The traditional aspects in a Thanksgiving feast are the mash potatoes, green bean casserole, and other side dishes, but the main dish most people enjoy the most is the freshly roasted turkey. Unfortunately, most of the time the turkey is very dry and has no flavor…so what goes best with a turkey? Gravy is obviously the most traditional and popular condiment for a Thanksgiving feast.

Adding gravy to your meal adds a thick texture of rich and savory goodness poured on top of your favorite Thanksgiving foods. When pouring this condiment, you can practically cover your entire meal with gravy: mashed potatoes, turkey, stuffing, the whole lot of it.  “I like gravy because it’s more savory, especially because most of the food for Thanksgiving requires a savory taste,” said senior Cameron Migliaccio, who is a culinary student at school and has taken other outside cooking classes.

Some people choose to not eat meat, which means that they have less decisions to fill up their platter. Regardless of their preferences, there is a variety of different types of gravy to satisfy their tastes buds: for vegetarians, there is vegetarian gravy with just cream of mushrooms, flour, cornstarch and other veggies! With meat or no meat, you can enjoy your delicious meal with an adjustment to your gravy. Gravy has also been the most common sauce because it is the easiest sauce to make. Cranberry sauce is difficult to make on your own, forcing you to resort to the canned version on a day that should feature homemade goodness.  But with gravy, all you need is leftover turkey drippings, cornstarch, water, and salt and pepper. Stir on a heated surface until the elements come together in a thick gravy, and it only takes 10-15 minutes!

Even though cranberry sauce adds a different element to the table, gravy mixes with every single Thanksgiving food there is (besides the desserts). Does cranberry sauce go with everything? Of course not, which is why gravy is one of the most popular items for your Thanksgiving feast.