I grew up eating my mother’s tomato gravy. There was nothing better than to wake up on a weekend morning to a skillet full of hers sitting on the stove. One Saturday morning while at Ole Miss, I can remember calling her for the recipe, and she walked me through it over the telephone. It was not even as good as hers, but it satisfied my homesick craving. Making gravy takes a little practice, so don’t give up if your first batch isn’t perfect. You’ll get the hang of it. This recipe adds onions, which is a little different from how my mom used to make them. If you’ve never had tomato gravy, you owe it to yourself to at least try it. It’s definitely different but so delicious.
Mrs. Hamill's Tomato Gravy
Ingredients:
1/2 onion, finely chopped or processed through the food processor
2/3 tablespoon bacon fat or oil
3 tablespoons flour
2-3 cups milk
2 cups tomatoes, finely chopped or processed through the food processor (canned works too)
2 tablespoons sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Begin by cooking your onions in a large skillet with the bacon grease until translucent. Add the flour and mix well. Cook about 5 minutes before adding tomatoes. Combine well and cook about 5 more minutes. Using a whisk, slowly add in the milk. I'm not exactly sure of the milk measurement, but continue to add milk until your gravy is the consistency you prefer. Add the sugar, salt and pepper according to taste. Keep the gravy warm on the burner until your biscuits are ready. Serve atop warm buttered biscuits.