Pumpkin Gravy!

So, I completely invented this recipe today, and it turned out rather well. I wanted to bring something different to Nick's law school Thanksgiving potluck, and while pondering on what was in my pantry, the idea of pumpkin gravy popped into my mind. I had never heard of such a thing, but I figured someone else probably had a great recipe out there. I searched, but the only non-Indian food style pumpkin gravy I saw was this really weird sounding stuff from Food Network. Pumpkin sage gravy? With bacon? Blech! I thought it sounded super gross. Since nobody had anything tried and true that looked appealing, I made up my own! Try it out for your Thanksgiving or Christmas feast. It's tasty over mashed potatoes, stuffing, turkey, you name it. Hooray for the marvelous pumpkin!

Pumpkin Gravy
by Linda Peterson

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour (4 tbl or half a stick)
1 (15oz) can pure pumpkin puree
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 tsp paprika
Heaping 1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp onion powder
1 tsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt (if needed--it depends on how salty the broth is)
1/2 water or more, depending on your desired consistency

1. Measure the flour. Measure the chicken broth. Have both standing ready. In a sauce pan over medium/high heat, melt butter; don't allow to burn. Immediately when melted, begin to shake in the flour a bit at a time, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon to thoroughly incorporate and form a roux. Don't allow to burn.
2. Lower to medium heat. As soon as butter and flour are mixed, gradually add chicken broth, constantly stirring to mix well.
3. Add pumpkin and spices gradually as well. Lower heat a bit if mixture seems to be losing too much moisture.
4. Mix in at least 1/2 cup water to thin the gravy. If you want it even thinner, gradually add more water, thoroughly mixing after each little addition. Go slowly so as not to overthin and dilute the flavors. This is a thick gravy.
5. Taste. Add 1/4 tsp salt and a dash more pepper if your broth was perhaps not salty enough.
6. Bring to the dinner table and glob it all over your plate and ENJOY!