Stewed Tomato Gravy

A Southern-style recipe for stewed tomatoes, simmered with onion and bacon
drippings until thickened, then served over white rice.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

JUMP TO THE RECIPE
3 TYPES OF TOMATO GRAVY
HOW TO SERVE STEWED TOMATO GRAVY
A FEW RECIPE NOTES WORTH READING
MORE RICE & TOMATO RECIPES TO TRY

There were two meals we ate when I was growing up that we always had stewed
tomatoes and rice with. One was
Salmon Patties
and the other was pan-fried smoked sausage. And I loved them both!

It makes sense that tomato gravy would go with salmon patties. When not served
alongside tomato gravy, folks often eat salmon patties with ketchup. So there
must be something about salmon patties that just goes with the acidic,
slightly sweet characteristics of tomatoes.

When we’d serve stewed tomatoes with smoked sausage, I’m sure it was to take
advantage of the seasoned oil left in the pan from cooking the sausage. In
this case, you wouldn’t need bacon grease listed in the recipe below, you’d
just start the gravy in the pan after the sausage was done.

Stewed Tomato Gravy! A Southern-style recipe for stewed tomatoes, simmered with onion and bacon drippings until thickened, then served over white rice.

3 TYPES OF TOMATO GRAVY

Depending on which part of the South you’re from, you’ll likely make yours a
little different. There are three types of Southern tomato gravy that I’m
aware of (and there may be more!).

STEWED TOMATO GRAVY: This one – the only kind I ever knew and the one
pictured – is the simplest. Tomatoes are cooked down with onions until they’re
are super soft and the juices reduce and thicken. It is usually served over
rice.

CREAMY TOMATO GRAVY: This version involves using a little flour to make
a roux so that the gravy finishes off creamier. This creamier tomato gravy is
typically served over biscuits.

BREADED TOMATO GRAVY: Sometimes called scalloped tomato gravy, this
version is much like the simple stewed tomato recipe but bread or bread crumbs
are added. Leftover biscuits, toast, cornbread or sliced bread is cut into
chunks then added to the stewed tomatoes. Bread crumbs are also used. This
version can also be poured into a baking dish and finished like a casserole.

SUGAR & SPICE?

I’m of the opinion that less is more when it comes to tomato gravy. Most
old-fashioned Southern recipes are very rustic and basic and lean more on
cured/salted meat drippings for flavor.

I don’t put garlic or herbs in mine because it starts to lean Italian and this
isn’t supposed to taste like spaghetti sauce. At all. For this same
reason, I don’t add bell peppers to mine.

Some recipes are noticeably sweet. How much sugar you put in yours is entirely
up to you. Just don’t omit it. You’ll need at least 1/2 teaspoon to balance
the acidity of the tomatoes. I’ve seen some recipes with as much as 3-4
tablespoons for the same amount of tomatoes. I’d start with 1/2 teaspoon then
add more – little by little – until you’re happy.

HOW TO SERVE STEWED TOMATO GRAVY

We always and only serve tomato gravy over plain white rice but t can also be
spooned over biscuits, grits, toast, cornbread and potatoes (boiled or fried).

Once plated, I like to stir the tomatoes completely into the rice and if
there’s a hunk of cornbread nearby, it usually gets crumbled and mixed in too.
If we’re having some sort of Southern peas (black-eyed, crowder, etc.), I love
to stir a few into the pile too.

When we’re done with supper, I stir any leftover rice and stewed tomatoes
together (keeping it about equal parts) then serve it as sort of a tomato
pilau side dish later in the week. Any leftover fried smoked sausage can get
diced up and stirred into the mixture too!

A FEW RECIPE NOTES

The amount of sugar you use is up to you. You’ll need to use at least 1/2
teaspoon to cut the acidity but some folks use PLENTY more.
Feel free to add bell pepper in with the onion in Step 1. I didn’t grow up
eating it with bell pepper but you can certainly add some if you’d like!
Use olive oil in place of bacon grease if needed.
For the creamier version add 2 tablespoons flour to the onions after they’ve
cooked in Step 1 then stir and cook two minutes before moving to Step 2. Add
1/2 cup water with the tomatoes then stir until flour is incorporated into
liquid.
The gravy shown in the photos here is a little thicker than usual. I left it
to rest a little too long before I was ready to take pictures. I probably
should have added a little water and cooked it more but I didn’t realize how
thick it had gotten until I spooned it over the rice.

MORE RICE & TOMATO RECIPES TO TRY!

CHARLESTON RED RICE
– A Lowcountry recipe popular from Charleston to Savannah, made from rice
cooked with bacon and a tomato broth seasoned with peppers and onions.

MEXICAN RESTAURANT-STYLE RICE
– A simple recipe with just a few ingredients just like the rice at our
favorite Mexican restaurant.

MEDITERRANEAN CHICKPEA RICE
– A hearty rice recipe with chickpeas (garbanzo beans) flavored with bacon,
tomatoes, onion and garlic.

Recipe for How to Cook Stewed Tomato Gravy