Tomato gravy, a Southern classic I hadn’t thought about in years until I just happened to run across a quick description of “a gravy made by adding tomatoes to pan-drippings”, was suddenly a big craving. Here I added it to one of my favorite combos, chicken and bacon, and served it for dinner. For breakfast, just plain old bacon drippings would be just fine. Or ham. Either way, it goes just right with a side of grits.
- Bacon, half a pound or so
- Chicken Thighs, 6 to 8
- Pepper, black or red, your choice
- Flour, 1/4 cup
- Tomatoes, 1 large can or a bunch of fresh-chopped
- Milk, 1 cup or more
- Tomato Paste, a tablespoon or so (not shown)
Snip the bacon into a large saute pan over medium to medium-high heat and cook until it’s just barely crispy.
Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set it aside for a few minutes. Arrange the chicken in the pan and season it with pepper. The bacon usually adds enough salt. Let it cook until it’s brown underneath and turns easily then brown the other side.
Add the bacon back to the pan, reduce the heat and let the chicken continue to cook until it’s done, another 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the pan and keep it warm.
Over low heat, sprinkle in the flour.
Stir and cook for a minute or two.
Stir in the milk and tomatoes (with their juices) and continue stirring until every is smooth and well-blended.
I added a little tomato paste for extra flavor and color. If it seems too thick add a little more milk or a little chicken stock.
Return the chicken to the pan for a couple of minutes, just to get it nice and warm and soaked in gravy.
Serve it up immediately, preferably with grits or biscuits. Enjoy!
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Absolutely unfair. I’m cutting calories and cholesterol–11 lb. down and 4 to go to my ideal weight. I’m going to pretend I never saw this post.
I hear you! I cooked it but I didn’t eat much of it. And congrats on being so close to your goal
Looks absolutely delicious! Going to try it!
Hello!
Just want to let you know how much we enjoyed this recipe, and it inspired a spiced-up chipotle version plus another meal of burritos made from the leftovers. Your blog is great and we made a link to your recipe in ours: http://thetroikatable.wordpress.com/2012/05/01/a-tale-of-two-chickens-and-one-hooks-up-with-chipotle/
Thanks so much!
Tami
Oh yum, that sounds like a wonderful addition. I’ve got a handful of dried chipotles in the pantry just waiting for inspiration and you just provided it. Topped with a little cheese??
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