My husband loves biscuits and gravy for breakfast. I’m not a huge fan myself because I like to stay away from white flour foods. However, I will indulge his whims from time to time just so that he doesn’t feel deprived.
While I prefer making gravy from scratch, sometimes I will resort to a pre-packaged mix. One of the best I have found so far comes from Southeastern Mills. It is their Old Fashioned Biscuit Gravy Mix.
The company promises a down home taste and they deliver on that promise. The gravy is rich, creamy and utterly delicious.
One 4.5-oz package of Southeastern Mills Old Fashioned Biscuit Gravy Mix makes 3.5 cups of gravy. With .25 cup recommended as a serving, that means there are 12 servings per package.
Each serving represents 50 calories. Of that amount, 30 are fat related.
There are 3 grams of fat in Southeastern Mills Old Fashioned Biscuit Gravy Mix, which doesn’t sound too bad. Unfortunately, 1.5 grams of that fat comes from trans fat. Another 2 gram comes from saturated fat.
Southeastern Mills Old Fashioned Biscuit Gravy Mix contains 6 grams of carbohydrate, 1 gram of sugar and 240 milligrams of sodium. It does not; however, contain any cholesterol.
Unfortunately, Southeastern Mills Old Fashioned Biscuit Gravy Mix has little nutritional value on its own. It contains no protein or fiber. The only nutrient value is the 2% of daily-recommended thiamin that it provides.
Ingredients include buttermilk solids, corn syrup solids, modified cornstarch, bleached enriched wheat flour, natural flavors, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, salt and sugar. It also contains annatto extract, artificial flavors and colors, carrageenan, mono and diglycerides, maltodextrin, sodium caseinate, sodium citrate, potassium phosphate and sodium silicoluminate.
Southeastern Mills Old Fashioned Biscuit Gravy Mix is simple to make. Simply pour 2 cups of water into a small saucepan and bring it to a rolling boil.
Next, pour Southeastern Mills Old Fashioned Biscuit Gravy Mix into a medium sized bowl, making a well in the center of the mix. Slowly add 1 cup of cool water into the well. Begin mixing the dough.
Finally, add the gravy blend into the boiling water, continuing to stir as you go. Remove the pan from heat and keep stirring until the desired consistency is achieved. Serve over biscuits or any other food of your choice.
To jazz up the gravy a bit, try adding cooked bacon, hamburger meat, polka kielbasa or sausage. You can even add the pan drippings from those meats into the mix if you so desire.
Here is my summary review:
Taste: 5 stars. My husband and I both love this gravy. It might not be good for you, but it sure does taste good.
Freshness: 4 stars. The ingredients are such that they should remain fresh for a long time. However, Southeastern Mills does provide an expiration date on every package of its biscuit mix.
Nutrition: 5 stars. While this biscuit mix appears low in fat, one must note that part of the fat it does contain comes from trans fat. With many people attempting to remove trans fat from their diets, this could cause some to steer clear of this mix. On the other hand, it should be noted that Southeastern Mills Old Fashioned Biscuit Gravy Mix is also low in carbs and contains no sugar or cholesterol. It is kind of a trade off that each individual will have to weigh for themselves.
Reputation: 5 stars. Southeastern Mills enjoys a solid reputation for good products. Its biscuit mix is no exception.
Packaging: 4 stars. The packaging is simple but effective. The Southeastern Mills logo is printed against a pale yellow background. The bag itself is white with navy trim and green and gold print. It is distinctive enough to cause note although perhaps not bright enough in color to draw new customers to the mix.
Ease of storage: 5 stars. The bag measures 7″ by 4.5″. It is basically flat although the bottom is made so that it could be stood up on a flat surface. Either way, the packaging is small enough to store almost anywhere in the kitchen; a cabinet shelf, pantry or drawer.
Availability: 4 stars. I found this mix quite by accident. Since then, I have made a concerted effort to find it again. I must say, it appears not to have wide distribution. However, it should be easy to locate in large food chains or even discount department stores that have a food section that carries a wide variety of product lines.
Price: 5 stars. I got my package of Southeastern Mills Old Fashioned Biscuit Gravy Mix for under $1. That’s a bargain, making each serving less than $.10 each.
Product purchase probability: 5 stars. I will definitely keep this product on hand for my husband.
Final rating: 4.7 stars. Southeastern Mills Old Fashioned Biscuit Gravy Mix is a good product and definitely worth a try.
RATING SCALE:
5 stars = outstanding
4 stars = good
3 stars = average
2 stars = below average
1 star = poor
