Gravy will always be associated with holiday meals, slow-cooked cuisine and richly flavored dishes across dayparts. But beyond the classics, gravy can be used as a building block for signature menu items inspired by global flavors, bold ingredients and on-trend fare.
Check out these five ways operators are innovating with this menu classic.
Brussels sprouts are one of the hottest side dishes in foodservice—up 70% over the past four years according to Datassential MenuTrends, 2017. Take the veggie beyond a traditional steamed or roasted preparation with this dish, featuring crispy sautéed Brussels sprouts, arugula and a balsamic gravy made with Custom Culinary® PanRoast® Americana Style Au Jus Mix, balsamic vinegar, honey and pancetta. Get the recipe here.
Diners across noncommercial segments are showing interest in global cuisine, and breakfast is a prime time to introduce new and exciting flavors. Country or sausage gravy (typically served with biscuits) is already an essential component of many Southern-inspired breakfast entrees, but it can be customized with various herbs, cheeses and seasonings to create something completely new.
Combining two popular Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes, Elote Gravy Chilaquiles is sure to be a hit with customers. They start with tortilla chips cooked in salsa verde and are layered with chive scrambled eggs, salsa roja, guacamole, queso fresco, cilantro and a fire-roasted corn elotes gravy, made with Custom Culinary® PanRoast® Country Gravy. Get the recipe here.
Scratch-inspired recipes bring the taste of home to your menu offerings—and gravy can play a starring role. Take the comfort food appeal of brown gravy, made from roasted meat pan drippings and slow-simmered onions—it can be used in applications across dayparts and can be enhanced with everything from maple syrup to pineapple juice to mushrooms.
For a twist on a morning classic, add Old Bay seasoning to brown gravy. The dish pictured above, Breakfast Shrimp and Grits, features a bed of Parmesan grits, topped off with sauteed shrimp and a fried egg. Old Bay gravy, made with Custom Culinary® PanRoast® Brown Gravy Mix, ties the flavors together in a mouthwatering way. Get the recipe here.
Bowls are big—everything from poke to ramen is making waves in foodservice, as diners enjoy the convenience and harmonious flavors that meals in a bowl can deliver. Noodle bowls inspired by Chinese, Japanese and Thai cuisine are extremely popular and can be customized to feature seasonal produce, healthful ingredients and signature sauces or toppings.
A Japanese noodle bowl enhanced with miso gravy, for example, makes for a memorable addition to your menu offerings. This recipe features buckwheat soba noodles, an assortment of crisp vegetables including sugar snap peas, red cabbage and bean sprouts, and a seared filet of salmon, topped with shiro miso gravy, made with Custom Culinary® PanRoast® Peppered Biscuit Gravy Mix. Get the recipe here.
The humble tater tot is showing a huge resurgence on menus, up 99% since 2013 according to Datassential MenuTrends, 2017. Rather than serving them on their own in a basket, why not take tots to the next level as a composed dish?
Taking a note from the popularity of poutine—French fries smothered in cheese curds and brown gravy—swap the base for tots and add some hearty toppings. These Smothered Pork Belly Tots bring sweet, spicy and savory flavors together in one unique dish. The tots are covered in pimento cheese, molasses and maple-glazed pork belly and a hearty ladle of Kentucky bourbon gravy, featuring Custom Culinary® PanRoast® Brown Gravy Mix and Custom Culinary® Gold Label Kentucky-Style Bourbon Sauce. Get the recipe here.
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