. We would serve it with mashed potatoes or rice. Even bread makes a good choice. Of course, any vegetable side would go well along side this. Peas, green beans or corn were a favorite choice.

If you want to make it more like a sausage gravy, use sausage or make your own by adding herbs and spices to a ground meat of your choice. Follow directions as for hamburger gravy.