Almost by definition, gravy is a bit of an afterthought — one of the last things you whip up once the roast is out of the oven and everybody's getting seated for dinner. That's especially true on a holiday like Thanksgiving, when you've spent all day sweating away in the kitchen, juggling turkeys and potatoes and Brussels sprouts, organizing oven space while making sure everything gets to the table hot. When it comes time to make the gravy, it's fair to say nobody's operating at peak performance — which makes this dish susceptible to error.

Just a few seconds' distraction from the constant work of whisking can spell the difference between a silken, luscious sauce and one filled with lumps. If you've got lumps, though, don't panic — no need to just yet. Unlike, say, a burned roux, this is a problem with a fix.

In fact, it has a number of fixes, depending on what gear you have around. The bottom line: Whether it's a food processor, a Vitamix, or an immersion blender, you can blend that gravy back into submission. The immersion blender is the easiest (you give it a blitz right there in the pan), but those other machines will work just as well.

Transfer the liquid, whir till smooth, and then return it to the heat. What if you have no gear, though? Maybe you're enjoying Thanksgiving in a cabin off the grid. Luckily there are also more lo-fi ways of fixing a lumpy gravy.

All the ways you can fix lumpy gravy Gravy is typically thickened with , ingredients that make the job eas.