The Store-Bought Packet That's An Easy Shortcut To Making Old-School Meatballs

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Whether you're making homemade meatballs or trying to save time by using a high-quality frozen variety, you don't necessarily want to commit to making gravy from scratch. Luckily, using a gravy packet is a fast and convenient shortcut for old-school meatballs, and you won't sacrifice any flavor. Tasting Table spoke with Chef Abbie Gellman, MS, RD, CDN, to get her tips for enhancing the flavor of your meatballs with gravy.

"Adding a store-bought gravy packet to a ground meat recipe such as meatballs can be a convenient way to add a rich, savory, flavor that enhances the overall end product or meal," said Gellman. If you're pan-frying meatballs, whether frozen or homemade, you can remove them from the pan when done and set them aside. Then make your gravy in that same pan, following the instructions on the back of the packet. The drippings from the homemade meatballs will infuse the gravy with a rich, smoky taste that will make it even more flavorful.

You can also opt to cook frozen meatballs in the oven or air fryer, and then simmer them in the gravy to finish them. Frozen meatballs are often at a higher risk of being dry after cooking because they typically don't have a lot of juicy fat, which is needed for tender, moist meatballs. Simmering them in gravy "would typically add umami to the mixture and help the meat retain moisture," said Gellman. There are also a lot of ways to make store-bought gravy taste homemade, allowing you to save time while still crafting a delicious meal.

As with any other type of meat dish, the gravy you choose can either complement and elevate the dish, or clash in a strange and unpleasant way. You want to choose a store-bought gravy packet variety that is ideal for the type of meatballs you're making. For old-school ground beef or Italian-style meatballs, a rich beef gravy is the best choice. The best powdered brown gravy mix you can find at the store is Better Than Gravy's organic brown gravy. It's made with real beef stock, which results in a deep, stew-like flavor. It is also easy to achieve the ideal gravy consistency, which can often be tricky when making gravy from a packet.

If you for chicken or turkey meatballs, you can go for a classic chicken or turkey gravy to match. Pioneer Roasted Turkey Gravy mix is easy to make in just a couple minutes, and is so thick and flavorful it tastes homemade. You can also play around with different gravy seasonings to bring out other flavors in your meatballs. For instance, Hayley MacLean's French onion chicken meatball recipe would pair perfectly with McCormick's Onion Gravy mix.

For classic Swedish meatballs, you'll want a cream-based gravy. You can buy a four-pack of Knorr Swedish Meatballs Gravy mix on Amazon for $13, or opt for a less expensive choice like McCormick Swedish Meatballs sauce mix. If you're making sweet and spicy Korean meatballs, you can adapt Catherine Brookes' barbecue sauce recipe by adding a packet of NOH Korean Barbecue Seasoning mix – simply replace the dry spices in the recipe with the packet to avoid over-seasoning your sauce.