Creamed Chipped Beef on Toast (S.O.S.)
Do you have any recipes from your childhood that you still crave? Chipped beef on toast is one of those recipes for me. I know it’s not fancy or healthy, but I still absolutely love it. My dad made it for us often while we were growing up and it has always been one of my very favorite breakfasts. Since it’s not good for any of us, I only make this recipe once a year, usually for my birthday.
I made it today to celebrate my dad’s 80th birthday and I wish he could have been here to eat it with us, but he was happy I made it in his honor. It tasted amazing like usual and we all devoured every last bite.
Creamed Chipped Beef on Toast (S.O.S.)
Ingredients:
- 1 jar of dried beef slices rinsed well & chopped
- 4 tbsp butter
- 4 tbsp flour
- Pinch of cayenne
- 2 cups milk
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
- Bread toasted
How to Make Creamed Chipped Beef on Toast (S.O.S.)
Rinse the slices of dried beef very well—they are VERY salty! Once you have rinsed well, pat dry with a paper towel. Chop the beef into small bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
Heat the butter in the large saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and pinch of cayenne pepper to the melted butter and whisk until well combined and cooked through, about 45 seconds.
Very slowly add the milk while whisking continually. Once the milk has all been added, add the chopped dried beef. Cook, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes until thickened. Taste and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste, if needed. Serve on top of dry toast immediately. Enjoy.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 jar of dried beef slices rinsed well & chopped
- 4 tbsp butter
- 4 tbsp flour
- Pinch of cayenne
- 2 cups milk
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
- Bread toasted
Instructions
- Rinse the slices of dried beef really well - they are VERY salty! Once you have rinsed well, pat dry with a paper towel.
- Chop the beef into small bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
- Heat the butter in the large saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the flour and pinch of cayenne pepper to the melted butter and whisk until well combined and cooked through, about 45 seconds.
- Very slowly add the milk while whisking continually.
- Once the milk has all been added, add the chopped dried beef.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes until thickened.
- Taste and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste, if needed.
- Serve on top of dry toast immediately. Enjoy.
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It looks like a quick and delicious lunch!
In my mind, the ‘real deal’ is the American ‘from a can’ 5 minute version my mom – the Army Brat would make. Canned corned beef- fried- dump in, a can of cream of mushroom soup, and a soup can of water to blend it all!
Yours is authentic, healthier and delicious- but that canned mushroom soup? It’s the American Morher Sauce you make with a can-opener!
We frizzled the beef, cooking it in butter then adding the flour. We also added sliced hard boiled eggs.
With 5 brothers and 3 sisters we always seem to have 2 or 3 slices of bread especially the heels left in the bag when another was open. So my mother served this dish using all the left over bread especially the ends no one would eat.Always loved it.
Looks delicious Pam. We get a craving and make it every once in a while – probably less than your once/year. My mom made it when we were kids but Dad wasn’t a fan as he said he ate it almost every day while serving in WWII.
My father referred to this by the name you infer via the initials. I like it, too, but have never made it; I didn’t know about the jars of dried beef. Now you have me wanting chipped beef!
i haven’t had this since college, and it was always a favorite then. when it came up on the weekly menu, we were always among the first people in the cafeteria! i suppose i should try to make it from scratch, maybe relive those days a little! 🙂
Ah army food elevated to gourmet level. Your version looks delicious.
My mom always served it on soda crackers (probably out of bread til shopping day)Love this stuff. Another cracker topper was an American cheese sauce with tons of sliced green olives. Yum.
I have always loved this stuff, I didn’t know the derogatory name (SOS) until I got older.
I saw this a while back and brought back memories growing up, we had it a lot when I was a child. Made me hungary for it and made it and served it with homemade biscuits. It tasted so good and my husband loved it. It is a very inexpensive meal and delicious.
I make mine with Carl Buddig sliced cored beef. It’s less salty and already dry. And I add sliced hard boiled eggs. I out regular salt and use celery salt or Mrs Dash for seasoning.
I always use the Carl Buddig in the packages too. I never heard of the meat in a jar but that’s the way I grew up eating it. Sometimes mom would add chopped hard boiled eggs to stretch it even further. I had also neve r heard of using hamburger as this would have been greasy and more expensive. I still make this all the time and don’t understand why people say it’s not healthy.
SOS is this method but using ground beeef. This dried beef dish originated in S E Pennsylvania, and it it is never called SOS here.
Not certain where you live in SE PA?…..but would love to hear your knowledge on the subject……
Grew up in PA Dutch area, and called it SOS in the ’80s. Love the suggestion to add sliced eggs or peas.
Just had this discussion with my husband and parents. I’m from Lancaster County but live in the Lehigh Valley area now. SOS is known by the two versions even within an hours drive. I grew up with the c.c.beef but learned about the WWII version just yesterday. Making SOS (c.chipped beef) today for my adult son, over toast and home fries.
That Nick name come from the military. Which reminds me, we never had hash browns. They were either hash blacks or hash whites. 🙂
Great base recipe. Can’t find jars of beef, so I just go to the lunch meat section and get a package of sliced beef. I also add frozen peas(sometimes) to the cream sauce as it’s cooking. Yummm
And yes it is good on biscuits
Grew up loving this simple dish have continued cooking and serving to my kids as they grew . Now the tradition continues with them. Me, I have this 3 sometimes 4 times a year.
It is also delicious over mashed potatoes !
Years ago ( 1930 and later) when my Mother and Dad butchered a beef they always knew which part of the beef would be cured into dry beef. We had Dried Beef sandwiches on home made rye bread.
I love this version. It came out perfect! Our favorite is over toast and home fries with onions then topped with dippy eggs. Not as healthy as some! But we love it!
Follow the recipe directions, but, add Worcestershire sauce to your taste (not much). My mom added it and us five boys loved it!
My Dad would always cook this meal on my birthday because it was my favorite! My dad’s version is very similar but he also always added diced up hard boiled eggs and peas . He would serve it over toast or potatoes (he would cut up potatoes and boil them but wouldn’t mash them, to add texture )
My dad used to make this on special Sundays, and as a child I never wanted to touch it. As an adult, I LOVED it. My dad’s recipe had a few extras, like a jar of capers and a “touch” of alcohol….bourbon maybe? I wish someone had his recipe, but alas, he never wrote it down because he made it differently each time.
Jan 24, 2019– My mom made this when I was growing up. Its a very simple dish, filling and easy to make. Its good over toast, or for something more healthy, serve over …
my mom made this for us kids, and i made it for my kids. i used the Carl buddig package of corned beef, and added hard boiled eggs and peas to the cream sauce along with the corned beef. it was really good. we had it on toast. easy and quick to make.
Army family of 8. Not a lot of money and my mom made it with ground beef as it went much farther.
We all loved it!
We have always called the ground beef version Hamburger Gravy and my ex .are a version that was all eggs that was called egg heavy.
My mom made this for dinner often when I was growing up (in S.E. PA) and I still love it. She always called it Creamed Chipped Beef, I never heard of S.O.S until after becoming an adult! Like you, I only crave it once in a while, but oh my, when I do, I really do! My 37th birthday is coming up in a week, and I am buying the beef to make this for my bday lunch. Can’t wait!
Everyone seems to make this as simple and traditional as possible. That’s fine, but as it was a poor man’s meal with few ingredients it’s a bit bland. Try substituting a ratio of 2/1 cream and milk, a little garlic powder, paprika, and a healthy dose of Worcester sauce(make sure it’s Lea and Perrins, not an imatation) just don’t use too much flavorings. Keep it balanced with the salt, butter, cooked flour and meat.
This is exactly what I grew up with. I think you have to be older to remember this with the jarred dried beef, which is kinda hard to find these days. I don’t like it made any other way. Thanks for posting this. Fun eating something I haven’t had for many, many years.
Lori,
This was one of my dad’s favorite breakfasts and it then became one of mine. It’s hard to find the jarred dried beef here in Oregon too… there is only one grocery store that sells it around me so I stock up! I’m so glad you liked the recipe.
-Pam
We are having this for dinner tonight used to have it as a child. Had it about 2nyears ago at my aunts it was just as good as I remember it being
I have enjoyed this recipe as well as a child and now also my daughters and grandchildren enjoy it as well. As I heard one time is that it’s hard getting past your raising.
My dad, whom we all called Pop, would make this for us on holidays when we were kids. Nothing reminds me of home more than SOS.
Though you hardly ever hear people mention it, I have a suspicion that dads cooking this for their kids is one of the most time-honored and loved American traditions.
Thanks for the recipe, feeling a little homesick at the moment.
Roy,
I’ve made this recipe so many times since my dad passed away two years ago. It always brings me comfort and makes me think of my dad. I’m glad the recipe reminded you of home & your family.
-Pam
My mom made this for my dad as well. I think it was an army thing. Mom used buddig beef lunchmeat instead.
My mom would call this shit on a shingle. Delicious childhood favorite despite her phrasing.
i love your blog
Thanks for the recipe! My late Mum told me about S.O.S years ago. I’ve never had it but will certainly be making it soon
A pinch of cayenne is way less than you think, friends! I made it for my 80 year old father and tried some. We are both sweating.
Pam,
I’m sorry it was a bit spicy for you and your dad.
-Pam
Ah, while yours is a tribute to your father, mine is a tribute to my dear departed mother. She made this recipe with a cheap lunch meat. I think it was Buddig brand beef. I made it for years and for some reason stopped. This reminder has given me a craving for this simple but beloved comfort food. I think I have some turkey lunch meat and if I don’t fix it tonight I certainly will tomorrow. Thank you for the lovely reminder.
The only small differences I remember were to rinse the jar of beef a couple of times the night before and soak in the fridge overnight and a final rinse before slicing.
The second was to add the beef to the pan with the butter to simmer and bring out the flavor then add the flour and later the milk.
Thanks for posting a simple tasty recipe I have been encouraging my Granddaughter to try to make a meal that’s more than a can of soup or 6 minutes freezer to table via the microwave.
She loved it and said she thinks she could make it herself.
CV,
I’m so happy your granddaughter enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for taking the time to share. I hope your granddaughter continues to try cooking!!
-Pam
I like it with part dried beef and part fried Buddig beef
Is a good recipe. I tweeked it a little bit.
Kimberly,
I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for taking the time to let me know.
-Pam
why isn’t chipped beef on toast good for you?
Paul,
White gravy, very salty dried beef, and white bread aren’t the healthiest ingredients, but I still love to make it every once in a while!
-Pam
I first ate SOS, made with chopped beef in the Army. I then married a girl from Lancaster, PA and was introduced to “Frizz Beef” SOS.
For the past 54 years I have been making SOS with Frizz Beef, with the addition of mushrooms.
Creamed chipped beef on toast is a classic comfort food that never fails to satisfy! This recipe is simple yet incredibly delicious, making it perfect for a cozy breakfast or brunch. Thank you for sharing this nostalgic dish. I can’t wait to recreate it at home and enjoy its comforting flavors!
As a kid my mom would make this every few weeks. As an adult now and having to watch salt intake, I use canned tuna instead of the chipped beef. I also add peas. Think I like it better than the chipped beef.
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Exactly how my mom made it. Except no cayenne, and I like regular white bread. Mom made it for us kids, my dad did not like it, as he was in the army and I guess he ate it all the time. He didn’t like chicken either, same reason.
Thanks!
Being in a military family growing up, we ate this all the time! It was always served on base for breakfast. I still make it occasionally today. My daughter asked if I could make it for Christmas morning breakfast because she has not had it in a long time. Was telling her boyfriend about it. So I looked up your recipe, and I will make it for her! Always a treat and brings back my childhood.