Name: Hamburger Gravy - Classic Mennonite Recipe
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef; 3 tbsp. flour; 1 tsp. salt; 1/2 tsp. pepper; 2 cups water

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Our Hamburger Gravy recipe is a very simple and easy gravy full of browned ground beef, perfect for smothering creamy mashed potatoes. This recipe is surely a traditional Mennonite classic!

Have you heard of hamburger gravy?

It’s similar to beef stroganoff, only a little more simple, I’d say.

This old-fashioned hamburger gravy recipe comes in super handy when I’m in need of a last minute easy meal for supper on a busy weeknight, or even for lunch.

Paired with homemade mashed potatoes made from scratch, it is definitely a Mennonite comfort food.

Add in a side vegetable dish like green beans or peas and you’ve got a traditional full course main menu!

Or another suggestion: serve this hamburger gravy with homemade biscuits for breakfast!

Mom used to make this for the whole family for supper from time to time during my growing up years.

I never found an actual recipe for it though, so since I got married and embarked on this journey of learning to cook, I decide to create one!

We hope you enjoy our delicious, though slightly unusual, gravy recipe. If you’ve made it, we’d love to hear about it in the comments below!

fork full of mashed potatoes with hamburger gravy on

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Five Simple Ingredients

Ground beef

Flour – any kind of flour; we use all-purpose

Salt

Pepper – fresh ground black pepper

Water

Find the full recipe on the recipe card below.

Supplies we used

(We’ve linked our favorites, or something similar!)

How to make Easy Hamburger Gravy

First, cook and brown the ground beef in a large skillet. Drain off any excess grease and return the ground beef to the pan.

Sprinkle flour, salt, and pepper over the cooked ground beef to the pan and stir well.

With the burner on medium-high heat, add the water and stir constantly until the gravy starts to thicken.

Turn the burner to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.

Serve with cooked or mashed potatoes for a classic Mennonite experience. Enjoy!

Storage

Store leftover gravy in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze for 4-6 months.

Customize

And so, as you can imagine there aren’t too many different ways to customize this easy recipe for simple, delicious gravy, but here are a few suggestions:

Ground chicken, ground turkey, or ground pork or sausage can all be used in place of the ground beef, though we don’t recommend it, since ground beef is key in keeping this recipe an authentic Mennonite recipe.

Use beef broth or milk instead of water. Using whole milk will make more of a creamy hamburger gravy – a lot like a classic sausage gravy recipe! Add a dollop of sour cream or a splash of heavy cream for an even creamier gravy.

Add any additional seasonings you like, such as onion powder or garlic powder, parsley, etc.

What shall I serve with Hamburger Gravy?

Simple Cooked Potato Chunks – we haven’t made a recipe card for this, but it’s super simple! Peel and dice enough potatoes for your family or situation. Cook in salted water for 15 – 20 minutes until just softened, but not so soft that they’re falling apart. Drain the excess cooking water, and sprinkle the potatoes with more salt if needed. Drizzle with brown butter if you wish and serve with delicious hamburger gravy!

Mashed potatoes – (our personal favorite!) Use your favorite mashed potato recipe or try this one.

Egg noodles – cook according to package instructions.

This easy hamburger gravy recipe also makes a delicious and hearty breakfast served with breakfast potatoes or buttermilk biscuits.

4-6

Hamburger Gravy - Classic Mennonite Recipe

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

This easy recipe for hamburger gravy is surely a Mennonite classic. Serve with mashed potatoes for an authentic experience!

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
3 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 cups water

Instructions

First, cook and brown the ground beef in a large skillet. Drain off any excess grease and return the ground beef to the pan.
Add the flour, salt, and pepper to the pan and stir well.
With the burner on medium-high heat, add the water and stir constantly until the gravy starts to thicken. Turn the burner to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
Serve with cooked or mashed potatoes. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 220Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 67mgSodium: 460mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 21g

Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.