A few basic ingredients are all you need to make this delicious White Country Gravy! I’m sure you have all of them in your kitchen. It is a wonderful gravy that is really simple to make in a matter of minutes and is creamy, smooth and rich in flavor.

Perhaps one of my favorite comfort food dishes is this homemade white country gravy, a common Southern dish. Although I never tried a gravy I didn’t like; this one is amongst my favorite ones. One of my go-to recipes for a cozy meal is white country gravy, a Southern breakfast staple and a staple in my own kitchen.

Chicken fried steak, biscuits and gravy, chowder, mashed potatoes and gravy all fall under this category. You’re going to adore this White Country Gravy.

You are missing out if this is your first time making it. This gravy can be prepared in minutes; you’ve heard it tight…minutes! And I am confident that you already have all the ingredients on hand to prepare it!

Traditional Southern White Country Gravy

Everyone knows the secret to a great Southern dinner is a killer gravy.

In my view, the finest element of a traditional Southern meal is the gravy that is liberally applied to every portion of the meal. Even if your fried chicken, pork chops, or chicken fried steak came out dry, a good gravy might make it edible again.

All things considered, this recipe for creamy white gravy is the gold standard for traditional country gravy. When your supper needs a little something extra, this is the sauce to make. It’s rich, beautifully creamy, and velvety smooth. Even better, it takes minutes to prepare and requires only five common pantry ingredients.

This is a dish that may be prepared in almost any place and at any time.

Ingredients you’ll need:

Butter: Instead of using meat drippings, this recipe calls for butter as the fat. You can use bacon fat if you prefer. 

Milk: I advise using whole milk or at least 2%. You won’t get the same richness from low- or no-fat foods.

Flour: Flour adds to the gravy’s thickening.

Garlic powder (optional): This is an optional ingredient that isn’t often included in country gravy, but I adore the mellow flavor it gives the dish, just like in this garlic parmesan sauce.

Black pepper: It’s essential! While garlic is optional, black pepper is a must. Black pepper provides white gravy with its distinctive speckled appearance and its flavor.

Salt: When you use salted butter, you might not require as much salt, depending on your preferences.

How to Make Southern White Country Gravy

Step 1: Heat the small pan over medium heat and melt the butter. After the butter is melted, whisk in the flour. Let it cook for 1 minute.

Step 2: Whisk in the milk slowly. Keep constantly stirring to keep lumps from forming. Once you bring it to a low boil, turn down the heat and let it simmer.

Step 3: Add garlic powder (optional), black pepper, and salt. Keep stirring the gravy as it simmers for about 15 minutes or until it gets thick.

As this gravy cools, it will thicken up significantly. You can just heat it up again or add a little bit more milk. If you have any leftovers, put them in the fridge and eat them within 3 days.

As I mentioned before, I’ve never tasted a gravy I didn’t enjoy, but this White Country Gravy is gradually making its way up to the top of my list of favorites, one delectable dripping at a time.

Making White Country Gravy with Bacon Fat

You may use the fat from frying bacon or sausage in place of the butter if there is any leftover. Use enough butter to equal 1/4 cup of total fat if just a little oil is left in the pan. Simply adhere to the remaining directions as provided.

The liquid used to make the gravy is the primary distinction. White gravy is often produced with milk, and brown gravy is typically made using animal fat and broth.

What differentiates brown gravy from white gravy?

The primary distinction is the liquid used to make gravy. White gravy is prepared with milk, whereas brown gravy is made using animal fat and broth.

Serving Suggestions for White Gravy

White gravy paired with homemade biscuits or mashed potatoes is excellent. Additionally, it may be used as a creamy covering for fried chicken, turkey, chicken tenders, toast, eggs, omelets, breakfast pizzas, and pork chops.

Storing and reheating White Country Gravy

This white gravy recipe makes about 2 cups. But if you want to make more, you can always double or triple the recipe.

Let your white gravy cool to room temperature before transferring it to an airtight container to preserve in a fridge. It will last in the refrigerator for approximately 3 to 4 days.

Additionally, you may freeze it in a zip-lock bag on a baking sheet until it freezes. We are freezing it this way because it is simpler to reheat up when it is thinner. Following that, you may freeze this gravy for up to 4-6 months, which is excellent.

To reheat the white gravy, just microwave tor gravy at medium heat in a saucepan. You may always add a little milk or water if it is too thick.

White Country Gravy Recipe

This White Country Gravy is my favorite because of how rich and creamy it is. You may eat it straight off the spoon, or drizzle it over mashed potatoes, buttermilk biscuits, or any other meal of your choosing

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Calories: 91

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp of butter
• 2 cups of whole milk
• 2 Tbsp of all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp of black pepper
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 1/2 tsp of powdered garlic (optional)

Instructions

• In a small pan over medium heat, melt the butter. After melting, stir in flour and cook for around 1 minute.
• Whisk milk in gradually. To prevent lumping, continue whisking. Once it’s on a low boil, then turn down the heat.
• Add pepper, salt, and powdered garlic after stirring. For the next 15 to 20 minutes, occasionally stir while the gravy simmers on low heat.

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Delicate and juicy Italian meatballs cooked with garlic, parsley, fresh bread crumbs, eggs, pork, veal, and beef can be enjoyed on their own or tossed with spaghetti and tomato sauce. Tomato sauce is included in this recipe, so no worries.  You will thank yourself in the future if you make extra and save it in the freezer.

Tender, juicy Authentic Italian meatballs prepared in 30 minutes for the entire family.

These delicious veal, beef, and pork meatballs are a true representation of an Italian-American meatball dish. I genuinely believe that this recipe, based on my grandmother’s, produces the most fabulous handmade Italian meatballs ever.

My kids will never forget their great-grandma’s meatballs.  I created this recipe based on my recollection of her meatballs and a ton (too much!) of practice. When my children eventually said, “They’re almost as good as great-grandma’s,” not too long ago, I knew I had attained meatball perfection.

After years of experimenting with different proportions, I can confidently say that this recipe for meatballs that anybody can prepare is the best. Light and moist thanks to a mixture of three different types of meat (two are great as well), fresh bread crumbs, eggs, and milk, flavored parsley with garlic, and parmesan cheese.

They are partially cooked in the oven until firm and then finished off in the sauce.

 

Ingredients you’ll need

The short list of ingredients is all that’s needed to make a juicy and soft Italian meatball. In order to do this, you will need:

Ground beef, veal and pork –You don’t have to use veal; you can just combine beef and pork. Some claim that using a mixture of beef, veal, and pork for preparing meatballs is a more traditional method of preparation in Italian cuisine (and you can too). The optimum texture and flavor may be achieved using a blend of fifty-fifty ground beef and pork.

However, I usually use this combination because ground veal isn’t always available.

Purchase freshly ground beef from the shop if at all feasible. Compared to vacuum-packed ground meat, I find that it releases less water and tastes much fresher.

Parmigiano Cheese – Parmigiano cheese, in my view, is a rather crucial component of an Italian meatball. In addition to giving the meatball a ton of flavor, it also makes it soft and creamy. Grana Padano or Pecorino Romano might also work. Remember that Pecorino has a stronger taste because it’s a cheese made from sheep’s milk. 

Eggs – Adding eggs to the mixture serves just as a binding agent, not as a source of moisture. Here we utilize two egg yolks and one whole egg to maintain the lightness and airiness of the meatballs.

Garlic – Use plenty of finely minced garlic to get the most flavor. It’s optional, but I like to add a teaspoon or two of garlic powder.

Bread crumbs –To prepare a paste out of fresh breadcrumbs and milk for these Italian meatballs, we’ll need to make a panade. As the meatballs cook, the panade absorbs the liquids, keeping the meatballs moist. 

Parsley – The meatballs’ fresh flavor comes from chopped parsley. I always miss it if I’m forgetful and leave it out.

Seasonings: For optimal results, season liberally with salt and pepper.

 

How to make Italian Meatballs

In this recipe, you may choose between fully baking the meatballs in the oven or baking them in the oven only partially before finishing them in a sauce. 

Step 1: Put the rack in the top third of the oven and turn it up to 425°. Brush some oil on a large baking sheet with a rim.

Step 2: Mix the milk and breadcrumbs in a big bowl, coating and submerging. Let stand for 10 minutes or so to moisten the breadcrumbs properly. Then, the ingredients should be mashed with a fork until it forms a moist, nearly smooth paste.

Step 3: Using a fork, thoroughly combine the breadcrumb mixture with the egg, egg yolks, parsley, parmesan, garlic, salt, and pepper. Add an equal mix of ground beef, veal, and pork by gently combining with your hands or a big spoon. If not using veal, ad half beef and half pork.  Be careful not to overmix.

Step 4: Make golf-sized balls out of the mixture by rubbing some olive oil on your palms. Place the baking sheet that has been prepared. When the meatballs have achieved an internal temperature of 165 F, it’s done. It should bake for about 20 minutes. After taking it out of the oven, serve how you like.

Step 5 (Optional) Bringing meatballs in tomato sauce to a finish:  Simmer some tomato sauce in a medium-sized pot. About 15 minutes into baking, you should see the meatballs take on some color. Drop into tomato sauce and cook for about 10 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer shows an internal temperature of 165°F.

Dried vs. Fresh Bread Crumbs

The fresh breadcrumbs provided a softer and more juicy meatball in my testing than the dry ones did. Just a few slices of white bread without the crust will do for making fresh breadcrumbs. Alternatively, you may rip the bread into large pieces and pulse it in a food processor to form coarse crumbs. Also, you may use a knife to cube the bread into small pieces.

Dry breadcrumbs can be used in a pinch, but they may cause the meatballs to be tougher.

Put the breadcrumbs in the milk and let them soak for 10 minutes before mashing them up with a fork to absorb even more milk. It’s essential to soak the breadcrumbs thoroughly.

Italian Meatballs Size

Size matters when it comes to cooking, so keep that in mind when you roll out your meatballs. Italian meatballs are larger than most of us in North America are used to eating.

Meatballs should be around the size of a golf ball, which is how I usually form them. Due to the somewhat bigger size, the outside may brown properly without becoming overcooked.

Meatballs with the Finest Tomato Sauce

Even without the tomato sauce, these Italian meatballs are delicious. You’ve prepared some lovely meatballs at home, and now you should really go for it and make homemade tomato sauce. I’ve included the recipe for the tomato sauce in the recipe card below. 

How to serve Italian Meatballs

Spaghetti and meatballs on a nice summer night, especially outside with glasses of red wine running, is difficult to beat in my opinion, even though Italians do generally not eat their meatballs with any pasta. The Italian meatballs are great over a bed of polenta, mashed cauliflower or potatoes, a bed of rice, or even a bowl of quinoa if you’re trying to avoid pasta.

You could also eat the meatballs without any pasta at all and pile them on some braised greens or a salad. Alternatively, you could serve them with a hearty helping of tomato sauce, some crusty bread for dipping, and nothing else. Delicious!

Tucking these Italian meatballs into two pieces of ciabatta bread, then topping them with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese is another great option.

How to store Meatballs 

If you need to freeze a large number of meatballs, separate them into smaller portions before freezing.

To store:  Meatballs (and tomato sauce) may be kept fresh in the fridge for up to 5 days if stored in an airtight container.

To reheat: Place meatballs without sauce in an oven warmed to 350 degrees for 5-10 minutes. Reheat in the sauce for 15 minutes over medium-high heat on the stove.

To freeze:  For freezing, ensure total cooling. A single layer of meatballs should be spread out on a baking pan. Put in a freezer-safe container or ziplock bag and freeze for 30 minutes. Freeze for as long as three months. Get it out of the freezer and into the fridge the night before you want to reheat it.

Italian Meatballs Recipe

Tender, juicy, versatile Italian meatballs cooked with garlic, parsley, eggs, fresh bread crumbs, pork, veal, and beef are equally delicious either eaten on their own or simmered in a homemade tomato sauce and served on a bed of spaghetti. For the sake of your future self, make extra and put it in the freezer.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 16-18 meatballs

Calories: 190

Ingredients  

For the meatballs

• 1 cup of fresh bread crumbs
• 2/3 cup milk
• 10 oz of ground beef
• 10 oz of ground pork
• 10 oz of ground veal
• 3 garlic cloves, grated or finely minced
• 1 lightly beaten egg
• 1 lightly beaten egg yolk
• 1 TBSP kosher salt
• 1 tsp of black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/2 cup of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese(You can also use Pecorino Romano or Grana Padano)
• 1 tbsp of parsley, freshly chopped
• olive oil

For tomato sauce

• 1 can of whole tomatoes, peeled or crushed
• 3 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 finely chopped onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt

If you’re not using veal meat, combine 16 oz beef and 16 oz pork meat.

Instructions

For the meatballs

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Place the rack in the upper third of the oven. For simpler cleanup, lightly coat a big baking sheet with a rim with oil or cover it with parchment paper.
• Mix bread crumbs and milk in a large bowl, tossing and pushing with a fork to ensure that all of the bread is covered in milk. Leave it for 10 minutes to soak.
• Add the egg yolks, whole egg, garlic, parsley, parmesan, salt, and pepper to the bread crumbs that have been soaking, and mix well with a fork.
• Start adding beef, veal, and pork in smaller batches and mix it in with your hands or a large spoon. Don’t mix too much. Add the rest of the meat and mix well to combine everything without overworking it. (Adding the meat in small amounts makes mixing easier and keeps you from overworking the mixture.)
• Put a little olive oil on your hands and roll the mixture into 2-inch diameter balls, approximately golf-sized balls. Place on a baking sheet that has been prepared.
• Bake the meatballs for around 20 minutes or until they reach a temperature of 165 F on the inside. Take it out of the oven and pour off any extra fat.
• To finish cooking meatballs in tomato sauce, you only need to bake them for 12 to 15 minutes. Place the meatballs in the hot tomato sauce and let them cook for about 10 to 12 minutes, or till an inner temperature of 165 F is reached.

For the tomato sauce 

• Squeeze the tomatoes with your hands until they are roughly smashed after emptying the tomato can into a big bowl.
• Over medium heat, add oil and onions to a large skillet. Cook for 2 minutes or until the onions start to soften. Add one teaspoon of salt and the garlic. Cook the garlic for a further minute while frequently stirring to prevent browning.
• Add 1/4 cup of water and tomatoes to the pan.
• Turn the heat up to medium-high and bring the sauce to a boil. Cook, stirring every now and then and lowering the heat if necessary, for about 12 to 15 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
• Mix in one or two fresh basil sprigs. Taste it and add a pinch more salt if you think it’s needed. 

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Tips for The Best Italian Meatballs

The majority of these suggestions are covered in the post, but they need a second mention in case you just read certain sections.

Make the meatballs with care.

Don’t pack the meatballs too firmly when forming them; otherwise, they will be thick and stiff. Don’t worry if they aren’t precisely spherical; just quickly form the meatballs. It’s best if you don’t handle them too much. Apply oil on your hands and shape the meatballs gently. 

Keep the meat refrigerated before making the meatballs

The fat will melt and degrade if the meatball mixture gets too warm. The meatballs won’t be as juicy and will be difficult to form as a result. Before forming the meatballs, if required, refrigerate the mixture for about 15 minutes.

Don’t overcook them

Depending on your oven, large meatballs will cook in around twenty minutes at 425°F (200°C). Use an instant-read thermometer for the best results; meatballs are done when they reach a temperature of 165°F.

I suggest gently cooking the meatballs for no more than 15-20 minutes if you intend to continue cooking them in a sauce to prevent drying them out.

Double, triple, or quadruple the batch sizes.

A great recipe to prepare ahead is meatballs. Making extra for future dinners is a great idea because they freeze wonderfully on their own or in a sauce.

When you think of airfood recipe, it is basically a Low-calorie recipe that fills up your tummy and reduces your cravings. A few examples include Air-poped popcorn, rice cakes, celery sticks with peanut butter, sushi, and so on!

Airfood is a new way of eating, but it’s not only about the food; it’s also about how it makes you feel afterward.  Snacks are a typical issue that many struggle with when it comes to keeping to their diet, macros, or calorie consumption targets. 

Is Low-Calorie Airfood Good For You?

The industry for low-calorie snacks is flourishing, and it benefits from our desire to limit our calorie consumption in an effort to stay slim and “healthy”. However, can low-calorie snacks like air meals genuinely achieve this goal, or do they only temporarily quell our hunger and encourage us to eat more later on?

What happens when the time between meals or waking up at 4:00 a.m. feeling extremely hungry? Indulging in airfood or ignoring our hunger can cause it to return shortly, leaving us feeling angry or guilty for needing food again so soon. 

I kept this in mind when making airfood recipe ideas, so the food you eat can actually satisfy your cravings for a longer period and feel full on fewer calories. 

Airfood Recipe Ideas & How to Make it

Less than 100 calories are contained in the airfood recipe, which can be good for your health, according to British Hearth Foundation. With these air meal suggestions, you won’t have any trouble tossing up a low-calorie lunch or supper.

These recipes, which range from meat dishes to vegetarian fare to desserts, have been assembled for you. Hence, the table won’t get monotonous! The greatest part is that many dishes can be easily made the day before, saving you from having to spend all day in the kitchen.

Baked Sweet Potato

A small sweet potato should have its skin poked before going into the oven or microwave. When it’s finished, you’ll have a delicious and healthy snack!

If you’re in the mood for something salty, go ahead and season it with salt and pepper or another flavoring of your choosing. Try adding cinnamon if you want a sweeter dessert and enjoy.

However, cooking root vegetables might take a while, especially in the oven. In order to get around this, we used our Instant Pot to cook them! Make use of this useful kitchen tool in advance to prepare snacks for the entire week.

There are 100 calories in a small sweet potato that is baked or microwaved.

Slow-Churned Ice Cream

Our #2 pick for airfood low-calorie snacks is ice cream. Did you expect that? I bet not.  The secret is to seek for kinds that have been double- or slowly churned. This is a method that lessens calories and fat while maintaining the creamy texture of full-fat variants.

Slow-Churned ice creams are available in stores. This ice cream has its own downsides because it contains more calories per serving, so you get to eat less. 

Only 100 calories are in 1/2 cup of slow-churned ice cream.

Sushi

Sushi is typically viewed as a meal rather than a snack. Avoid letting that way of thinking constrain you! If you’re anything like me, you might occasionally prefer to only eat a small amount of sushi during the day or even as an appetizer at a party.

Sushi typically has around 45 calories in each piece, which is a decent general guideline. This implies that if you want to keep under the 100-calorie threshold, you may only eat two pieces.

I suggest trying these recipes: Masago Sushi, Tobiko Sushi, or Unagi Sushi Rolls. 

Two sushi rolls equals 90 calories

Beef Jerky

A tasty low-calorie snack that one can create. A bag of beef jerky normally weighs slightly more than 3 ounces. So, if you can resist eating the entire bag, you can maintain your 100 calorie limit. Therefore, we advise biting into a substantial piece of jerky.

Other options, such as pig, turkey, and chicken, are about equivalent in terms of ounces. Simply remember to keep an eye on the nutritional label since each might have a different number of calories.

I’ve got two beef jerky recipes for you, this South African Biltong beef jerky, and classical oven-baked beef jerky. 

There are 80 calories in 1 substantial chunk of beef jerky.

Air-Popped Popcorn

Popcorn may be the best choice of food when looking for a satisfying evening snack. Be cautious though, since many versions include sugar and butter coatings and won’t be under 100 calories.

For a snack that truly fills a bowl, choose air-popped homemade or store-bought popcorn.

90 calories from 3 cups of air-popped popcorn

Celery Sticks with Peanut Butter

Your grandma probably prepared you this snack when you were younger, but she probably named it “ants on a log” and added a line of raisins or chocolate chips on top. Ant on a log is a great snack, but it quickly exceeds our limit of 100 calories.

But if you leave away the sugar-filled raisins or chocolate chips, you have the ideal low-calorie snack. The celery makes the ideal “boat” for dipping into peanut butter for a longer-lasting snack.

There are 100 calories in 1 large celery stalk and 1 tsp of peanut butter.

Broccoli with Ranch Dip

The genuine Hero of a snack is when you can have an entire cup of anything plus dip without surpassing 100 calories.

Actually, ranch dressing is the main source of calories in this snack. You can thus eat more if you can locate a dip or sauce with less calories.

Due to its protein and fiber content, raw broccoli is a fantastic addition to your diet. Additionally, you may consume a lot of it for relatively little calories.

1 teaspoon of ranch dressing and 1 cup of raw broccoli florets equal 100 calories.

Hard Boiled Egg

Eggs that can be quickly prepared in batches of a dozen are particularly useful to have on hand. Hard-boiled eggs are actually a fantastic airfood snack!

Peel, add some salt and pepper and pack for a quick portable snack that will provide you with plenty of protein.

There are 78 calories in 1 large hard-boiled egg.

Rice Cakes

A rice cake is a round, puffy rice-based cake and is mostly used in airfood recipes. It is frequently used in place of bread. Additionally, it has the advantage of having fewer calories than bread.

Given that two rice cakes have a calorie count of 70, there are 30 calories left over for a tasty topping. A thin spread of peanut butter, some cream cheese, or a low-sugar preserve are a few choices. Rice cakes are a fantastic snack that feels substantial without packing on the calories; however you want to eat them.

There are 70 calories in 2 rice cakes.

Shrimp Cocktail

An appetizer at a restaurant or a snack at home, jumbo shrimp cocktail is unquestionably the diet food of your dreams. A full yet diet-friendly snack is lean protein paired with a fiery, acidic seafood sauce.

But carrying it around might not be the best idea. Shrimp and handbags don’t seem like a good combination, in my opinion. But be sure to take a shrimp cocktail into consideration if you’re searching for a tasty evening snack or something you can easily order from a restaurant.

There are 100 calories from 5 jumbo shrimp and cocktail sauce.

Egg White Omelet

You might be accustomed to eating omelets on a regular basis, but you are losing out on a delight that has fewer calories. In fact, you’re in for a really low-calorie treat if you’re willing to try egg white only omelets.

To produce the ideal egg white omelet, all you need are the whites from four eggs. Careful what you add to the ingredients or as a topping because the egg white adds very few to no calories to the meal.

The best course of action is to prepare and/or top your egg white omelet with low- to no-calorie items like tomatoes, spinach, and onions.

Veggies and 4 egg white omelet contain 90 calories.

Tuna Salad

Tuna salad is a wonderful airfood snack to grab when you’re hungry. In fact, the ingredients are probably already in your refrigerator and pantry.

Once all the ingredients are prepared, making tuna salad by combining drained canned tuna, light mayonnaise, and spices should be quick and easy. The calorie count of a modest dish of tuna salad is minimal.

In addition, if you want to try something new than a typical tuna salad, we suggest sprinkling over dill pickles along with this blackened tuna steak.

There are 100 calories in 1/4 cup of light mayonnaise-topped tuna salad.

Veggie Soup

Although there are numerous types of vegetable soup and we always advise reading labels, a cup of vegetable soup typically has around 100 calories (and yes, it can absolutely be a snack!). Additionally, the combination of vegetables and broth will unquestionably fill you up.

80 calories from one can of vegetable soup with additional water.

English Muffin

Sometimes it’s all about the portions. Even while a whole English muffin can be alluring, you can have a satisfying snack-sized amount by merely taking half of one (thank goodness they are usually pre-sliced) and toasting it with a dab of butter.

100 calories in 1/2 English Muffin and teaspoon of butter.

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