Transform Ground Beef With A Flavorful Packet For A Southern-Inspired Meal

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Spaghetti, burgers, and meatloaf are all well and good, but sometimes a home cook longs to break free of the suppertime ground beef rut and try something new. We're here to tell you that the key to a fresh take is one packet away ... all you need is some country gravy mix. Take a look at this TikTok for a glance at how the process unfolds.

For the uninitiated, country (or "sawmill") gravy is a plain white gravy that consists of flour, milk, and some sort of fat — as seen in our biscuits and gravy recipe. In Southern culinary canon, that fat might come from bacon or sausage drippings. Country gravy in a packet — like this well-reviewed 12-pack from Amazon's Happy Belly brand – is a "just add water" product that can yield big flavor. You might find these packets in sausage or black pepper varieties as well.

For a jazzed-up ground beef dinner, go ahead and make your favorite burger or meatloaf mix (we like to prepare burger meat with sour cream for extra juiciness!). Seasonings and a binder are the bare minimum, plus whatever ingredients you typically include. Just fry up your patties in a pan until they are mostly cooked, then add your prepared gravy into the pan. It will be very thin at first, but it will thicken as it cooks. The result will be luscious, caramelized patties swimming in a rich, creamy sauce begging to be served over mashed potatoes or noodles!

With no bells or whistles, your creamy, dreamy dinner will be pretty darn tasty. When you are short on time and can't be bothered to go the extra mile, some instant mashed potatoes and a couple cans of green beans will round out a plate that makes your loved ones happy. However, you can enhance this meal with some commonplace ingredients that will turn it into something really special. 

If you're willing to chop an onion, you can brown up the slices in the fat from the beef patties so that the onions get tender, golden, and meaty. Place your cooked patties atop the onions and flood your pan with the gravy mixture. You can also add sliced mushrooms to the skillet for even more flavor. A few glugs of Worcestershire or soy sauce will add luscious umami savor to your pan before you top it off with creamy gravy.

To really make your gravy OTT and delicious, why not prepare it with milk instead of water? Social media loves this tip! If you don't already have a peppery gravy mix, we like to add lashings of freshly-cracked black pepper to the skillet to really enhance those down home Southern flavors. Before starting on this dish, it's always smart to review the critical food safety steps you should take when handling raw beef.