I’ve been having a lot of fun lately looking at old recipes from The Great Depression and I’m always surprised at how simple they are. They’re always just a few ingredients, barely seasoned, but always filling. The simplicity of those recipes inspired this Vegetables and Gravy recipe, although I did make sure it was well seasoned to fit today’s palate. 😅
This recipe is great for those times when you just need to throw together something simple, warm, and filling using inexpensive ingredients that you might already have on hand. It’s kind of like a cross between potato soup and the filling of a chicken pot pie (minus the chicken). Is it the best thing I’ve ever eaten in my life? No. But when money is tight, this dish hits just right.
What is Vegetables and Gravy?
This dish starts with cubed potatoes that are boiled in vegetable broth until tender. The liquid is then seasoned with herbs and spices and thickened to a gravy with a milk and flour slurry. Next, we add a bag of mixed frozen vegetables to add color, texture, and flavor. And we finish the dish off with some butter for added creaminess, and salt and pepper to taste. Simple, filling, and satisfying!
What Else Can I Add?
If you happen to have some extra ingredients on hand and want to take this dish up a notch, here are some ideas:
- Top with shredded cheese
- Brown some bacon in the pot first and top the finished dish with the crumbled bacon
- Add your favorite seasoning blend(you could do anything from a Cajun seasoning to something simple like Lawry’s)
- Add chopped cooked chicken to make it more like a chicken pot pie (a great use for leftover rotisserie chicken!)
- Add dumplings
How to Serve Vegetables and Gravy
I would consider this a simple all-in-one bowl meal and would not plan to make anything on the side. I might serve with some crusty bread for sopping up all that delicious gravy, but otherwise, everything I need is in that bowl. If you definitely need something on the side, I’d do a simple roasted vegetable. Maybe broccoli or Brussels sprouts.
About Those Leftovers…
Because this gravy is thickened with flour, it does gel up and get quite thick when refrigerated. But don’t worry, it will loosen a bit upon reheating and you can always add a splash of water or milk to thin it out even more, if needed.
Vegetables and Gravy
Servings 4 1.5 cups eachIngredients
- 1.5 lbs. russet potatoes ($1.96)
- 2 cups vegetable broth ($0.26)
- 1 cup milk ($0.20)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour ($0.03)
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce ($0.12)
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp dried sage ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp onion powder ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.02)
- 12 oz. frozen mixed vegetables ($1.00)
- 2 Tbsp butter ($0.22)
- 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste) ($0.02)
Instructions
- Peel and cube the potatoes into ¾-inch pieces.
- Add the cubed potatoes to a large pot with the vegetable broth. Cover the pot, turn the heat on to medium-high, and allow the broth to come up to a boil. Continue to boil the potatoes until they are fork-tender.
- While the potatoes are boiling, whisk together the milk and flour.
- Once the potatoes are tender, turn the heat down to medium and add the flour and milk slurry. Also add the soy sauce, thyme, sage, onion powder, garlic powder, and pepper.
- Allow the liquid in the pot to come back up to a simmer, at which point it will thicken to a gravy.
- Add the frozen vegetables to the pot, stir to combine, then allow them to heat through.
- Stir the butter into the gravy until melted and combined. Give the gravy a taste and add salt, pepper, butter or other seasonings to your liking. Serve hot!
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Equipment
Nutrition
How to Make Vegetables and Gravy
Start by peeling and cubing about 1.5 lbs. russet potatoes. Cut them into ¾-inch cubes.
Add the cubed potatoes to a large pot and add 2 cups of vegetable broth. Place a lid on top, turn the heat up to medium-high, and bring the broth up to a boil. Continue to boil the potatoes until fork tender (about 7 minutes).
While the potatoes are boiling, prepare the milk and flour slurry. Whisk ¼ cup all-purpose flour into 1 cup milk.
Once the potatoes are tender, turn the heat down to medium and add the milk and flour slurry to the pot along with 2 Tbsp soy sauce, ½ tsp dried thyme, ½ tsp dried sage, ½ tsp onion powder, ¼ tsp garlic powder, and ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper. Stir to combine.
Allow the liquid to come back up to a simmer, at which point it will thicken into a gravy.
Add one 12oz. bag of frozen mixed vegetables and stir to combine. Allow the vegetables to heat through in the gravy.
Lastly, add 2 tablespoons of butter to the gravy and stir until it has melted in. Give the gravy a taste and add salt, pepper, or more butter to your liking.
Serve it up hot with a little bread for sopping up that delicious gravy! (I garnished with some fresh parsley because I had it on hand, but it’s not necessary to flavor this dish.)
I did not rate the recipe because I have not made it yet, but wanted to ask before I do, if I could use red potatoes for this recipe? If not, what would other options be besides russet potatoes?
TIA
I think you’d be fine to use red potatoes!
We really enjoyed this. I added some crumbled up firm tofu to increase the protein, and in addition to the listed herbs and spices, I added some rosemary and a little Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning based on a comment. I then put it in a baking dish, put some puff pastry on top, and baked, so it was more like pot pie.
This is a solid recipe that I’ve now made twice. It’s inexpensive, easy to make, cozy and filling, and reheats well with a splash of water.
I found it good, but a little lacking in flavor the first time around. For the second attempt, I made it as instructed, but also added 1/4 tsp Trader Joe’s Umami seasoning, 1/4 tsp Tony Cachere’s Creole Seasoning, and 1/4 tsp of crushed McCormick’s bacon bits. That added some additional depth of flavor and made the dish considerably more savory, so it was more satisfying. If you don’t have all of that, the creole seasoning itself made a huge difference and could even be increased for stronger flavor. You can get a large container for around $3 at Walmart, so if you make this frequently you’ll get a lot of bang for your buck there.
Also, McCormick Bacon Bits are vegetarian, so the meal is still vegetarian with that brand included.
Very simple and easy recipe that tastes DELICIOUS!
Appreciate this home cooked healthy(ish) recipe using pantry staples when money is tight.
Added garlic, pouch of chicken and chili powder. Used CANNED vegetables instead of frozen, family gobbled it up using day old French bread to sop gravy.
Thank you Beth!
I thought this would be just okay…it seemed a pretty boring recipe…but instead I found it delicious and will definitely make again. I used what I had on hand which was Aldi’s canned mixed vegetables, canned mushrooms, plus some frozen peas and diced fresh onions.
This is a hearty, flavorful, nutritious, and inexpensive recipe. Chicken is expensive, so I usually add some frozen home-cooked or canned chickpeas for extra protein. Sometimes I add a little Maggi seasoning, soy sauce, or mushroom powder for some umami flavor and/or some smoked paprika or chipotle powder for a smoky goodness. I’ve served it with crusty bread, under a pie crust (a la shepherd’s pie) at a work potluck, and with drop dumplings or biscuits. Frankly, you could drag Ritz crackers through it and it would delicious. It also do decently well in slow cooker. Highly recommend.