I’m doing my most favorite kind of post today. A good, old-fashioned recipe. As you all know, I post all kinds of things here on Never Enough Thyme – southern, traditional, vintage, even classic recipes. Even though the main theme of the blog is southern traditional, I basically post whatever I feel like cooking and sounds good to eat! Lots of people say that’s a big mistake, that a blog should have a very strict focus, but that’s never been my intention. I just enjoy sharing recipes of all kinds and that’s what I do, but it always makes me happiest when I share something really old.
This recipe for Tomato Gravy is an old, traditionally southern recipe. It’s good for breakfast, lunch, or supper and is best served over buttermilk biscuits hot from the oven. We enjoy it on biscuits topped with an over-easy or poached egg and a side of either bacon or ham. It’s also good spooned over fried chicken or on top of country fried steak. I’ve even drizzled it on top of homemade french fries and topped that with shredded cheese. I hope you’ll give tomato gravy a try. I think you’re going to love it!
An old southern recipe for tomato gravy. Delicious served over hot buttermilk biscuits and topped with an over-easy egg. Click To Tweet
Heat the bacon fat in a skillet over medium high heat. If you don’t always have a jar of bacon fat in your fridge like I do, you can use olive oil. Or you could fry up a few pieces of bacon and use the rendered fat. It’ll taste way better than the olive oil :-) Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring, for an additional minute or two.
Sprinkle with the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes.
Add the tomatoes along with their juice. Break the tomatoes up with a spoon or potato masher. Bring to a bubble and then reduce the heat to medium low.
Add the thyme leaves, salt, and pepper and continue cooking at a simmer for 5-6 minutes. Stir often so that the gravy doesn’t stick to the pan.
Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the butter and milk or cream. Serve over hot split biscuits topped with an over easy or poached egg and a side of bacon or ham.
Just a note – the thyme, butter, and cream are not really traditional in tomato gravy but are my own additions. I think the thyme adds a lovely flavor and the butter and cream give a very nice finish. If you want a strictly traditional recipe, just leave those out.
Enjoy!
Tomato Gravy
Ingredients
- 2 tblsp. bacon fat
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 tblsp. all-purpose flour
- 14.5 oz. can whole, peeled tomatoes with their juice
- 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1 tsp. butter
- 1/4 cup milk or cream
Instructions
- Heat the bacon fat in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring, for an additional minute or two. Sprinkle with the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice. Break the tomatoes up with a spoon or potato masher. Bring to a bubble, reduce the heat to medium low. Add the thyme leaves, salt, and pepper and continue cooking at a simmer for 5-6 minutes.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the butter and milk or cream. Serve over hot split biscuits topped with an over easy or poached egg and a side of bacon or ham.
Notes
All text and photographs on Never Enough Thyme are copyright protected. Please do not use any material from this site without obtaining prior permission. If you'd like to post this recipe on your site, please create your own original photographs and either re-write the recipe in your own words or link to this post.
More recipes you might enjoy for tomato gravy:
- Tomato Gravy Recipe from Dottie’s Biscuit Barn from The Vintage Mixer
- Shrimp in Tomato Gravy with Creamy Grits from Andrea’s Recipes
- Toast with Tomato Gravy from Taste and Tell
- Tomato Gravy with Fried Okra and Rice from The South in My Mouth
- Southern Homestyle Tomato Gravy from Deep South Dish
I’m with you…it is your blog…post what you like
Thanks! That’s exactly what I’ve always done.
Hi
I have a question: I have some dried corn purchased in the Latino section of the grocery store; can I make grits out of it or cornmeal for cornbread by using the food processor?
It’s very hard for me to say, Sylvia. I have no idea how the corn was processed so wouldn’t know whether it’s suitable for grits or cornbread. Even if it is, you’d need a mill or something similar to grind it, not a food processor.
Oh my, does this ever look tasty!! Yum!
Thanks, Stephanie.
I love the fresh thyme in there and the aroma of cooking sauce from scratch on the stove. Reminds me of my grandmother growing up!
Thanks, Brenda. The fresh thyme gives it a very distinct taste.
Looks great! Thanks for sharing this recipe.
You’re welcome!
I love tomato gravy! One of my mom’s friends makes meatloaf with tomato gravy and it is beyond delicious
Tomato gravy with meatloaf sounds delicious! Thanks for the idea, Onisha!
Whoa this whole dish looks awesome for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!!!
Great weekend brunch, too, Sues.
This is new to me, but I have a feeling I’d be an instant fan! Signed, your northern friend :)
Most people who try it are immediate fans, Liz. Even my “northern friends.” :-)
My mom always had a jar of bacon fat. It adds so much flavor. What a great recipe.
I can’t remember ever not having bacon fat in the fridge. Southern cooks use it for flavoring vegetables, too.
I’m such a rookie in the kitchen. I’ve never made this, but it sure does look and sound delicious! xo
Well, I’m a terrible rookie in the craft room, so that makes us even :-)
I thoroughly enjoyed this post Lana – but I was cracking up because you were saying it’s an old, traditional recipe and then listed all the ways to serve it, and I was thinking – ” I never had any of those dishes growing up and I bet my mum had no idea what they were!” A definite testament to how truly diverse American cuisine is – and by the sound of it, I was a deprived child!!!
It’s kind of a pity that our regional cuisines are becoming so blurred now, Nancy. I grew up enjoying foods that I’m sure you’ve never heard of and vice-versa. I so enjoy learning about other cuisines and obscure recipes but I do cringe when I see a classic (i.e., pimento cheese) twisted and changed until it’s unrecognizable. One of the reasons why I enjoy so much sharing the very old southern recipes :-)
I’ve been having same dilemma with my blog, especially when I post a soup and not a cake or something sweet. But you do a great job here mixing up Southern recipes and other type of recipes, like this traditional tomato gravy (which I never heard of). I like that you added butter and cream to finish it, so rich and so tempting!!
I’m just going to keep posting whatever I want to post, Lora, and hope you’ll do the same! My blog is simply for sharing recipes no matter what their style or genre and I’m happy with that. As for the butter and cream – those are my personal additions to this old recipe, but I think they really enhance the flavor and mouthfeel of the gravy.
I can think of about 20 things I’d like to smother in this gravy, but I do love that you served it with a fried egg!
With a fried egg is my favorite, too, Dara.
I’m a tomato soup fanatic…so this is right up my alley! I bet it would be wonderful over pasta too!
I’m not sure about putting it over pasta, Marjory, since it’s fairly thick. I think it’s really best on buttermilk biscuits :-)
All I need now is a batch of homemade biscuits to go with!
I post whatever suits my fancy, too – my focus is FOOD! ;) This tomato gravy sounds fantastic, I’d love to give it a try.
That is just luscious looking. I love the egg on top. Never thought to do that before. Brilliant!
My whole family is from the south but I have never seen tomato gravy! I need to try this immediately!
You know, I never really liked the whole slices of tomato that would sometimes come on brunch or lunch plates. I think tomato gravy would be much more up my alley!
Yum! Love the addition of thyme! making quick sauces like this are a weekly occurrence in our house (and now the job of my 10 year old…she loves it).
I was so excited to try this that I actually forgot to add the cream and butter at the end and it still turned out fantastic. I served it over meatloaf and the whole family loved it. It has been added to my rotation..thanks for sharing!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Carrie!
Like another poster, I’m think tomato gravy with meatloaf along with a splash over my favorite comfort food – mashed potatoes.
I’m glad you posted this one Lana. It sounds delicious and like one I’ll definitely be trying. I’m the same with you about my blog. I kind of lost the fun of it but am trying to be more relaxed about it going forward.
Gravy is one thing that I love about southerners! This northern girl has never heard of tomato gravy, but I’m loving the look of it over hot biscuits with a soft fried egg. I will definitely be trying this one.
I love tomatoe gravy! I always put chopped celery in mine and use Italian seasoning in place of the thyme. I add a couple spoonfuls of sugar and serve over rice, mac and cheese, toast or baked potatoes. I will be trying your recipe and love the addition of an egg! Sounds delicious!