Creamed Chipped Beef and Toast
Creamed chipped beef and Toast or S.O.S. is a recipe originating in our nation’s military. It became popular outside the military as those who had served craved the dish once home and considered a comfort food by many.
Although not all former servicemen remembered it with fondness considering how much they had to eat the very economical meal. Those original recipe variations could have been as much as 3 times a day for those away on ships having to ration food.
Officially called creamed chipped beef, it is also more commonly referred to as S.O.S. (excuse the language…shit on a shingle) and remains a popular dish today.
This popular military dish of sos gravy may have been prepared differently depending on which branch of the military it was being served. The navy found the dried beef essential because a canned meat was shelf stable.
The army cooks might used ground beef instead mixed with the creamy white gravy since they had easier access to fresh supplies.
There are some who also consider sausage gravy to be called creamed chipped beef. Anyways, from mess halls to home cooks, let’s talk about how to make the best creamed chipped beef.
How to make Chipped Beef
What is creamed chipped beef made of? Here’s what you’ll need:
- 4 tablespoons of Butter (half a stick)
- 1/3 cup of Flour (all purpose flour)
- 3 cups of Whole Milk
- Cracked Black Pepper, to taste
- Dried Beef, sliced
- Toasted Texas Toast Bread Slices ( regular white bread slices or biscuits or mashed potatoes)
I get a lot of questions asking if you can use Buddig beef (like you get in the refrigerated deli section) and of course the answer is yes, if that is what you want to use.
I like to use the class dried beef that comes in the little glass jar that you find in the canned meats section of your local grocery store.
Optional ingredients from comments that I’ve received that you might like: mushrooms, peas, a dash of Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, or whatever you might like to add for an easy meal.
Favorite Comfort Foods
Chipped Beef
The dried beef slices are small rounds before chopping into smaller pieces. Some folks like to soak the slices in warm water prior to chopping to remove some of the excess salt.
Personally, I do not soak the beef and think it adds the required salt needed for the creamy white gravy so no additional salt is need in the recipe.
If you decide to soak it, use a paper towel to blot dry before slicing.
Creamy Beef Gravy
Give the dried beef a rough chop into bite sized small pieces or thin slices and set aside until needed for the cream sauce.
Dried Beef Gravy
SOS Gravy
Above is one of the original photos when I first published this post. I decided to give it a makeover and had a new photoshoot to get better pictures to share in this recipe that is so loved by many.
Creamed Chipped Beef with Dried Beef
Where do you buy dried beef? Dried beef can typically be found at your local grocery store in small glass jars where you find other canned meats.
Let’s make a batch of Creamed Chipped Beef & Toast – S.O.S.
Homemade Creamed Chipped Beef & Toast Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons Butter
- 1/3 cup All Purpose Flour
- 3 cups Whole Milk
- Cracked Black Pepper to taste
- 4.5 ounce Dried Beef sliced
- Toasted Texas Toast Bread Slices
Instructions
- Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the butter.
- When the butter is melted and begins to bubble add the flour and mix to combine.
- Simmer the roux for 2-3 minutes to cook away the raw flour taste.
- Next, add the milk and stir or whisk to combine.
- Add cracked black pepper and the chipped beef to the white sauce and simmer 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened.
- Serve over toasted bread (shingles) , biscuits, or hashbrowns.
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Q & A with Tips for making Creamed Chipped Beef and Toast
What to serve with creamed chipped beef and toast? The creamed chipped beef is usually served on toasted bread as a meal. You could also serve it along with fresh fruit, fruit salad, bacon, sausage, or eggs prepared to your liking.
How long does creamed chipped beef last in the refrigerator? Up to 4 days or you can freeze the meat gravy to re-heat another time.
Why is dried beef so expensive? I’m not really sure but I’ve heard from many that the cost is much higher than it used to be. I would think that might have something to do with the way that it is cured. The cost of dried beef is also why some folks opt for using hamburger, which is cheaper, and humbly nicknamed “poor man’s chipped beef”.
Be sure to serve the creamed chipped beef while it is hot and delicious. You can still find this old timey meal at favorite breakfasts places in South Carolina beach towns. This has always been one of the best recipes to fill hungry tummies on a tight grocery budget.
Other variations that have been shared with me for making chipped beef gravy:
- Some use cream of mushroom rather than making a white sauce from scratch
- Other meats that folks use also include chopped bologna, ground poultry (chicken or turkey), venison and Vienna sausages.
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Thank you so much for stopping by! I am so happy that you did. I hope that you make a batch of this nostalgic creamy beef gravy soon to enjoy as a delicious meal. It was one of my late mother in laws favorite meals for an easy supper.
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Until next time, Friend, love and happy cooking!
About Julia
Hey Y’all! I’m Julia, the cook and writer behind the recipes here at Julia’s Simply Southern. I began my website so that I could share easy to follow recipes that anyone can use to put a home cooked meal on the dinner table. Thanks so much for stopping by!
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blbtravel, yes I make this for my mom all the time, we call it creamed eggs, she also has me add canned peas.
This took me back to my childhood in Chicago. My mother would whip this up but would add peas to the recipe to make it more nutritious. Also, she toasted the bread and buttered it before covering it with the "sauce." Pure comfort food on a budget.
In our house, SOS was hamburger meat and gravy on toast. i've never heard of using chipped beef, someone mentioned it being in a jar. Is it near the lunch meats, or where is it? I am very anxious to try it
Probably find it by spam or tuna
Some people use Amour dry beef (in jars or now in pouches) I like this, but it tends to be very salty. Some people use Budding Sliced Beef in the lunch meat area of the grocery. Both are good.
regarding where in the grocery the Amour dry beef is. As Robin said in the canned meat aisle. Usually on the top shelf
Thanks for the tip Kris!
If the Armour dried beef is too salty try parboiling for a minute. I prefer the Buddig beef but it's in the refrigerated packaged meat dept. I keep the Armour on hand because it's shelf stable.
My mama made it with hamburger, and called it a Poormans SOS ,because hamburger was cheaper than the beef. Yummy too, but I love the chipped beef. And had used tuna, yummy. Around here sausage gravy on biscuits is every ones dream, I Love mine on hashbrowns.
I love S.O.S.! That stands for Sh-t on a Shingle, as the guys in the Army used to refer to it. I've made it so much that now my husband doesn't want me to make it anymore which saddens me. Guess I'll have to make it for myself. As bibtravel says above, I've also made it and included hard boiled eggs, maybe some petite peas and sometimes even a couple drops of Worchestershire sauce. Making me hungry for some right now. Have two jars of the dried beef on my shelf right now, just waiting to be made into this or SOS Dip.
🙂 Thanks for stopping by Rosebud.
My husband was in the Navy and won't eat this. That's okay with me. I make it for me whenever he is away and eat it ALL myself! So good!
You can also use Bob Evans sausage. I fry the sausage and add the flour to brown in the sausage grease, when a bit brown add milk to firm. Make biscuits and serve! Yummy!
This was a favorite that my Aunt made for us when we were there for lunch. Always loved it, must get a jar of the Chipped Beef soon!
Thanks for sharing your happy memory Caroline. 🙂
Jars are mega expensive…use Buddig in lunchmeat area
Buddig doesn't have much taste to me. I used to live in Wisconsin where you could get dried beef from all the butcher shops. That was the best there is. The jars are so salty, but I would think you could soak it in cold water for awhile like we do with half a ham to get some of the salt out. I also think the salt is some of what makes the S.O.S taste to good though.
Someone said to make sure the butcher chipped the beef, can someone explain that? I live in Ireland and we don't have the dried or chipped beef here. (I brought a jar back when last we were home). I may have to explain what I mean by chipped, so can someone explain it to me? Thank you.
Irish Fancy -maybe this will be helpful "Chipped beef is a form of pressed, salted and dried beef that has been sliced into thin pieces. Some makers smoke the dried beef for more flavor. "