Yes, you can turn the fat from the ham into a rich, creamy gravy called Ham Gravy. Once you try this easy and delicious ham gravy recipe, your holiday dinners will never be the same. Put the ham gravy in a jar back on the shelf. You don’t need it!.
A platter of sliced ham and creamy mashed potatoes is a beloved classic meal. But this combo isn’t complete without the right gravy drizzled over top! When ham and mashed potatoes are on the menu, what kind of gravy should you serve?
There are several excellent gravy options that perfectly complement the flavors of baked ham and fluffy spuds Here is an overview of some of the most popular gravies that go great with this meal
Ham Drippings Gravy
Without a doubt, the number one choice is gravy made from the ham drippings and pan residues. Simmering the caramelized meat juices and browned bits from the ham with a roux creates an incredible rich, meaty gravy infused with ham essence. It’s easy to make right after baking the ham.
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Flavor – Intense ham flavor
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Texture – Silky and slightly thickened
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Color – Deep brown hue
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Pairings – Any type of baked ham
For the best ham gravy, start by removing the cooked ham from the pan. Pour the juices and drippings into a fat separator to remove most of the excess fat. Then follow a basic pan gravy recipe, deglazing the pan with the defatted drippings, making a roux, and simmering until thickened. Delicious!
Pork Gravy
Another option is a rich pork gravy made from sausage drippings or using pork broth as the base.
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Flavor – Savory and meaty
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Texture – Gravy can be thinned or thickened as desired
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Color – Tan, brown
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Pairings – Great for smoked or cured hams
Making sausage gravy or redeye gravy are two specific pork gravy varieties that pair wonderfully with ham entrees. The smoky, salty qualities of the pork gravy complement cured ham beautifully.
Turkey Gravy
Don’t overlook turkey gravy as an option for ham dinners! Turkey gravy has a milder flavor that works well.
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Flavor – More subtle, less smoky/salty than ham/pork
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Texture – Thin consistency
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Color – Light tan or brown
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Pairings – Great with glazed or brown sugar hams
Leftover turkey gravy works particularly nicely with sweet glazed hams to balance the flavors. Or make turkey gravy from scratch using chicken or turkey broth for a lighter gravy.
Milk Gravy
For a classic Southern-style gravy option, whip up a creamy milk gravy.
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Flavor – Delicate, buttery, salty
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Texture – Extremely creamy and smooth
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Color – Very light in color
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Pairings – Any type of baked ham
Milk or cream gravies have a lighter flavor that highlights the ham rather than competing with it. They are easy to make on the stovetop with milk, flour, and butter or drippings for a creamy accompaniment.
Sawmill Gravy
This is milk gravy kicked up a notch with the addition of freshly ground black pepper. The popularity of this gravy originated in lumber camps.
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Flavor – Buttery, with a kick of black pepper
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Texture – Silky smooth
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Color – Speckled with black pepper
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Pairings – Great on any ham, especially country ham
To make this iconic Southern gravy, cook a light roux in butter or drippings, stir in milk and generous amounts of freshly ground black pepper until thickened. Pour over ham steaks or slices.
Redeye Gravy
For a small-batch gravy, redeye gravy is a classic choice. Redeye gravy is made right in the skillet after frying country ham slices or ham steaks.
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Flavor – Strong ham/coffee flavors
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Texture – Thin, brothy
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Color – Brown with red tint
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Pairings – Traditionally served with country ham
After frying the ham, add coffee to the hot drippings to deglaze the pan, stirring and scraping up any browned bits. Drizzle this thin, yet intensely flavored gravy over the ham.
White Sausage Gravy
Sausage gravy is a standard accompaniment for Southern-style biscuits and gravy. But it also makes a tasty gravy for ham.
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Flavor – Savory, porky, creamy
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Texture – Smooth and thick
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Color – Very light tan
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Pairings – Any baked ham
To make a quick sausage gravy, cook crumbled sausage in a skillet, make a basic roux, then stir in milk until thickened. Salt and pepper to taste.
Brown Gravy
Pre-made packaged brown gravy mix or jarred gravy can be an option for a quick and easy gravy for ham.
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Flavor – Generic savory gravy flavor
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Texture – Medium thickness
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Color – Brown or tan
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Pairings – Works with any type of baked ham
If using regular pre-made brown gravy, you may want to add extras like browned ham drippings or sautéed onions to boost the flavor.
Cheese Sauce
For a deliciously rich accompaniment, make a creamy cheese sauce to drizzle over ham and mashed potatoes.
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Flavor – Sharp cheese flavors
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Texture – Thick and smooth
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Color – Off white or yellow depending on cheese
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Pairings – Baked ham or glazed ham
A cheddar, Swiss, or American cheese sauce brings velvety texture and tangy flavor. Just avoid pairing it with intensely salty types of ham.
Mustard Sauce
For baked ham, a easy mustard sauce makes a nice alternative to traditional gravies.
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Flavor – Tangy, slightly spicy
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Texture – Can thin or thicken to preference
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Color – Yellow
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Pairings – Great with both mild and salty hams
Mustard sauce comes together quickly on the stovetop using ingredients like mustard, brown sugar, vinegar, butter, and cream. It balances salty ham and complements sweet glazes.
Maple Bourbon Sauce
For a unique sweet and savory flavor, drizzle ham with a maple bourbon sauce.
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Flavor – Sweet, smoky, buttery
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Texture – Thin, smooth
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Color – Golden brown
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Pairings – Excellent with brown sugar glazed ham
Simmer maple syrup and bourbon together into a thin sauce, then stir in butter at the end for a decadent sauce perfect for holiday ham.
Cherry Sauce
Similar to maple sauce, a sweetened cherry sauce makes a delicious match for glazed or brown sugar baked ham.
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Flavor – Sweet/tart cherry
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Texture – Thin to medium
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Color – Deep red
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Pairings – Pairs especially well with pineapples/cloves studded ham
Cherry pie filling or tart cherry jam thinned with water or fruit juice creates a quick and easy fruity sauce. For a sophisticated sauce, simmer dried cherries with red wine.
Pineapple Sauce
Caramelized pineapple sauce utilizes sweet pineapple jam, juice and spices for tropical flavor.
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Flavor – Sweet and slightly spicy
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Texture – Thin and smooth
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Color – Golden yellow
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Pairings – Perfect for pineapple or brown sugar baked ham
The natural sweetness of pineapple provides a complementary sauce for ham entrees. Brown sugar and warm spices like cloves, cinnamon and allspice enhance the flavor.
Apple Sauce
Tart apple sauce gives a nice contrast to salty ham.
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Flavor – Sweet/tart apple flavor
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Texture – Fairly thick, chunky
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Color – Gold or light brown
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Pairings – Any ham variety
Spiced apple sauce kicked up with cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar tastes even better. And it couldn’t be easier since you can use jarred apple sauce.
How to Make Ham Gravy
- Ham Drippings. The juice that is left over in the slow cooker after making Crockpot Ham with Brown Sugar Ham Glaze is used for something. If you’re short, add milk to make up the difference.
- Unsalted Butter. This is very important! Since the ham has been brined, the dripping will already taste salty. You don’t need to add salty butter to that.
- All-Purpose Flour. I prefer using flour to cornstarch in gravy.
Why You’ll Love This Old-Fashioned Ham Gravy Recipe
- The Flavor of Ham, in Convenient Gravy Form. “Liquid ham”? Nope, that’s not the best way to describe it. But there’s no doubt that ham is tasty, and now you can use its tasty juices to your advantage. You can use it like Turkey Gravy, on ham or biscuits for the holidays.
- Something for Your Mashed Potatoes. If your main dish is ham and you’re making Crockpot or Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes for the holiday dinner, you need to figure out how to make gravy since you don’t have a turkey. Ham gravy is the answer!
- A New Spin on Sausage Gravy. For breakfast in the South, white gravy is served over biscuits. If you like that, you’ll also like this ham gravy. It tastes so much like biscuits and gravy that you can use it to make them, maybe with my homemade Drop Biscuits.
- Almost Effortless. It can be nerve-wracking to make gravy—will it be lumpy? Will it be bland and watery? Or will it be gluey and salty?—but this quick ham gravy is easy if you follow the tips below. In just 5-minutes, you can have the best ham gravy.
- SO MUCH BETTER Than Store Bought Gravy. Gravy packets and jars are just not the same as the real thing. This simple ham gravy is well worth the (very little) work.
Ham Gravy Recipe (3 Ways)
What gravy goes with ham & mashed potatoes?
The best gravy to accompany ham and mashed potatoes should strike the perfect balance, enhancing and harmonizing the flavors. A fruity, tangy gravy, like pineapple or apple-based options, can offer a delightful contrast to the saltiness of the ham. For those preferring a savory touch, a mustard or brown sugar gravy can be an excellent choice.
What can I serve with ham gravy?
Ham gravy works great being served with ham alongside mashed potatoes or green bean casserole. You can also serve ham gravy with carrots or sweet potatoe s and even some cornbread to dip! If you don’t have enough ham drippings for this gravy or prefer to make it without drippings, you can substitute or add broth or water.
What goes well with ham & mashed potatoes?
Herb-infused gravy brings a refreshing and aromatic touch to the table, pairing beautifully with ham and mashed potatoes. With the gentle hints of rosemary, thyme, and sage, each bite becomes a flavorful journey into a garden of fresh tastes.
How do you make ham gravy with mashed potatoes?
Place the slices of ham either on top or on the side of the potatoes. Pour gravy to cover the ham. Garnish with parsley and serve with roughly ¼ teaspoon of parsley per serving. Excited to try out this Mashed Potatoes, Ham, and Gravy Recipe?