Adventures of Mel

Category: Sauce, Gravy, & Dressings

Nothing spices up a salad, side, or main dish like a flavorful sauce or dressing. Here you’ll find sauce recipes, dressing recipes, and gravy recipes, including applesauce, pasta sauce, and ham gravy.

Reader favorites include homemade ham gravy, homemade cranberry sauce, and homemade turkey gravy.

  • Easy Instant Pot Applesauce in 30 Minutes or Less

    Easy Instant Pot Applesauce in 30 Minutes or Less

    Now it’s easier than ever to make homemade applesauce with an electric pressure cooker. This Instant Pot applesauce (with skins) has no added sugar, and it’s ready to eat in 15 minutes.

    The fact that it’s pressure cooked takes the work out of making applesauce because you don’t have to stand in front of a hot stove. Instead, just load everything up in the Instant Pot, push a couple buttons, and let it do the work for you.

    homemade Instant Pot applesauce in a Ball canning jar

    My boys love both applesauce and Instapot apple butter, and we eat quite a bit of it throughout the year. I especially like to keep it on hand for times when we’re sick; in a way, it’s a sort of comfort food too.

    It’s quite fulfilling to fill your pantry up with homemade canned foods that your family will actually eat. And when it’s easy to do, it’s a win win.

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    Why Make This Recipe?

    I think you’ll love this no-peel applesauce because it’s…

    • Easy to make – Pressure cooker applesauce is made with 3 ingredients, and you just put everything in the Instant Pot and let it cook. That means no need to stand in front of the stove and stir; you can walk away and let the pressure cooker do the work.
    • No peeling required – While you do need to core and slice the apples up, there’s no need to peel off the skins, unless you just want to.
    • Budget-friendly – Let’s face it, good applesauce can be more expensive at the store. And it just doesn’t taste as good as homemade. You can make 5 to 6 pints of applesauce for less than $10, depending on the cost of your apples.
    ingredients for pressure cooker applesauce, including apples, lemon juice, and water

    Ingredient Notes

    The ingredients you need are simple, and you may already have them on hand.

    A bit of advice… I’m very partial to canning applesauce in the fall because it’s usually pretty easy to find seconds at a local orchard or farmer’s market. Buying seconds means you can buy a HUGE box of less-than-perfect apples for a lot less than normal cost, which is going to save you a ton of money.

    • Apples – When it comes to picking the type of apples you should use, I recommend apples that are both sweet and tart; I don’t add any sugar, so I want the unsweetened applesauce to taste really good. Some of the best apples for making applesauce include Jonathan, Jonagold, Braeburn, McIntosh, Winesap, Rome, Golden Delicious, Cortland, Fuji, Gala, and Ambrosia.
    • Lemon juice – I like to use a fresh lemon juice, either straight from a lemon or my favorite shortcut, Minute Maid lemon juice you can find in the freezer section of some grocery stores; I’ve been able to find it at my local Walmart. There are multiple reasons for adding lemon juice to applesauce, but it’s usually to help preserve or protect the color of your apples over time (making your applesauce stay pretty), and/or to make the applesauce more acidic for home canning. Wind fallen apples (including seconds) can have a lower acidity and a higher mold/bacteria count than umblemished apples.

    If you are one who loves to add the flavor of cinnamon to your sauce, you may also love my recipe for cinnamon applesauce.

    How to Make Instant Pot Applesauce

    You can make applesauce from the leftover apple mush you have left behind when you make fresh apple juice. But if you’re not making apple juice, here’s how to make a fresh batch of sauce in your pressure cooker.

    Keep in mind, you can make this recipe in any brand of electric pressure cooker you have, including the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, or Power Pressure Cooker XL.

    1. Wash, core, and slice the apples; I use my Johnny apple peeler to core and slice all at once. Cut out any bad spots, as well.
    2. Put the sliced apples in your Instant Pot.
    3. Sprinkle lemon juice over the apples.
    4. Then add water to the apples, as well. If you want to mix everything together, you can; but there’s no need to until after it all cooks.
    how to make applesauce in the Instant Pot, including slicing apples with Johnny apple peeler, putting apples in Instant Pot, then adding lemon juice and water
    1. Put the lid in place on the Instant Pot. Press Manual or Pressure Cook for 10 minutes. When it’s finished cooking, allow the pressure cooker to do a natural release.
    1. Purée the mixture with an immersion blender, standing blender, or food mill; or if you want a chunky applesauce, you can mash the apples with a potato masher. It’s up to you how you prefer the texture and consistency.
    how to make pressure cooker applesauce in Ninja Foodi, then mashing cooked apples with immersion blender

    Freezing Instructions:

    My mom used to freeze a LOT of the applesauce she made when we were kids growing up. She’d keep freezer safe plastic containers just for storing things like her homemade applesauce.

    1. When your applesauce has cooked, allow it to cool to room temperature.
    2. Then just ladle or pour it into freezer safe containers that seal; leave 1/2 inch headroom at the top, to allow for expansion as it freezes.
    3. Label the containers, and place them in the freezer.

    Frozen applesauce should keep for about a year.

    Canning Instructions:

    I prefer water bath canning applesauce.

    1. While your applesauce is cooking, wash pint jars in hot soapy water, rinse, and keep warm. We like to place ours on a baking sheet in a lower temp oven to stay hot.
    2. Once you’ve mashed up your sauce, promptly ladle or pour it into the hot jars you prepared ahead of time. Be sure to leave about a 1/2-inch gap at the top of each jar.
    pouring homemade applesauce into canning jars with yellow canning funnel
    1. Wipe the rim of each jar with a wet towel or rag, place the lid on, and tighten the band.
    2. Then place the hot jars down in a boiling hot water bath canner with 1-2 inches of water over the jars, and process those jars in the hot water bath for about 20 minutes.
    canning applesauce in water bath canner

    Home canned applesauce should last at least 1 year. If you choose to can applesauce, Ball has wonderful Canning Guides to guide you through the process. You can also consult the Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving.

    Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ’s

    Can you overcook applesauce?

    Yes, actually, you can; and overcooking it will lose a lot of the flavor. That’s why making it in the Instant Pot is better because it cooks for a set amount of time with no guesswork, and pressure cooking is a wonderful way to preserve the flavors of whatever food you’re cooking.

    How should I store it?

    If you’re not freezing or canning your applesauce, it should be kept in the refrigerator. It’ll keep in the fridge for about 5 to 7 days.

    What are some ways I can use applesauce?

    We love to eat applesauce on buttered toast. It’s also delicious on pancakes, especially apple cinnamon pancakes. You can enjoy it with oatmeal, cottage cheese, and pork chops. And you can use it when you’re baking… For example, you can use it to make apple bundt cake; or you can sometimes use it as a substitute for egg, butter, oil, or sugar, depending on the recipe. Momables shares an ingredient substitution list for baking that explains how to sub applesauce in; and Craftsy has a really good explanation, as well, as to how and when to substitute applesauce for certain ingredients when you’re baking.

    white bowl of pressure cooker applesauce

    More Recipes for Fresh Apples:

    You can also learn how to use your Instant Pot with our Instant Pot Quick Start Guide, filled with practical tips, Instant Pot recipes, accessory ideas, and more!

    You’ll find a longer recipe tutorial in the Instant Pot applesauce recipe card below.

    If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. And subscribe to my email list too!

    Instant Pot Applesauce

    How to make the best homemade Instant Pot applesauce with skins and no added sugar. Easy pressure cooker recipe, ready to eat in 30 minutes or less.

    • Instant Pot
    • Ninja Foodi
    • Johnny apple peeler
    • Immersion blender
    • Pint jars
    • Hot Water Bath Canner
    • Canning Funnel
    • Jar Lifter
    • 6 pounds apples (unpeeled)
    • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
    • 1 cup water

    1. Wash, core, and slice the apples; I use my Johnny apple peeler to core and slice all at once. Cut out any bad spots, as well.

    2. Put the sliced apples in your Instant Pot.

    3. Sprinkle lemon juice over the apples.

    4. Then add water to the apples, as well. If you want to mix everything together, you can; but there’s no need to until after it all cooks.

    5. Put the lid in place on the Instant Pot. Press Manual or Pressure Cook for 10 minutes. When it’s finished cooking, allow the pressure cooker to do a natural release.

    6. Purée the mixture with an immersion blender, standing blender, or food mill; or if you want a chunky applesauce, you can mash the apples with a potato masher. It’s up to you how you prefer the texture and consistency.

    7. If you're not freezing or canning your applesauce, it should be kept in the refrigerator. It'll keep in the fridge for about 5 to 7 days.

    Freezing Instructions:

    1. When your applesauce has cooked, allow it to cool to room temperature.

    2. Then just ladle or pour it into freezer safe containers that seal; leave 1/2 inch headroom at the top, to allow for expansion as it freezes.

    3. Label the containers, and place them in the freezer.

    Canning Instructions:

    1. While your applesauce is cooking, wash pint jars in hot soapy water, rinse, and keep warm. We like to place ours on a baking sheet in a lower temp oven to stay hot.

    2. Once you've mashed up your sauce, promptly ladle or pour it into the hot jars. Be sure to leave about a 1/2-inch gap at the top of each jar.

    3. Wipe the rim of each jar with a wet towel or rag, place the lid on, and tighten the band.

    4. Then place the hot jars in a boiling hot water bath canner with 1-2 inches of water over the jars, and process those jars in the hot water bath for about 20 minutes.

    5. Allow your jars to rest for at least 24 hours, but be sure to check every lid to make sure it's sealed shortly after canning.

    6. Before moving to the pantry, write what it is and the year on the lid, so you know when you made it.

    *When it comes to picking the type of apples you should use, I recommend apples that are both sweet and tart; I don’t add any sugar, so I want the unsweetened applesauce to taste really good. Some of the best apples for making applesauce include Jonathan, Jonagold, Braeburn, McIntosh, Winesap, Rome, Golden Delicious, Cortland, Fuji, Gala, and Ambrosia.

    Canning & Freezing, Sauces & Dressings
    American
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  • Easy Chicken Gravy from Bouillon

    Easy Chicken Gravy from Bouillon

    How to make delicious chicken gravy from bouillon, no drippings needed! You can make this easy gravy recipe last minute to go with dinner, and it only takes 6 simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry!

    My husband introduced me to the world of gravy when we got married. I grew up eating biscuits and gravy; but other special gravies like brown gravy, chicken stock gravy, ham gravy, and turkey gravy were reserved for holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter dinner.

    spoonful of easy chicken gravy from bouillon over white bowl full of gravy

    Chicken gravy without drippings is especially easy to make, so it makes the perfect addition to an Instant Pot whole chicken. You can also pair it with baked chicken drumsticks or whole chicken in the CrockPot. It’s also a fantastic addition to a mashtini bar or baked potato bar if you happen to be entertaining guests or hosting a dinner party.

    Why You’ll Love Making Gravy with Chicken Broth

    • All you need to make chicken gravy from broth are 6 simple ingredients you likely already have in your pantry. 3 of those ingredients are seasonings, just onion powder, salt, and pepper.
    • As I mentioned above, it’s really easy to make and only takes a few minutes.
    • You can make this chicken gravy with bouillon or from broth. Only difference is you’ll need to mix the bouillon into broth before you begin cooking.
    chicken gravy ingredients, including chicken broth from bouillon, black pepper, salt, water, onion powder, and all-purpose flour on white marble countertop with black whisk

    Ingredients and Substitutions Notes:

    To make this chicken gravy recipe, you’ll need 6 simple ingredients. Gather your ingredients and let’s make some delicious gravy.

    • Chicken Broth: Like I mentioned above, you can use straight up chicken broth, including bone broth. Or since bouillon is basically dehydrated broth, you can just mix bouillon into broth and make your gravy with that bouillon broth. You can also use homemade chicken stock to make this gravy.
    • Onion Powder: Here’s a little tip. I haven’t been able to find a gluten-free onion powder in store. You’d think all seasonings are gluten-free, but they are not. So I took a little bit of dried minced onion we had on hand and crushed it into onion powder.
    • Water
    • All-Purpose Flour: I tried making this with corn starch; it did not go well. So my advice is to stick with flour. Flour makes a silky, smooth gravy. And yes, you can use a good gluten-free flour instead.
    • Salt and Pepper: These are really only added to taste. I’ve found it needs quite a bit of salt, but I only add a dash of black pepper.

    How to Make Chicken Gravy from Bouillon

    For this gravy, I prefer to make a slurry over a roux. It’s part of prepping and gathering my ingredients together so I’m ready for each step along the way.

    If I were making a roux, I would melt butter in my pan and then whisk flour into the butter, cooking the mixture. Instead I prefer to just mix my thickening agent, in this case flour, with water before starting the process of cooking the gravy… It works for me, and I know it’ll work well for you too.

    How to Make the Slurry

    To make the slurry, whisk together the water and flour, making sure there are no lumps and no flour sticking to the bottom of your bowl or measuring cup. Then just set your slurry aside ’til you need it.

    chicken gravy slurry in Pyrex glass measuring cup with black whisk

    Making a slurry allows us to add flour to our gravy without adding any lumps, ensuring a lump-free gravy.

    Then Make the Gravy

    1. Add chicken broth to a medium sauce pan, and bring to a boil over medium heat.
    2. Whisk in the onion powder, cooking another 1 to 2 minutes.
    3. Now whisk your slurry mixture into the boiling broth, stirring constantly ’til the gravy thickens; it will start to thicken right away. If, for some reason, your gravy is too thin and not thickening up enough, you can whisk another tablespoon of flour into just a little bit of water (making another slurry), and add that to your gravy to help it thicken up more.
    4. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
    steps for how to make chicken gravy from broth in sauce pan, including boiling broth, adding onion powder, stirring in slurry, and whisking 'til thickens

    Then serve the gravy while warm with your dinner. It’s a good idea to make gravy just before you’re ready to eat.

    Expert Tips and Recipe FAQs:

    How should you store chicken gravy?

    Store in the fridge in an airtight container. Chicken gravy will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days.

    Can you freeze leftover gravy?

    Yes, you can store a flour-based chicken gravy in the freezer for up to 4 months.
    Store in an airtight container or freezer bag. Just be sure to allow enough time to thaw in the fridge before serving.

    How do you re-heat gravy?

    You can re-heat gravy on the stovetop in a sauce pan, stirring frequently until hot. Or you can re-heat in a microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring in between ’til heated. If the gravy is really thick after cooling, you may need to add just a little bit of water to thin it out a bit.

    Can you make gluten-free gravy?

    Yes. Gluten-free flour works like a charm with this gravy. Just make sure to check all your other ingredient labels to make sure they are truly gluten-free, as well, especially seasonings.

    What should you do if the gravy is too thick?

    Add chicken broth or water 1/2 cup at a time until your gravy is the desired consistency. Keep in mind, adding liquid may necessitate adding a bit more seasoning, as well, especially salt and pepper.

    chicken gravy with bouillon poured over mashed potatoes on gray plate with shredded chicken and green peas

    Good Recipes to Make with Chicken Gravy:

    If you love this easy chicken gravy recipe as much as I do, you’ll love pairing it with these dishes…

    If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. And subscribe to my email list too!

    Chicken Gravy from Bouillon

    How to make chicken gravy from bouillon, no drippings needed! Easy recipe you can make last minute to go with dinner. Simple ingredients!

    • Medium Sauce Pan
    • Whisk
    • Heat-Resistant Spatula
    • Liquid Measuring Cup
    • Gravy Boat
    • 1/4 cup water
    • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour*
    • 2 cups chicken broth
    • 1 teaspoon onion powder
    • Salt (to taste)
    • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

    1. To make the slurry, whisk together the water and flour, making sure there are no lumps and no flour sticking to the bottom of your bowl or measuring cup. Then just set your slurry aside 'til you need it.

    2. Add chicken broth to a medium sauce pan, and bring to a boil over medium heat.

    3. Whisk in the onion powder, cooking another 1 to 2 minutes.
    4. Now whisk your slurry mixture into the boiling broth, stirring constantly ’til the gravy thickens; it will start to thicken right away. If, for some reason, your gravy is too thin and not thickening up enough, you can whisk another tablespoon of flour into just a little bit of water (making another slurry), and add that to your gravy to help it thicken up more.
    5. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
    6. Then serve the gravy while warm with your dinner. It’s a good idea to make gravy just before you’re ready to eat.

    *You can use a good gluten-free flour instead.

    Store leftover chicken gravy in the fridge in an airtight container. It will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days. 

    You can re-heat gravy on the stovetop in a sauce pan, stirring frequently until hot. Or you can re-heat in a microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring in between ’til heated. If the gravy is really thick after cooling, you may need to add just a little bit of water to thin it out a bit.

    What should you do if the gravy is too thick?

    Add chicken broth or water 1/2 cup at a time until your gravy is the desired consistency. Keep in mind, adding more liquid may necessitate adding a bit more seasoning, as well, especially salt and pepper.

    Condiments, Sauces & Dressings
    American
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  • How to Make Ham Gravy with Cornstarch and Drippings

    How to Make Ham Gravy with Cornstarch and Drippings

    Learn how to make ham gravy with cornstarch and either drippings or broth. This easy recipe will help you cook and thicken any gravy, including ham, turkey, chicken, or brown gravy. It’s especially good at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter; but it’s also great for family dinner!

    One of my most popular recipes, especially around Christmas and Easter, is my homemade ham gravy recipe; unlike this cornstarch gravy recipe, it’s made with flour and ham drippings.

    ham gravy with cornstarch on mashed potatoes, served on grate plate with baked ham, green beans, and a fork

    This good gravy, on the other hand, is made with cornstarch and ham drippings. Learning how to make gravy with cornstarch is super easy to do, and it just so happens to be gluten-free ham gravy (as long as all of your ingredients contain no gluten; I always recommend you double check to be safe).

    Now you do have to know how to bake a ham for this easy gravy recipe. And, in fact, you can switch out the pan drippings for any flavor broth you like to make any flavor corn starch gravy you like; so you can make brown gravy, turkey gravy, chicken gravy, vegetarian gravy, and more.

    Keep in mind… The main flavoring for this flavorful gravy comes directly from the ham itself. So if you glaze your ham, like I did with my pineapple glazed ham, the flavoring from that glaze will go into your homemade gravy. Rule of thumb: If you’re using a sweet glaze, your gravy will be a little sweeter.

    Why You May Want to Make Gravy with Cornstarch

    • If you’re like me and need to make gluten free ham gravy, then corn starch gravy is the key. Just make sure the brand of cornstarch you use is gluten-free, and make sure all your other ingredients are too.
    • Ham gravy goes hand in hand with creamy mashed potatoes. It also makes a great addition to your baked potato buffet or mashed potato buffet.
    • Gravy made with cornstarch is a great condiment for Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas dinner, and Easter dinner.
    • Learning how to make gravy with cornstarch also makes a great addition to any ordinary family dinner, because it’s absolutely easy to make; and if you don’t have drippings, no problem. Use broth instead.
    homemade ham gravy made with cornstarch in white Corning Ware dish with spoon

    Ingredients and Substitutions Notes

    • Ham Drippings – You can get ham drippings when you bake any kind of ham, whether you bake a bone-in ham, spiral ham, fresh ham, etc. Of course, you can substitute broth for drippings if you’re not making a big roast; while ham broth may not have the excellent flavor real ham drippings have, it still makes a fine gravy. This goes for other types of meat, as well… You can use beef broth to make brown gravy, chicken broth for chicken gravy, vegetable stock to make vegetarian gravy, etc. You can also substitute other types of drippings, like turkey drippings to make homemade turkey gravy, pot roast drippings to make roast beef gravy, etc.
    • Cold Water
    • Heavy Whipping Cream – I use both cream and water in this recipe for ham gravy. You can replace the cream with milk, though, if preferred.
    • Cornstarch – It doesn’t take much cornstarch to make a good gravy, only about 3 tablespoons of cornstarch.

    How to Make Ham Gravy with Cornstarch

    There are different methods to making a good gravy, but this is my simple recipe…

    1. First, whisk together the water, heavy whipping cream, and cornstarch in a liquid measuring cup and set aside.
    2. Add the brown bits of ham drippings or pan juices from the roasting pan, to a medium saucepan, and start to cook on medium heat.
    3. Add the cornstarch mixture, as a thickening agent, to the ham drippings in the pan, and continue whisking and stirring constantly ’til the mixture boils and the gravy begins to thicken.
    4. Once your gravy has thickened, this hot liquid is ready to pour into a gravy crock or gravy boat for serving.
    steps for how to make ham gravy with cornstarch

    Now keep in mind, depending how salty your gravy is, you may need to add a little extra water to bring that saltiness down. If you add extra water, you’ll need to add a pinch up to a tablespoon of cornstarch (depending how much extra water you add), in order to keep a thicker consistency.

    And always, always, if you’re going to add more cornstarch, whisk it together into a cornstarch slurry with liquid in a separate dish first to avoid lumps. Speaking of lumps…

    How to Avoid Lumpy Gravy

    Here’s the easy way and the best way to prevent lumps in your gravy…

    • It’s important to start by mixing together a slurry of cornstarch, water, and heavy whipping cream in a small small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whisking this together in the beginning will help prevent lumps in your gravy, as well as thicken the gravy.
    • Use a wire whisk to stir your gravy while it’s cooking. It’s pretty much a given that you may have a few lumps, but you can minimize them by whisking the gravy.
    • Also, there’s no hurry. Take your time to avoid any lumps in your delicious gravy.
    ham drippings gravy on mashed potatoes, served with sliced ham and green beans on gray plate with fork

    Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ’s

    Why is my gravy bland?

    If your gravy happens to be bland upon tasting, you likely just need to add a little salt and pepper to give it added flavor.

    How should you store leftover gravy?

    Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

    Can you freeze ham gravy with cornstarch?

    While you’d have no problem freezing a gravy made with water and flour, this gravy contains cream and will not freeze well. It will likely change the consistency when it thaws, so you’re better off not to freeze it.

    More Recipes to Enjoy with Gravy

    If you love ham gravy with cornstarch and making homemade gravy with cornstarch, you’ll love these recipes to go with your homemade gravy!

    If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. And subscribe to my email list too!

    How to Make Ham Gravy with Cornstarch

    Learn how to make ham gravy with cornstarch and either drippings or broth. This easy recipe will help you cook and thicken any gravy, including ham, turkey, chicken, or brown gravy. It's especially good at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter; but it's also great for family dinner!

    • Medium Saucepan
    • Whisk
    • Liquid Measuring Cup
    • Gravy Boat
    • 1/4 cup water
    • 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
    • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
    • 2 cups ham drippings

    1. First, whisk together the water, heavy whipping cream, and cornstarch in a liquid measuring up, and set aside.

    2. Add the ham drippings* or pan juices from the roasting pan, to a medium saucepan, and start to cook on medium heat.

    3. Add the cornstarch mixture to the ham drippings in the pan, and continue whisking and stirring constantly ’til the gravy begins to thicken.*

    4. Once your gravy has thickened, it's ready to pour into a gravy boat for serving.

    *You can substitute broth for drippings if you’re not making a big roast. You can use beef broth to make brown gravy, chicken broth for chicken gravy, etc. You can also substitute other types of drippings to make homemade turkey gravy, roast beef gravy, etc.

    *Depending how salty your gravy is, you may need to add a little extra water to bring that saltiness down. If you add extra water, you’ll need to add a pinch of cornstarch, as well, in order to keep a thicker consistency. Always, always, if you’re going to add more cornstarch, whisk it together with liquid in a separate dish first to avoid lumps.

    How to Avoid Lumpy Gravy

    Here are a few tips to help prevent lumps in your gravy…

    • It’s important to start by mixing together the cornstarch, water, and heavy whipping cream in a small small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whisking this together in the beginning will help prevent lumps in your gravy.
    • Use a whisk to stir your gravy while it’s cooking. It’s pretty much a given that you may have a few lumps, but you can minimize them by whisking the gravy.
    • Also, there’s no hurry. Take your time to avoid any lumps in your gravy.
    Condiments, Sauces & Dressings
    American
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  • Crab Enchiladas with Creamy White Sauce

    Crab Enchiladas with Creamy White Sauce

    How to make the best crab enchiladas with a creamy sour cream white sauce, all made from scratch. Easy recipe perfect for seafood lovers!

    Anytime Tex-Mex is on the menu, I especially look forward to dinner. But I have to admit, when I first started thinking about seafood enchiladas, I wasn’t so sure about the concept of seafood and Tex-Mex. I’m just not a big fish person.

    serving of crab enchiladas with sour cream, sprinkled with diced green onions, on white plate with fork

    But let me tell you, after making this crab enchilada recipe, I am a believer in seafood and Tex-Mex. It wasn’t at all how I thought it would be.

    First of all, I get my crab meat from a can. Yes, it’s real crab. And yes, it’s super easy.

    Now the sauce… I make my favorite creamy white sauce that I make with sour cream and cream cheese. I’ve made this sauce before with my creamy chicken enchiladas.

    When you put crab enchiladas with sour cream sauce, you get a dinner the whole family will enjoy. And it changes things up from the usual chicken or beef or cheese; it widens your dinner horizons!

    [mv_video doNotAutoplayNorOptimizePlacement=”false” doNotOptimizePlacement=”false” jsonLd=”true” key=”cu4asj84g5wuppezgayn” sticky=”false” thumbnail=”https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/v1581551485/hbogtmvu3ypl99zfmpa0.jpg” title=”Creamy Crab Enchiladas with Creamy White Sauce” volume=”100″]

    WHERE CAN I FIND THE ACTUAL RECIPE CARD?

    If you’d rather skip all of my recipe tips, important info for this recipe, and similar recipe ideas – and get straight to the actual recipe – just scroll down to the bottom, where you’ll find a printable recipe card.

    If you’re as into Tex-Mex recipes as I am, you’ll love these recipes too:

    INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED:

    • Salted butter
    • Medium yellow onion
    • Cream cheese
    • Sour cream
    • Heavy whipping cream
    • Diced green chiles
    • Salt and pepper
    • Fresh Roma tomatoes, diced – These are optional, but they add a fresh, delicious flavor to your sauce.
    • Olive oil
    • Garlic clove
    • Red bell pepper
    • Lemon juice
    • Seasoning – I use Badia Complete Seasoning, which is relatively inexpensive and fairly easy to find in grocery stores.
    • White crab meat – You can find canned crab meat with the tuna and other canned fish at your grocery store.
    • Cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack cheese
    • Corn tortillas
    • Green onions

    Remember, all of the ingredient amounts you’ll need are in the printable recipe card below.

    blue baking dish with baked sour cream crab enchiladas, sprinkled with green onions

    KITCHEN TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT YOU’LL NEED:

    Ninja Food Chopper Express or Cutting Board and Chef’s Knife

    Medium Saucepan – for making the sauce.

    Large Skillet and Wooden Spatula – We use our cast iron skillets for pretty much everything.

    Large Mixing Bowl

    9″x13″ Baking Dish

    HOW TO MAKE SOUR CREAM WHITE SAUCE

    Before you assemble your enchiladas, you need to make the sauce.

    1. Melt the butter in the saucepan on medium heat.
    2. Sauté the onion in the butter for about 5 minutes, or until the onion turns a light golden color.
    3. Add the cream cheese in with the onion, stirring ’til it melts.
    4. Then add the sour cream, heavy whipping cream, green chiles, salt, pepper, shredded cheddar, and shredded Monterey Jack to the mixture.
    5. Let the sauce simmer, constantly stirring, ’til it begins to thicken. It’ll probably take about 10 to 15 minutes.
    6. Then if you want to add tomatoes to your sauce, you can stir them in. At this point, you’ll want to turn the heat to low and just keep your sauce warm while you make the enchiladas.
    how to make a sour cream white sauce for enchiladas, by melting butter in saucepan, sautéing onion, adding cream cheese and other ingredients, along with fresh tomatoes

    Tip: If you add tomatoes, try to avoid using canned tomatoes. They don’t have the same flavor as fresh tomatoes.

    HOW TO MAKE AND ASSEMBLE CRAB ENCHILADAS

    Now you can get everything ready and assemble the enchiladas.

    1. Heat the olive oil on medium heat in a skillet. Then sauté the minced garlic, onion, and red pepper in the oil, about 5 minutes, ’til it’s softened.
    2. Then in a large bowl, add the crab meat, the cooked veggies, lemon juice, seasoning, salt and pepper, 1/2 cup of the cheddar cheese, and 1/2 cup of the Monterey Jack cheese.
    3. Mix everything together really well.
    4. Warm the tortillas in the microwave by placing between a couple of damp paper towels and heating ’til warmed.
    5. Spread about a cup of the white sauce into the bottom of your greased baking dish.
    6. Add a heaping tablespoon of the crab meat mixture to each corn tortilla, loosely wrapping each one.
    7. Place each enchilada, seam side down, in the baking dish on top of the sauce.
    8. Spread the remaining sauce over the finished enchiladas, and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
    how to make and assemble crab enchiladas with white sauce in baking dish

    Then just bake according to the instructions in the recipe card below, until the cheese melts and the enchiladas are cooked thru.

    baked white sauce crab enchiladas in blue and white baking dish, surrounded by sour cream, tomatoes, green onions, and a wooden spoon

    When they’re finished, you can garnish them with green onions, fresh tomatoes, avocado, fresh basil salsa, and sour cream.

    wooden spoonful of sour cream crab enchiladas sprinkled with green onions

    CAN YOU FREEZE SEAFOOD ENCHILADAS?

    Yes, you can freeze this meal. Just be sure to cover it tightly with plastic wrap and/or aluminum foil; or store the enchiladas in an airtight container for freezing.

    Then when you’re ready to serve them for dinner, allow plenty of time for thawing and re-heating.

    To re-heat them, you’ll need to cover them with foil (in a baking dish) and bake for about 30 minutes. Then uncover and bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes.

    seafood enchiladas made with white crab meat served on white plate with sour cream and green onions

    WHAT CAN YOU EAT WITH ENCHILADAS?

    Oh gosh, there are so many things you can serve with enchiladas, whether they be chicken or crab. Here are a few ideas:

    GET THE PRINTABLE RECIPE

    If you love this recipe as much as I do, please write a 5 star review, and help me share the recipe on Facebook and Pinterest!

    crab enchilada recipe

    CRAVING MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES? Subscribe to my newsletter, and follow along on Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram for all the latest updates!

    Crab Enchiladas with Creamy White Sauce

    How to make the best crab enchiladas with a creamy sour cream white sauce, all made from scratch. Easy recipe perfect for seafood lovers!

    • Ninja Food Chopper Express Chop with 200-Watt, 16-Ounce Bowl for Mincing, Chopping, Grinding, Blending and Meal Prep
    • Gorilla Grip Original Oversized Cutting Board, 3 Piece, BPA Free, Dishwasher Safe, Juice Grooves, Larger Thicker Boards, Easy Grip Handle, Non Porous, Extra Large, Kitchen, Set of 3, Black
    • Pyrex Glass Mixing Bowl Set (3-Piece)
    • Cuisinart MultiClad Pro Stainless Steel 3-Quart Saucepan with Cover
    • Krokori Rectangular Ceramic Baking Pan Lasagna Pans for Cooking, Kitchen, Cake Dinner, Banquet and Daily Use, 13 x 9 Inches
    • Lodge Cast Iron Skillet and Ready for Stove Top or Oven Use, 10.25″, Black

    Sour Cream White Sauce:

    • 2 tablespoons salted butter
    • 1/2 medium yellow onion (minced)
    • 8 ounces cream cheese
    • 2 cups sour cream
    • 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
    • 4 ounces diced green chiles
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
    • 1/2 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)
    • 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese (shredded)
    • 1 cup fresh Roma tomatoes* (diced, optional)

    Crab Enchiladas:

    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 garlic clove (minced)
    • 1/2 medium yellow onion (minced)
    • 1 red bell pepper (minced or chopped)
    • 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
    • 1 tablespoon Badia Complete Seasoning*
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
    • 18 ounces white crab meat (drained)
    • 1 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)
    • 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese (shredded)
    • 10 corn tortillas
    • 2 green onions (diced)
    1. To make the sauce, melt the butter in the saucepan on medium heat.
    2. Sauté the minced onion in the butter, about 5 minutes or until the onion turns a light golden color.
    3. Add the cream cheese in with the onion, stirring ’til it melts.
    4. Then add the sour cream, heavy whipping cream, green chiles, salt, pepper, shredded cheddar, and shredded Monterey Jack to the mixture.
    5. Let the sauce simmer, constantly stirring, ’til it begins to thicken. It’ll probably take about 10 to 15 minutes.
    6. Then if you want to add tomatoes to your sauce, you can stir them in. At this point, you’ll want to turn the heat to low and just keep your sauce warm while you make and assemble the crab enchiladas.
    7. Preheat the oven to 350° F and grease a 9"x13" baking dish with cooking spray.
    8. Heat the olive oil on medium heat in a skillet.
    9. Then sauté the minced garlic, onion, and red pepper in the oil, about 5 minutes, or ’til it’s softened.
    10. Then in a large bowl, add the crab meat, the cooked veggies, lemon juice, seasoning, salt and pepper, 1/2 cup of the cheddar cheese, and 1/2 cup of the Monterey Jack cheese.
    11. Mix everything together really well.
    12. Warm the tortillas in the microwave by placing between a couple of damp paper towels and heating ’til warmed.
    13. Spread about a cup of the white sauce into the bottom of your greased baking dish.
    14. Add a heaping tablespoon of the crab meat mixture to each corn tortilla, loosely wrapping each one.
    15. Place each crab enchilada, seam side down, in the baking dish on top of the sauce.
    16. Spread the remaining sauce over the finished crab enchiladas, and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
    17. Bake your sour cream white sauce crab enchiladas at 350° F for about 40-45 minutes, or until the cheese melts and the enchiladas are cooked thru. Garnish with green onions, and serve with fresh tomatoes, avocado, salsa, and sour cream.

    *If you decide to add tomatoes to your sauce, only use fresh tomatoes. Canned tomatoes will throw off the flavor of your enchiladas, whereas fresh will add a really delicious, fresh flavor.

    *If you do not have Badia Complete Seasoning, you can use the appropriate seasoning of your choice.

    To Freeze and Re-Heat Crab Enchiladas with White Sauce:

    Cover the enchiladas tightly with plastic wrap and/or aluminum foil; or store the enchiladas in an airtight container for freezing. Then to re-heat, cover them with foil (in a baking dish) and bake for about 30 minutes. Then uncover and bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes.

    What to Serve with Seafood Enchiladas:

    There are so many things you can serve with enchiladas, whether they be chicken or crab. Here are a few ideas:

    Dinner Ideas
    Tex-Mex
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  • How to Make Homemade Cranberry Sauce

    How to Make Homemade Cranberry Sauce

    How to make homemade cranberry sauce using fresh cranberries and 3 more ingredients. Simple and easy recipe, perfect for Thanksgiving and the holidays.

    Homemade Cranberry Sauce is so easy to make and pretty delicious too. In fact, the first Thanksgiving we made our own, we wondered why we’d never made it before.

    homemade cranberry sauce in white bowl with spoon

    Fresh cranberry sauce with orange zest is so much better than the canned stuff. For one thing, it doesn’t plop out in canned gel form.

    If you buy a bag of fresh cranberries, the recipe is right there on the bag. You can also get creative with the recipe and add different flavors to your cranberry relish, like citrus or cinnamon or whatever else your imagination can cook up.

    With this recipe, I followed the instructions on the back of the bag (Ocean Spray Cranberries) and then added a little citrus zing.

    [mv_video doNotAutoplayNorOptimizePlacement=”false” jsonLd=”true” key=”zx0mjuolantwalcxbvqo” sticky=”false” thumbnail=”https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/v1571882715/trcvvgsjebm2qeruu6cq.jpg” title=”How to Make Homemade Cranberry Sauce” volume=”100″]

    WHERE CAN I FIND THE ACTUAL RECIPE CARD?

    If you’d rather skip all of my cooking tips, important cooking info for this recipe, and similar recipe ideas – and get straight to the recipe – just scroll down to the bottom, where you’ll find a printable recipe card.

    INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED:

    • Fresh cranberries
    • Sugar
    • Water
    • Orange zest

    Keep in mind, all of the ingredient amounts you’ll need are in the printable recipe card below.

    cranberry relish in white bowl

    KITCHEN TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT YOU’LL NEED:

    Large Saucepan – This sauce is made entirely on the stove top, so a good saucepan is in order.

    Wooden Spoon 

    Heat Resistant Spatula – Works well for stirring and scraping the sides of the pan.

    Zester – Helpful for adding the orange zest.

    Serving Bowl – Add to your Thanksgiving tablescape.

    HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE CRANBERRY SAUCE

    1. Add the sugar and water to a large saucepan and bring to a boil.
    2. Then add in the cranberries, and return the mixture to a boil.
    3. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    4. Add in the orange zest, simmering for another 5 minutes or so.
    steps for how to make homemade cranberry sauce with fresh cranberries in saucepan with spatula

    Pour the cranberry sauce into a serving bowl, cover, and allow it to cool.

    Here’s a delicious idea for you… A spoonful of cranberry and orange sauce pairs really well with my favorite leftover turkey stuffing crescent roll appetizers and leftover ham and stuffing crescent rolls.

    spoonful of homemade cranberry sauce with orange zest in white bowl

    ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS FOR CRANBERRY SAUCE ADD-INS:

    CAN CRANBERRY SAUCE BE FROZEN?

    Absolutely, yes, it can! The ingredients used in corn homemade cranberry sauce are all pretty conducive to freezing.

    Just be sure to store it in an airtight container to prevent freezer burn.

    fresh cranberry and orange sauce in white bowl with blue napkin

    WHAT GOES WITH CRANBERRY SAUCE:

    And just in case you’re still looking for a turkey recipe, Maple Bourbon Brined Roasted Turkey is seriously the best thing ever! Or Pineapple Honey Glazed Ham may be more what you’re looking for. Cranberry sauce also goes really well with a Slow Cooker Pork Roast!

    You may also want to check out my list of our favorite Thanksgiving recipes, as well as our favorite Christmas Recipes, where you’ll find plenty more recipes for your holiday dinner.

    GET THE PRINTABLE CRANBERRY RELISH RECIPE

    If you love this fresh cranberry sauce with orange as much as I do, please write a 5 star review, and help me share the recipe on Facebook and Pinterest!

    cranberry sauce recipe

    CRAVING MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES? Subscribe to my newsletter, and follow along on Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram for all the latest updates!

    Homemade Cranberry Sauce

    How to make homemade cranberry sauce using fresh cranberries and 3 more ingredients. Simple and easy recipe, perfect for Thanksgiving and the holidays.

    • Medium Saucepan
    • Zester
    • 1 cup cane sugar
    • 1 cup water
    • 12 ounces cranberries
    • 1 teaspoon orange zest

    1. Add the sugar and water to a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil.

    2. Add the cranberries; then return the mixture to a boil.
    3. Lower the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    4. Add in the orange zest, simmering for another 5 minutes or so.

    5. Pour the cranberry sauce into a serving bowl, and allow to cool.

    6. Refrigerate or serve.

    *Orange zest is optional; if you’d rather not add citrus flavor to your cranberry sauce, just leave it out.

    Side Dish
    American
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  • Oven Roasted Pork Roast Recipe

    Oven Roasted Pork Roast Recipe

    Pork Roast Recipe – Deliciously easy pork roast recipe with vegetables and gravy, perfect for dinner tonight. How to cook a pork roast with simple seasoning in the oven.

    pork roast in oven with potatoes and carrots in a cast iron pan

    My house is full of meat eaters. They love their meat, so I try to occasionally add a roast to our weekly menu, or baked chicken drumsticks.

    A good pork roast recipe can stretch to more than just one meal, especially if you’re careful about portion sizes. That means leftover pork for the win when it comes to more dinnertime meals (or leftovers for lunch).

    Not only that, but a pork roast with vegetables can mean a one pot meal. I love cooking pork roast in the Crock Pot because it’s an easy meal I can set and forget.

    It’s also delicious with a good side of mashed potatoes or green beans or even a colorful salad. I’ll also share with you how to make a simple gravy to go with your roast.

    Did you know pork roast is a traditional Easter food for many families?

    pork roast with vegetables and gravy on white plate

    If you love this pork roast in oven, you may also enjoy our recipes for roasted pork tenderloin and maple pork chops with apples and onions.

    WHERE CAN I FIND THE RECIPE FOR PORK ROAST?

    If you’d rather skip all of my cooking tips, important cooking info for this recipe, and similar recipe ideas – and get straight to the pork roast recipe – just scroll down to the bottom, where you’ll find a printable recipe card.

    TIPS FOR HOW TO COOK A PORK ROAST

    This recipe is pretty simple. I use chicken broth, a yellow onion, and garlic for simple seasoning and flavoring.

    searing pork roast in blue Dutch oven on stovetop
    • Your first step is to sear the roast in a Dutch oven. You want to brown all sides of your roast, and this usually takes about 10 minutes or so to do.
    • Once it’s seared, you can add all of the prepared vegetables into the pan all around the meat. We like to add potatoes, carrots, onion, and garlic.
    • Then just bake the roast until it’s fully cooked.
    cooking pork roast with vegetables in blue Dutch oven

    I didn’t find it necessary with this roast because we cover it while cooking so it steams. But, depending on the size of your roast, you may want to parboil potatoes and veggies just a bit, so they get completely cooked in the amount of time they’ll cook with the meat.

    slicing pork roast on wooden cutting board

    You can also make a simple pork gravy with some of the leftover pork broth (instructions included in the recipe below).

    pork roast recipe with potatoes and carrots in cast iron skillet

    PORK ROAST COOKING TIME

    How long to cook pork roast really depends on a number of factors, including both your oven and the size of your roast.

    We cooked ours for close to an hour or more, or until it came to temp.

    sliced pork roast with vegetables on white plate

    SPEAKING OF PORK TEMPERATURE…

    You want to make sure that it reaches the recommended internal temperature for pork, which is 145 to 160°F. We prefer not to mess around with pork and always let it come to temp before eating.

    Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature of your roast before removing it from the oven.

    pork roast recipe, oven roasted with potatoes, carrots, and onions in cast iron pan, with parsley sprinkled on top

    MORE PORK RECIPES YOU’LL ENJOY:

    We love making these sweet chili baby back ribs in our Instant Pot. Pineapple honey glazed ham is one of our go to ham recipes for special occasions and holidays.

    Sidetracked Sarah has a delicious recipe for a slow cooker honey parmesan pork roast. And It Is a Keeper has a wonderful recipe for slow cooker garlic balsamic pork roast.

    pork gravy over sliced pork roast on white plate with vegetables

    KITCHEN TOOLS YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE OVEN ROASTED PORK ROAST

    Dutch Oven – You can sear and bake all in one pan, making cleanup easier too.

    Tongs or Turning Fork

    Meat Thermometer

    Cute Pot Holders – Ok, so they don’t have to be cute, but it certainly doesn’t hurt anything.

    Whisk

    Spatula

    PORK ROAST RECIPE

    If you love this pork roast as much as I do, please write a 5 star review, and help me share the recipe on Facebook and Pinterest! If you make the recipe, be sure to share that you tried it on Pinterest. I love when readers share feedback!

    Oven Roasted Pork Roast Recipe

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    Oven Roasted Pork Roast Recipe

    Deliciously easy pork roast recipe with vegetables and gravy, perfect for dinner tonight. How to cook a pork roast with simple seasoning in the oven.

    Pork Roast:

    • 1 tablespoon bacon grease
    • 4 1/12 pounds pork roast (*)
    • 2 cups chicken broth
    • 1 medium yellow onion (sliced)
    • 4 cloves garlic (minced)
    • 5 medium potatoes (chopped or chunked)
    • 5 medium carrots (peeled and chopped)

    Pork Gravy:

    • 1 cup pork broth
    • 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
    • 1 1/2 cups water
    • 1 tablespoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
    1. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.
    2. Add bacon grease to the heated Dutch oven.
    3. Sear the roast in the Dutch oven, being sure to brown all sides. This may take about 10 minutes or so.
    4. Pour the chicken broth over the roast.
    5. Add the sliced onion, minced garlic, potatoes, and carrots all around the roast. 
    6. Cover and bake at 350°F for about an hour, or until it reaches an internal temperature between 145° to 160°F. 
    7. Once your roast and vegetables are fully cooked, you can make a simple gravy. You can make it right in the same pan after removing the contents, or in a different skillet.
    8. Whisk together the pork broth and flour over low to medium heat.
    9. Then add water, salt, and pepper to the broth mixture, and constantly stir until the gravy starts to thicken.
    10. Once the gravy has thickened enough to form a gravy, it’s ready to eat.
    11. Pair the gravy with the pork roast and vegetables.

    *This roast was a bone in pork roast.

    Pork Recipes
    American
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  • No-Peel Instant Pot Cinnamon Applesauce

    No-Peel Instant Pot Cinnamon Applesauce

    How to make easy, homemade, no-peel, Instant Pot cinnamon applesauce, a delicious recipe for canning or freezing. Make it smooth or chunky, no sugar added!

    Instant Pot cinnamon applesauce is really easy to make and made pretty much the same way as regular Instant Pot applesauce. You really just need to add cinnamon to the mixture.

    white bowl filled with homemade cinnamon applesauce with apples

    This applesauce recipe only calls for 4 ingredients, and none of them includ added sugar. If you use the right apples, which we’ll talk about below, you won’t need additional sugar because it’ll be sweet enough on its own.

    Think about it… Natural ingredients, no need to actually peel apples, all the nutritional benefits of those peelings, and it’s all made in the Instant Pot.

    The fact that it’s pressure cooked takes the work out of making applesauce because you don’t have to stand in front of a hot stove stirring the day away. Instead, just add the ingredients to your Instant Pot pressure cooker, push a couple buttons, and let it do the majority of the work for you.

    Now you can peel your apples if you want to; it’s totally up to you. If you use an immersion blender and not a regular blender, you may have some tiny pieces of peeling still left in your sauce.

    There’s really no reason, though, that you can’t fill your pantry with jars of homemade applesauce. And can I just say it tastes so much better and has a much better texture than store canned applesauce. So much better!

    Let’s get cooking, shall we?

    Looking for apple recipes? Here are 50 mouthwatering apple recipes you may enjoy!

    I JUST WANT THE RECIPE! TAKE ME TO THE RECIPE FOR CINNAMON APPLESAUCE!

    If you’d rather skip all of my cooking tips, important cooking info for this recipe, and similar recipe ideas – and get straight to the delicious recipe for cinnamon applesauce – just scroll down to the bottom, where you’ll find a printable recipe card.

    Instant Pot cinnamon applesauce in canning jar with small wooden spoon

    WHERE CAN I FIND THE BEST APPLES FOR APPLESAUCE?

    Fall is probably the best time to find the best apples for applesauce, although you can use pretty much any apples you can find, whether you’re shopping at the store, an orchard, or the farmer’s market.

    In the fall, though, I recommend buying seconds at a local orchard if you have one, and sometimes you can find them at the farmer’s market.

    Buying seconds usually ensures that you can buy a HUGE box of apples for a lot less than normal cost, which is going to save you a ton of money.

    One thing you need to know, though… It does take a LOT of apples to get a little bit of applesauce, fresh homemade apple juice, apple jelly, or apple butter. But in my opinion, that homemade flavor and texture of home canned applesauce is totally worth it.

    washing apples in sink for cinnamon applesauce recipe

    WHAT KIND OF APPLES SHOULD I USE TO MAKE APPLESAUCE?

    Some apples are sweet and some have a more tart, sour taste. Also, some apples are crisp, while others are softer.

    When making a batch of homemade applesauce, I like to use a sweeter apple that has a little bit of tartness to it.  I prefer not to add any sugar, so I want the unsweetened applesauce to taste really good all on its own.

    Most people recommend using a softer apple for applesauce; it doesn’t even matter if your apples are mushy since they’re going to be made into mush anyway.

    We’ve found that Jonagold apples make the BEST applesauce. They’re sweet with just a little bit of tartness. And they mash up really well.

    easy Instant Pot cinnamon applesauce in Ball canning jar with wooden spoon

    Other best apples for applesauce may include:

    • Jonathan
    • Braeburn
    • Honeycrisp
    • McIntosh
    • Winesap
    • Rome
    • Golden Delicious
    • Cortland
    • Fuji
    • Gala
    • Ambrosia

    You can also try mixing and matching different kinds of apples to get the flavor you want for your applesauce.

    WHY ADD LEMON JUICE TO AN APPLESAUCE RECIPE?

    You’ll find different opinions about this topic when you research, but there are two main reasons home canners give for adding lemon juice to home canned applesauce.

    1. It helps preserve or protect the color of your apples over time.
    2. It can help make the applesauce more acidic for home canning. Wind fallen apples (including seconds) can have a lower acidity and a higher mold/bacteria count than unblemished apples.

    Even though their explanation is focused more around homemade jam, The Kitchn provides a great explanation for why it’s important to add lemon juice.

    slicing apples while making cinnamon applesauce

    TIPS FOR HOW TO MAKE CINNAMON APPLESAUCE IN THE INSTANT POT

    For this Instant Pot applesauce, you’ll need about 6 pounds of apples, just a little bit of lemon juice, water, and cinnamon.

    You can make this recipe on the stovetop, or you can even make it as Crock Pot applesauce; keep in mind that cooking times will vary.

    You can also make applesauce from the leftover apple mush you have when you make apple juice.

    sliced apples for making applesauce, cinnamon applesauce recipe, in instant pot pressure cooker

    Here’s how to make a stand alone cinnamon applesauce recipe:

    • Wash, core, and slice the apples. Be sure to cut out any bad spots, as well.
    • Put the sliced apples in your Instant Pot.
    • Add the lemon juice, water, and cinnamon to the Instant Pot, as well. If you want to mix everything together, you can; but there’s really no need to until after it all cooks.
    • Put the lid in place on the Instant Pot, and press Manual or Pressure Cook for 10 minutes.
    add cinnamon to cinnamon applesauce mixture in Instant Pot
    • When it’s finished cooking, allow the pressure cooker to do a natural release.
    • Purée the mixture with an immersion blender, or mash the apples with a potato masher.

    Note: If you want to eliminate any tiny pieces of peeling in the sauce, you may want to blend with a regular blender. It’s up to you how you prefer the texture and consistency.

    immersion blender mixing cinnamon applesauce in Instant Pot

    CAN YOU FREEZE HOMEMADE APPLESAUCE?

    Yes, you can freeze applesauce. In fact, you can freeze or can applesauce, whichever you prefer.

    My mom used to freeze a LOT of the applesauce she made when we were kids growing up. She’d keep freezer safe plastic containers just for storing things like homemade applesauce.

    pouring cinnamon applesauce through funnel into canning jars

    HOW DO I CAN APPLESAUCE?

    Applesauce canning is actually pretty simple. We use a water bath canning method.

    Should you choose to can your cinnamon applesauce, Ball has wonderful Canning Guides to guide you through the process. You can also consult the Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving.

    cinnamon applesauce water bath for canning applesauce

    This applesauce recipe for canning makes probably around 4-6 pints total. It’s so delicious served on homemade biscuits, toast, and cornbread. Yum!

    MORE APPLE RECIPES YOU MAY ENJOY:

    Learn how to use your Instant Pot with our Instant Pot Quick Start Guide, filled with practical tips, Instant Pot recipes, accessory ideas, and more!

    cinnamon applesauce in Ball canning jar with small wooden spoon and fresh apples

    KITCHEN TOOLS YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE INSTANT POT CINNAMON APPLESAUCE

    Jars and Lids – I prefer jelly jars or pint jars. In fact, we usually try to keep our pantry stocked with jars. But don’t forget the lids and rings. They can be easy to forget, and before you know it, you have all the jars you need but no lids.

    Canning Funnel – for pouring the applesauce into the jars without making a mess.

    Jar Lifter

    Apple Corer/Peeler/Slicer – I’m telling you, this tool is so worth every penny we spent at the thrift store, but I’d order one brand new too. It saves so much time.

    coring apples for cinnamon applesauce with johnny apple peeler

    Paring Knife – for trimming off any bad spots or slicing the apples.

    Immersion Blender or Potato Masher – This will allow you to get the texture or consistency that you want.

    Instant Pot – We used our 6-quart Instant Pot.

    CINNAMON APPLESAUCE RECIPE

    If you love this cinnamon applesauce recipe as much as I do, please write a 5 star review, and help me share the recipe on Facebook and Pinterest! If you make the recipe, be sure to share that you tried it on Pinterest. I love when readers share feedback!

    easy no-peel Instant Pot cinnamon applesauce recipe

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    No-Peel Instant Pot Cinnamon Applesauce

    How to make easy, homemade, no-peel, Instant Pot cinnamon applesauce, a delicious recipe for canning or freezing. Make it smooth or chunky, no sugar added!

    • 6 pounds apples (unpeeled)
    • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
    • 1 cup water
    • 2 tablespoons cinnamon
    1. Wash, core, and slice the apples. Cut out any bad spots, as well.
    2. Put the sliced apples in your Instant Pot.
    3. Add the lemon juice, water, and cinnamon to the Instant Pot, as well. If you want to mix everything together, you can; but there’s no need to until after it all cooks.
    4. Put the lid in place on the Instant Pot. Press Manual or Pressure Cook for 10 minutes.
    5. When it’s finished cooking, allow the pressure cooker to do a natural release.
    6. If it seems like the applesauce will be a bit watery, drain a bit of the water before mashing the apples.*
    7. Purée the mixture with an immersion blender, or mash the apples with a potato masher.** It’s up to you how you prefer the texture or consistency.
    8. Preserve using your preferred method, whether you choose to freeze or can the applesauce.***

    *You can drink the apple juice if you choose to drain the apples before mashing.

    **If you want to eliminate any tiny pieces of peeling in the sauce, you may want to blend with a regular blender. It’s up to you how you prefer the texture and consistency.

    ***If you choose to can it, Ball has wonderful Canning Guides to guide you through the process. You can also consult the Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving.

    Sauces & Dressings
    American
    applesauce, applesauce recipe, cinnamon applesauce, Instant Pot applesauce
    easy no-peel instant pot or pressure cooker cinnamon applesauce recipe
  • Low Carb Tzatziki Sauce Recipe

    Low Carb Tzatziki Sauce Recipe

    How to make a low carb homemade tzatziki sauce with sour cream. Quick and easy recipe, it’s delicious on grilled fish, in gyros, and more!

    tzatziki sauce on grilled fish

    There are times that a good sauce brings out all the flavors in your favorite foods. Grilled fish fillets, salmon patties, and fish tacos with tzatziki sauce are the perfect examples of pairing and melding flavors together. 

    I had never had gyros or tzatziki sauce until after I married Dan. My first time eating a gyro was shortly after we married, when we went to the New York State Fair; it was delicious.

    low carb recipe for tzatziki sauce in green pioneer woman bowl with wooden spoon

    Since then, we’ve made this sauce to go with some of our favorite dishes. Made with sour cream and mayo instead of Greek yogurt, it’s a low carb recipe alternative. 

    It’s simple, quick, and easy to make. And most of the ingredients you probably already have, besides maybe the cucumber; but don’t leave out the cucumber because it’s a must.

    Ingredients you need to make tzatziki sauce:

    Gather your ingredients. You’ll need the following:

    Tips for how to make this low carb recipe for tzatziki sauce:

    chopping cucumber for tzatziki sauce recipe

    First wash the cucumber. Then peel, de-seed, mince it, and set it aside. 

    In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix together the sour cream, mayo, and lemon juice.

    ingredients for tzatziki sauce recipe in green pioneer woman mixing bowl

    Add in the crushed garlic, garlic powder, dill weed, salt, and pepper. Stir together. 

    Finally, add in the cucumber, mixing everything together well.

    easy recipe for tzatziki sauce in green bowl with wooden spoon

    And that’s it! It’s ready to serve with your favorite dish, and it can be used as both a sauce and a dip. 

    It pairs deliciously well with grilled fish fillets, fish tacos, salmon patties, gyros, and fresh veggies.

    If you’re not yet ready to serve the sauce, just cover and chill it in the fridge.

    More sauce and dip recipes you may enjoy:

    low carb tzatziki sauce on grilled trout

    Tools you may need to make tzatziki sauce:

    Cutting Board and Chef Knife – A cutting board is definitely a kitchen staple and handy for chopping all the things.
    Vegetable Peeler – for peeling the cucumber.
    Medium Mixing Bowl – for mixing up the sauce.

    Low Carb Tzatziki Sauce Recipe

    How to make a low carb homemade tzatziki sauce with sour cream. Quick and easy recipe, it’s delicious on grilled fish, in gyros, and more!

    • 1 large cucumber (peeled, de-seeded, and minced)
    • 1/3 cup sour cream (heaping)
    • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
    • 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
    • 1 teaspoon garlic (crushed)
    • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon dill weed
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
    1. First wash the cucumber. Then peel, de-seed, mince it, and set it aside.
    2. In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix together the sour cream, mayo, and lemon juice.
    3. Add in the crushed garlic, garlic powder, dill, salt, and pepper. Stir together.
    4. Finally, add in the cucumber, mixing everything together well.
    5. And that’s it! You’re ready to serve it with your favorite dish; it can be used as both a sauce and a dip. It pairs deliciously well with grilled fish fillets, fish tacos, salmon patties, gyros, and fresh veggies.
    6. If you’re not yet ready to serve the sauce, just cover and chill it in the fridge.
    Sauces & Dressings
    Greek
    tzatziki sauce
    Low Carb Tzatziki Sauce Recipe
    low carb recipe for tzatziki sauce
    easy tzatziki sauce recipe
  • How to Make Strawberry Sauce

    How to Make Strawberry Sauce

    How to make a delicious homemade strawberry sauce for cheesecake, pancakes, and ice cream topping. Easy recipe using fresh berries.

    Fresh strawberries make the most delicious strawberry sauce for cheesecake, another yummy dessert recipe I’m currently working on. Of course, it also makes the perfect pancake topping, especially when paired with a light sprinkling of powdered sugar; and the perfect ice cream topping or swirl, especially in Fruity Pebble ice cream.

    spoonful of homemade strawberry sauce in mason jar

    You only need a few key ingredients, possibly things you already have in your kitchen. You can also use fresh or frozen berries, your choice; I chose to use fresh berries for this strawberry sauce recipe.

    One thing I love is that this sauce is definitely not too sweet. Let the berries flavor the sauce, adding in only 2 tablespoons of pure cane sugar. You can possibly even replace the sugar with honey.

    homemade strawberry sauce recipe in mason jar with strawberry pie

    Whether for breakfast or dessert, it’s an easy recipe anyone can make.

    Tips for how to make Strawberry Sauce

    First, you’ll need to gather your ingredients… You’ll need strawberries (fresh or frozen), water, lemon juice, pure cane sugar, and corn starch. If you’re using frozen berries, allow them to thaw first.

    puree strawberries in Ninja blender for strawberry sauce
    how to make strawberry sauce using simple ingredients, including pure cane sugar

    Purée the strawberries using a blender or potato masher. Mix together the water, lemon juice, sugar, and puréed strawberries in a small saucepan.

    Before heating, whisk the corn starch into the mixture. Whisking will ensure a lump-free sauce. If you want more of a strawberry syrup, you can use a little less corn starch.

    Bring the mixture to a boil on low to medium heat and simmer for about 3 minutes, or until your sauce has the desired thickness.

    mason jar of strawberry sauce for cheesecake

    You can pour or spoon this delicious strawberry sauce on pancakes, waffles, ice cream, strawberry oatmeal, etc. I actually swirled most of mine into my cheesecake batter.

    Looking for more delicious sauce or jam recipes?

    Kitchen tools you may need to make this Strawberry Sauce recipe

    Blender – You’ll need a way to puree the berries. You can also use a potato masher if you don’t have a blender.

    Small Saucepan – You’ll need a saucepan to cook your sauce.

    Whisk – Whisking ensures a lump-free sauce.

    Heat-Resistant Spatula – I love my spatulas and use them for scraping the sides of the pan and easily keeping my sauce stirred.

    Strawberry Sauce

    How to make a delicious homemade strawberry sauce for cheesecake, pancakes, and ice cream topping. Easy recipe using fresh berries.

    • 1 pound fresh or frozen strawberries
    • 2 tablespoons water
    • 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
    • 2 tablespoons pure cane sugar
    • 1 tablespoon corn starch
    1. If you’re using frozen berries, allow them to thaw first. 
    2. Purée the strawberries using a blender or potato masher.
    3. Mix together the water, lemon juice, sugar, and puréed strawberries in a small saucepan.
    4. Before heating, whisk the corn starch into the mixture. Whisking will ensure a lump-free sauce.
    5. Bring the mixture to a boil on low to medium heat and simmer for about 3 minutes, or until your sauce has the desired thickness.
    6. You can pour or spoon this delicious strawberry sauce on pancakes, waffles, ice cream, etc. I actually swirled most of mine into my cheesecake batter.
    Sauces & Dressings
    American
    homemade strawberry sauce, strawberry sauce
    How to Make Strawberry Sauce
    Strawberry Sauce Recipe
  • Homemade Raspberry Sauce

    Homemade Raspberry Sauce

    Homemade Raspberry Sauce, made with fresh or frozen raspberries, is delicious and easy to make. It’s the perfect sauce for cheesecake, pancakes, waffles, ice cream, and other desserts.

    Homemade Raspberry Sauce is an easy recipe I came up with for my Olive Garden White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake (remember that cheesecake recipe I mentioned working on?). When you think about it, basic fruit sauce is actually pretty simple to make.

    Spoonful of Homemade Raspberry Sauce in a Jar

    You only need a few basic ingredients, including the fruit you choose to use in your sauce, in this case, raspberries. You can use fresh or frozen berries; it really doesn’t matter. I did use frozen, though, mainly because they are a lot cheaper.

    Even with straining the sauce to remove most of the seeds, there really is nothing complicated about making raspberry sauce. And it’s delicious on so many things.

    You can spoon raspberry sauce onto cheesecake, pancakes, ice cream, especially with this Fruity Pebbles ice cream recipe… Zeke and I even enjoyed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with this sauce instead of jelly.

    Also, it’s not too sweet. I let the berries flavor the sauce and only added in 2 tablespoons of pure cane sugar. I got to thinking afterward, I could’ve even replaced that sugar with honey.

    Homemade Raspberry Sauce in a Jar

    Either way you make it, with sugar or with honey, it’s sure to be a delicious addition to breakfast, brunch, or dessert.

    Tips for how to make Homemade Raspberry Sauce

    First of all, gather your ingredients… You’ll need raspberries (fresh or frozen), water, lemon juice, pure cane sugar, and corn starch.

    1. If you’re using frozen berries, allow them to thaw first. I actually microwaved mine on defrost.
    2. Purée the raspberries using a blender or potato masher.
    3. Strain the raspberries to remove most, if not all, of the seeds. I just used a simple mesh strainer.
    4. Mix together the water, lemon juice, sugar, and puréed raspberries in a small saucepan.
    5. Before heating, whisk the corn starch into the mixture. Whisking will ensure a lump-free sauce.
    6. Bring to a boil on low to medium heat and simmer for about 3 minutes, or until your sauce has the desired thickness.
    7. You can pour or spoon this delicious raspberry sauce on heart pancakes, waffles, ice cream, etc. I actually swirled most of mine into my cheesecake batter.

    Looking for more delicious jam and sauce recipes?

    Kitchen tools you may need to make Homemade Raspberry Sauce

    Lemon Juicer – I tend to buy lemon juice from the freezer section at my grocery store, but this may come in handy if you want to juice your own lemons for more than just this recipe.

    Blender – You’ll need a way to puree the berries. You can also use a potato masher if you don’t have a blender.

    Mesh Strainer – This will allow you to remove the seeds from the berries.

    Small Saucepan – So you can cook your sauce.

    Whisk – Whisking ensures a lump-free sauce.

    Heat-Resistant Spatula – I love my spatulas and use them for scraping the sides of the pan and easily keeping my sauce stirred.

    Homemade Raspberry Sauce on a Spoon

    Print the recipe for Homemade Raspberry Sauce

    Homemade Raspberry Sauce

    Homemade Raspberry Sauce, made with fresh or frozen raspberries, is delicious and easy to make. It’s the perfect sauce for cheesecake, pancakes, waffles, ice cream, and other desserts.

    • 1 pound frozen raspberries (thawed)
    • 2 tablespoons water
    • 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
    • 2 tablespoons pure cane sugar
    • 1 tablespoon corn starch
    1. If you’re using frozen berries, allow them to thaw first. I actually microwaved mine on defrost. 
    2. Purée the raspberries using a blender or potato masher.
    3. Strain the raspberries to remove most, if not all, of the seeds. I just used a simple mesh strainer.
    4. Mix together the water, lemon juice, sugar, and puréed raspberries in a small saucepan.
    5. Before heating, whisk the corn starch into the mixture. Whisking will ensure a lump-free sauce.
    6. Bring to a boil on low to medium heat and simmer for about 3 minutes, or until your sauce has the desired thickness.
    7. You can pour or spoon this delicious raspberry sauce on pancakes, waffles, ice cream, etc. I actually swirled most of mine into my cheesecake batter.
    Sauces & Dressings
    American
    homemade raspberry sauce, raspberry sauce

    Pin this recipe to save it for later!

    Homemade Raspberry Sauce
    Homemade Raspberry Sauce Recipe
  • Easy Ham Gravy Recipe {How to Make with Drippings}

    Easy Ham Gravy Recipe {How to Make with Drippings}

    How to make an easy homemade ham gravy recipe, made last minute with leftover ham drippings. This gravy makes a delicious side dish with ham, mashed potatoes, and all the fixings at your holiday or family dinner!

    Homemade ham gravy (like its counterpart turkey gravy) is a staple side dish whenever we cook a ham in the oven, which is mostly on holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter. Family dinner and holiday dinners just wouldn’t be the same without gravy to smother over our sliced ham and mashed potatoes.

    homemade ham gravy recipe in white serving bowl with spoon

    Now it’s important to remember… The main flavoring for ham gravy comes directly from the ham itself. So if you glaze your ham, like with a brown sugar glaze or something like this sweet pineapple honey baked ham, the sweet flavoring from the glazed ham will go into your gravy for ham, and the end result will be a sweet gravy.

    It’s so easy to make homemade gravy, and it’s super quick too. It’s delicious and definitely worth the minimal effort.

    ham gravy on mashed potatoes served with ham and green beans on white plate

    Why You’ll Love Knowing How to Make Ham Gravy

    There are a lot of reasons to love this delicious gravy recipe…

    • It’s an easy condiment to make, takes less than 30 minutes to make, and it’s something you can make last minute just before serving the main meal.
    • It takes a very minimal amount of ingredients to make gammon gravy. In fact, they’re all pretty simple, and you likely already have them on hand.
    • It’s a delicious ham gravy!
    • Ham gravy is so versatile and can be used in so many delicious ways. Not only does it complement a ham dinner, but it makes a very tasty addition to your next baked potato bar or mashed potato bar, as well as a tasty dip for leftover ham crescent rolls. And you can use it in place of brown gravy or chicken gravy in a mashed potato bowl.
    • It’s a fantastic addition to your holiday dinner spread. I’ve added this ham gravy recipe with drippings to my collections of favorite Thanksgiving recipes, Christmas recipes, and Easter dinner recipes, where you’ll find all the holiday inspiration you need in one place.
    ham gravy ingredients on white marble countertop

    Ingredients and Substitutions Notes

    You’ll need just a handful of ingredients to make gravy for gammon (or ham). While you should have most of the ingredients on hand, you’ll likely need to purchase a ham at the grocery store, in order to have leftover ham drippings.

    • All-Purpose Flour – I prefer to use an unbleached all-purpose flour; you can also use a good gluten-free flour, although it’s important to note that gravy made with gluten-free flour doesn’t stay thick as long as with regular flour… In other words, it won’t store well. If you need a good gluten-free ham gravy alternative, ham gravy with cornstarch is just the thing.
    • Heavy Cream – You can skim heavy cream off of raw milk, or you can use store bought heavy whipping cream.
    • Ham Drippings – You can scoop the ham juices and pan drippings from the roasting pan after baking a spiral ham, bone-in whole ham, or boneless ham. You should have enough drippings to at least make a small batch of homemade gravy. These leftover ham drippings will likely give you all the delicious flavor you need without any extra seasoning, salt, or black pepper. If you don’t have any ham drippings, you can always use ham broth made from bouillon to make ham gravy.
    • Water

    How to Make This Old-Fashioned Ham Gravy Recipe

    Making this easy gravy for ham is actually really simple, but there are a few tips and tricks that will ensure you make a really good gravy from ham drippings.

    How to Avoid Lumpy Gravy

    Before we get started, here are 3 tips for preventing lumpy gravy…

    • It’s important to start with a roux, and you do this by mixing together the flour and heavy whipping cream in a small mixing bowl or glass measuring cup. Whisking this together in the beginning will help prevent lumps in your gravy.
    • Use a whisk to stir your gravy while it’s cooking. It’s pretty much a given that you may have a few lumps, but you can minimize them by whisking the gravy.
    • Take your time to avoid any lumps in your gravy. To me, this right here is the secret to good gravy… Patience and being willing to take your time. Work on medium-low heat, and don’t get in a hurry, and you’ll make a good gravy.

    Now Let’s Make Ham Gravy

    1. Mix together the flour and heavy whipping cream in a small mixing bowl or glass measuring cup.
    making ham gravy roux in glass measuring cup with whisk
    1. Gradually whisk together the flour/cream mixture with the pan drippings in a large saucepan or skillet on medium heat.
    how to make ham gravy with roux and ham drippings in cast iron skillet
    1. Add in the water.
    whisking water into gravy for ham in cast iron skillet
    1. Continue whisking and stirring the gravy until it begins to thicken and is ready to serve.
    simmering ham gravy recipe with drippings and whisking it until it thickens in cast iron skillet

    Then just pour the gravy into a gravy boat, and serve it with ham, mashed potatoes, and all the fixin’s! It will add such a rich flavor to your mashed potatoes, you’ll wish you had that ham flavor the next time you eat potatoes.

    spoonful of homemade ham gravy over white gravy boat full of ham gravy

    Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ’s

    How much gravy should you make per person?

    The answer to this will really depend on the consistency of your gravy. When we make this recipe, we usually have a lot of leftover gravy. You want to plan on about 1/3 to 1/2 cup per person, again depending on how thick your gravy is.

    How do you store and reheat ham gravy?

    Store leftover gravy in an airtight container in the fridge; it should keep for about 3-4 days. You can re-heat gravy by placing it in the microwave in a microwave-safe dish for a few minutes, stirring between every 30-second increments of time, ’til heated through; or put the gravy in a saucepan, and heat it up over low to medium heat on the stove, constantly stirring so it doesn’t scorch.

    Can you freeze gravy?

    Yes, you can. Just be sure to put it in an airtight freezer-friendly container, so it doesn’t get freezer burn. It should keep for about 4 to 6 months.

    pouring homemade ham gravy from white gravy boat, pouring over home cooked ham

    More Side Dish Recipes to Serve with Ham Dinner

    Whenever we make a ham dinner or turkey dinner, we usually serve it with sides like Instant Pot southern green beans, honey glazed carrots, or Jiffy corn casserole. Of course, homemade cranberry sauce is a must at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

    If it’s more gravy recipes you’re looking for, Moscato Mom has a delicious recipe for slow cooker short ribs with gravy (also a keto recipe). And 918 Plate has a very yummy recipe for jumbo drop biscuits with brown butter gravy.

    If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. And subscribe to my email list too!

    Ham Gravy Recipe

    How to make an easy homemade ham gravy recipe with leftover ham drippings. Delicious side dish with ham, mashed potatoes, and all the fixings!

    • Mixing Bowl
    • Large Skillet
    • Whisk
    • Wooden Spoon
    • Heat-Resistant Spatula
    • Gravy Boat
    • 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
    • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
    • 2 cups ham drippings
    • 1 cup water

    1. Mix together the flour and heavy cream in a small mixing bowl or glass measuring cup.

    2. Gradually whisk together the flour/cream mixture with the pan drippings in a large saucepan or skillet on medium heat.

    3. Add in the water.
    4. Continue whisking and stirring the gravy until it begins to thicken and is ready to serve.

    5. Serve with ham, mashed potatoes, and all the fixin's!

    *Take your time whisking in the flour mixture to avoid any lumps in your gravy. It’s pretty much a given that you may have a few lumps, but you can minimize them by starting with the roux and taking your time, whisking the gravy.

    Store leftover gravy in an airtight container in the fridge; it should keep for about 3-4 days. You can re-heat gravy by placing it in the microwave in a microwave-safe dish for a few minutes, stirring between every 30-second increments of time, ’til heated through; or put the gravy in a saucepan, and heat it up over low to medium heat on the stove, constantly stirring so it doesn’t scorch.

    Condiments, Sauces & Dressings, Side Dish
    American
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  • How to Make Homemade Turkey Gravy

    How to Make Homemade Turkey Gravy

    Made with leftover turkey drippings and neck broth, homemade turkey gravy is a delicious side dish with turkey, mashed potatoes, and all the fixings!

    Homemade Turkey Gravy, like ham gravy at Christmas, is a staple side dish with Thanksgiving dinner. It just wouldn’t be the same without gravy to smother over our sliced turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes.

    How to make homemade turkey gravy to go along with your Thanksgiving and holiday dinner. Mashed potatoes just wouldn’t be the same without this delicious side dish.

    The main flavoring for the gravy comes directly from the turkey itself. So you’ll definitely want to keep in mind that if you brine your turkey or add a glaze of any kind, that flavoring will go into your gravy. For example, if you’re using a sweet brine, your gravy will be a little sweeter.

    It really only takes a few minutes to make homemade gravy, so it’s usually the last dish we make before we all sit down to eat. But it’s delicious and definitely worth the minimal effort.

    I’m definitely adding this to my favorite Thanksgiving Recipes and Christmas Recipes, where you’ll find all the Thanksgiving inspiration you need in one place.

    Use turkey drippings to make a delicious Homemade Turkey Gravy. Takes about 20 minutes to make, definitely worth the minimal effort. Perfect over turkey and mashed potatoes!

    Tips for how to make Homemade Turkey Gravy

    • Mix together the flour and water in a small mixing bowl.
    • Gradually whisk together the flour/water mixture with the neck broth and turkey drippings in a large saucepan on medium heat. Take your time to avoid any lumps in your gravy. It’s pretty much a given that you may have a few lumps, but you can minimize them by whisking the gravy.
    • Add salt and pepper to taste.
    • Continue whisking and stirring the gravy until it begins to thicken and is ready to serve.
    • Serve with turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing… The works!
    Use leftover turkey drippings to make a quick batch of Homemade Turkey Gravy to go with your holiday dinner. Delicious side dish recipe!

    Turkey gravy, like chicken gravy from bouillon and this ham gravy recipe, is great for dipping too, especially for dipping Leftover Turkey Stuffing Crescent Rolls. And you can use it in place of brown gravy in a mashed potato bowl.

    Looking for more Thanksgiving sides to add to your dinner menu?

    Homemade Cranberry Sauce

    Instant Pot Southern Green Beans

    Creamy Bacon Corn Casserole

    Apple Walnut Bread Stuffing

    Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Cauliflower

    And just in case you’re still looking for a turkey recipe, Maple Bourbon Brined Roasted Turkey is so good!

    Turkey Gravy also makes a very tasty addition to your next Baked Potato Bar.

    Tools you may need to make Homemade Turkey Gravy

    Mixing Bowl – for mixing together the flour and water.

    Large Saucepan – You’ll make the gravy in a saucepan on the stove. This recipe feeds a crowd, so you’ll need a larger pan.

    Whisk – Helps to minimize lumps in your gravy.

    Wooden Spoon – There’s nothing quite like a wooden spoon for stirring.

    Heat Resistant Spatula – Works well for stirring and scraping the sides of the pan.

    Gravy Boat – for serving.

    Print the recipe for Homemade Turkey Gravy

    Homemade Turkey Gravy

    Homemade Turkey Gravy, made with leftover turkey drippings and neck broth. Delicious side dish with turkey, mashed potatoes, and all the fixings!

    • 1 cup all-purpose flour
    • 1 cup water
    • 1 cup neck broth
    • 1 cup turkey drippings
    • Salt (to taste)
    • Ground black pepper (to taste)

    1. Whisk together the flour and water in a small mixing bowl.

    2. Gradually whisk together the flour/water mixture with the neck broth and turkey drippings in a large saucepan on medium heat.

    3. Continue whisking and stirring the gravy until it begins to thicken and is ready to serve.
    4. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

    5. Serve with turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing.

    *Take your time whisking in the flour/water mixture to avoid any lumps in your gravy. It’s a given that you’ll have a few lumps, but you can minimize them by whisking the gravy.

    Side Dish
    American
    homemade turkey gravy, turkey gravy

    Pin this recipe for later!

    Homemade Turkey Gravy, made with leftover turkey drippings and neck broth. Delicious side dish with turkey, mashed potatoes, and all the fixings!
    Homemade Turkey Gravy, made with leftover turkey drippings. Delicious side dish for holiday or weeknight meals. Must have with turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and all the fixings!
  • Easy Homemade Pasta Sauce

    Easy Homemade Pasta Sauce

    Homemade Pasta Sauce for spaghetti, lasagna, and other favorite pasta dishes. Simple ingredients and delicious flavor, good with meat or go meatless!

    Quick and easy recipe for homemade pasta sauce, perfect for spaghetti and lasagna. So delicious with meat or meatless too!

    Homemade Pasta Sauce is so simple and easy to make. We started making this particular sauce over the last year or so. Occasionally, we’ll have it with real pasta; other times we’ll have it with squash or zucchini pasta.

    While I love ground beef, Italian sausage, or meatballs in my sauce, this sauce is also really good as a meatless sauce. So if you prefer a hearty sauce without meat, this is the sauce for you.

    How to make homemade pasta sauce. Easy recipe. Add meat or go meatless. We love this sauce for spaghetti, pizza, lasagna, and more.

    The recipe makes enough for a large pan of lasagna or a couple meals of spaghetti, just to give you an idea of how many servings it makes. You can freeze any leftover sauce, as well, making for a quick weeknight meal when you’re not sure what to make for dinner.

    Tips for how to make Easy Homemade Pasta Sauce

    • Mince 3 to 5 garlic cloves.
    • Then mince 1/2 of a large onion.
    • Add crushed tomatoes, minced garlic, and minced onion to a deeper skillet. We use our favorite 10 1/4-inch iron skillet.
    • Bring sauce to a simmer.
    • Add Italian Seasoning, basil, salt, pepper, and brown sugar to the mixture. Stir well.
    • Cover and allow to simmer for 10-20 minutes.
    • Taste test along the way. This is half the fun of making homemade spaghetti sauce.
    • At this point, you can add cooked meat if you want. Or you can keep it meatless.
    • Add to your favorite pasta. We love this sauce with spaghetti and lasagna.
    Easy Homemade Pasta Sauce perfect for your favorite pasta dishes. Make ahead and freeze for quick and easy weeknight meals.

    Looking for more recipes to make with this pasta sauce?

    Tools you may need to make your own pasta sauce

    Iron Skillet – to make this one skillet sauce.
    Heat Resistant Spatula – Works well for stirring and scraping the sides of the pan.
    Crushed Tomatoes – You’ll need 2 28-ounce cans.
    Spices – You’ll need Italian Seasoning and basil.
    Glass Lid – for iron skillet.

    Homemade Pasta Sauce you can make ahead and freeze. Simple, quick, and easy recipe perfect for spaghetti. I love it with meat, but it’s good meatless too.

    Want to see how to make pasta sauce (and spaghetti with spaghetti squash)? Watch our video!

    Print the recipe for Easy Homemade Pasta Sauce

    Easy Homemade Pasta Sauce

    Homemade Pasta Sauce for spaghetti, lasagna, and other favorite pasta dishes. Simple ingredients and delicious flavor, good with meat or go meatless!

    • 2 28- ounce cans crushed tomatoes
    • 3 to 5 garlic cloves
    • 1/2 large onion
    • 2 tablespoons Italian Seasoning
    • 1 tablespoon basil
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
    • 2 to 3 tablespoons brown sugar
    1. Mince 3 to 5 garlic cloves.
    2. Also mince 1/2 of a large onion.
    3. Add crushed tomatoes, minced garlic, and minced onion to a deeper skillet. We use our favorite 10 1/4-inch iron skillet.
    4. Bring sauce to a simmer.
    5. Add Italian Seasoning, basil, salt, pepper, and brown sugar to the mixture. Stir well.
    6. Cover and allow to simmer for 10-20 minutes.
    7. Taste test along the way. 
    8. At this point, you can add cooked meat if you want. Or you can keep it meatless. 
    9. Add to your favorite pasta. 
    Sauces & Dressings
    Italian
    easy homemade pasta sauce, homemade pasta sauce, spaghetti sauce

    Not having pasta just yet but wanna save this recipe? Pin it for later!

    Homemade Pasta Sauce for spaghetti, lasagna, and other favorite pasta dishes. Simple ingredients and delicious flavor, good with meat or go meatless!
    Homemade Pasta Sauce for spaghetti, lasagna, and other favorites. Simple ingredients and delicious flavor, good with meat or go meatless. Make ahead and freeze!
  • Apple Bundt Cake with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

    Apple Bundt Cake with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

    Apple Bundt Cake, made with apples, cinnamon, walnuts, and a caramel cream cheese frosting. Makes a scrumptious fall and holiday dessert!

    Apple bundt cake is the quintessential fall and holiday dessert. It’s perfect for apple picking season, one of my favorite apple recipes, makes an amazing Thanksgiving dessert, and can still be enjoyed at Christmas time!

    Apple Bundt Cake, made with sweet and tarty apples, cinnamon, walnuts, and a caramel cream cheese glaze. Makes a scrumptious fall and holiday dessert!

    This happens to be my mama’s recipe for apple cake. If I remember, Mom used to make it in a rectangular cake pan, and she wouldn’t usually frost it. It was perfectly delicious without icing; the outer crust has a slightly chewy texture to it.

    I decided to try making it in a bundt pan. I knew that the batter would be quite thick, so I figured it’d work just fine. And man, did it ever turn out.

    Apple Bundt Cake is an old fashioned cake recipe made with apples, cinnamon, walnuts, and a caramel cream cheese glaze. Makes a scrumptious fall and holiday dessert!

    In fact, as soon as I was done with all of my video/photo taking for this recipe, my boys pounced. I don’t think I need to tell you that it didn’t last long. Thankfully, I was able to quickly scramble to save back a nice portion for our neighbor.

    Apple Bundt Cake, a scrumptious cake recipe with apples, cinnamon, walnuts, and a caramel cream cheese glaze. Makes a delicious fall and holiday dessert!

    Here’s how to make Apple Bundt Cake.

    Apple Bundt Cake is a pretty simple recipe to make. Wash the apples first; then core, peel, and dice them. You’ll need about 3 cups of diced apples.

    This time ’round, I used Pink Lady apples.

    Dice about 3 cups of apples to add to Apple Bundt Cake.

    But, judging from my recipe card, it would seem Mom and Grandma preferred using yellow apples. It’s totally up to you; just pick a sweet tarty apple, and you’ll be fine.

    Mix together the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Then sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

    Mix the dry ingredients together with the wet ingredients, adding in the diced apples, as well. It will all combine to make a very stiff batter, perfect for a bundt cake. At this point, you can even add in walnuts, which I highly recommend; they just add an overall oomph to the cake. You might even toss in a pinch of homemade apple pie spice!

    Pour the batter into a well greased pan. Bake at 350° for about 45 minutes to an hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.

    Apple Bundt Cake is a scrumptious cake recipe with apples, cinnamon, walnuts, and a caramel cream cheese glaze. Even without the glaze, it has a deliciously chewy texture.

    Now I will tell you, this cake is really good without the glaze; it has a chewy texture and such a sweet flavor all by itself.

    Apple Bundt Cake is a delicious cake recipe with apples, cinnamon, walnuts, and a caramel cream cheese glaze. It’s perfectly scrumptious, even without the glaze.

    However, if you prefer the glaze, you can mix together the ingredients for a Caramel Cream Cheese Glaze. And once the cake has cooled completely, you can pour the glaze evenly over the top, letting it run down the sides. Then sprinkle walnuts on top.

    Apple Bundt Cake is a scrumptious fall dessert, made with apples, cinnamon, walnuts, and a caramel cream cheese glaze.

    The combination of flavors makes this cake such a delectable fall dessert. I’m definitely adding this recipe to my lists of The Best Thanksgiving Recipes for Your Holiday Menu and The Best Christmas Recipes for Your Holiday Celebrations.

    Apple Bundt Cake is a scrumptious fall dessert recipe that’s irresistible, made with apples, cinnamon, walnuts, and a caramel cream cheese glaze that runs down over the sides.

    Looking for more scrumptious apple recipes?

    Apple Cinnamon Buttermilk Pancakes

    Apple Crumb Pie in a Jar

    Easy Apple Crumble

    Deep Dish Apple Crumb Pie

    Caramel Apple Donut Holes

    50 Mouthwatering Apple Recipes

    Want to see how to make the recipe? Watch our video!

     

    Apple Bundt Cake with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

    Apple Bundt Cake, made with apples, cinnamon, walnuts, and a caramel cream cheese frosting. Makes a scrumptious fall and holiday dessert!

    Cake:

    • 2 cups cane sugar
    • 1 1/2 cups canola oil
    • 2 large eggs
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    • 3 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 3 cups apples (diced)
    • 1 cup chopped walnuts ((optional))

    Frosting:

    • 8 ounces cream cheese
    • 2 tablespoons salted butter
    • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1/2 teaspoon caramel extract
    • 1 cup powdered sugar
    • 1/2 cup whole milk
    1. Pre-heat the oven to 350°.

    2. Mix together the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla.

    3. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

    4. Mix the dry ingredients together with the wet ingredients, adding in the apples as well; it will make a very stiff batter.

    5. Nuts are an optional add-in at this point. I highly recommend chopped walnuts, but save back 1/4 cup for the top of the cake.

    6. Pour the batter into a well greased bundt cake pan.
    7. Bake at 350° for about 45 minutes to an hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.
    8. Once you remove the cake from the oven, let it sit in the bundt pan for about 10 minutes.
    9. Remove the cake from the bundt pan, and allow to cool completely.

    10. Meanwhile, mix up the ingredients for the frosting, including the cream cheese, salted butter, vanilla extract, caramel extract, powdered sugar, and milk.

    11. Mix well, making sure there are no lumps; the frosting should easily pour from a measuring cup.

    12. Once the cake has cooled, pour the frosting evenly over the top of the cake. It will run down the sides of the cake.

    13. Sprinkle walnuts over the frosting. Then slice and serve!

    Cakes & Cupcakes
    American
    apple bundt cake

    Pin this recipe for later!

    Apple Bundt Cake is a scrumptious fall and holiday dessert recipe. Make it with apples, cinnamon, walnuts, and a caramel cream cheese glaze.
    Apple Bundt Cake with Caramel Cream Cheese Glaze Recipe
    Apple Bundt Cake Recipe
    delicious apple bundt cake with a caramel cream cheese frosting
    slice of homemade apple bundt cake with caramel cream cheese icing
    caramel apple bundt cake recipe