This is the best chipped beef on toast recipe for when you want a quick and hearty breakfast. The simple white sauce combined with the fried chipped beef, all poured over thick toasted bread, will bring comfort food to any breakfast table.
If you have an extra packet of dried chipped beef, you are going to want to make my favorite chipped beef dip recipe or a chipped beef cheese ball. And if you love to make dips you are going to want to try my cast iron pizza dip, hot artichoke spinach dip, and my easy Mexican corn dip.
Ingredients to make this recipe:
- dried chipped beef, diced
- butter
- flour
- whole milk, warmed 30 second in the microwave
- Worcestershire sauce (optional)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
How to make creamed chipped beef gravy:
- In a large skillet, melt the butter and add the diced chipped beef.
- Fry the dried beef over medium high heat until it curls up and takes on color.
- Add the flour by sprinkling it over the meat and butter.
- Stir the flour into the butter and chipped beef until a paste forms.
- Slowly add warmed milk to the pan, stirring as you add it with a wooden spoon.
- Bring to a boil, stiring occasionally. Allow to thicken to desired consistency.
- Season with salt and pepper. Add the Worcestershire sauce, if desired.
- Serve over thick, toasted bread.
What if my chipped beef gravy is too thick?
Occasionally the chipped beef gravy will boil too long and get to thick and pasty. Just turn down the heat and add a tablespoon of milk at a time, stirring continually, until the desired consistency is reached.
Corned beef and dried beef are not the same. They both have a high sodium content but the corned beef is brined cured and the dried beef is just salt-cured. Dried beef is sometimes smoked for added flavor whereas corned beef is not. Be sure to try my sous vide corned beef recipe if you wanted to make a home made corned beef.
Dried beef is also called chipped beef because the beef is that has been dried and cured and sliced paper thin. It is so thin it looks like it has been chipped off instead of being sliced off the larger cut of beef. It could also be argued that the meat is dry enough that the only way to cut it is to chip it off.
Both the American Army and the Navy will lay claim to the creation of cream chipped beef served on toast. It was a recipe that was salty, warm, comforting and would fill up a hungry crew. It was also inexpensive to make considering the limited ingredients in the recipe. There is great love and distain for SOS.
If you had leftovers or wanted to make a large batch of creamed chipped beef gravy, freezing it is a great way to store it. Be sure to store in air tight containers with as much air removed as possible. Or, freeze in ice cube trays for more individual portions. Use 4-6 cubes for a serving.
I knew freeze dried beef gravy or creamed chipped beef on toast to be called SOS. There are several translations of SOS in reference to chipped beef on toast and they include: “Shit On a Shingle” ,”Stew On a Shingle”, “Same Old Stuff”, “Something On a Shingle” or sometimes “Save Our Stomachs” .
My father was in the military and somewhere along the line, I picked up the military slang for this breakfast recipe. Chipped beef on toast was often served in the mess halls of the military.
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Chipped Beef On Toast
Ingredients
- 3 ounces dried chipped beef diced
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup whole milk warmed 30 second in the microwave
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce optional
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 pieces texas toast
Instructions
- In a large skillet, melt the butter and add the diced chipped beef.
- Fry the dried beef over medium high heat until it curls up and takes on color.
- Add the flour by sprinkling it over the meat and butter.
- Stir the flour into the butter and chipped beef until a paste forms.
- Slowly add warmed milk to the pan, stirring as you add it with a wooden spoon.
- Bring to a boil, stiring occasionally. Allow to thicken to desired consistency.
- Season with salt and pepper. Add the Worcestershire sauce, if desired.
- Serve over thick, toasted bread.
Video
Notes
What if my chipped beef gravy is too thick?
Occasionally the chipped beef gravy will boil too long and get to thick and pasty. Just turn down the heat and add a tablespoon of milk at a time, stirring continually, until the desired consistency is reached.Nutrition
Sarah Mock
CEO/Owner/Founder/Culinary Blogger
Sarah Mock is a classically trained Chef and graduate of Johnson & Wales University. A culinary blogger for 12 years Sarah helps the home cook prepare her recipes with professional results.
Jennifer Farley says
Delicious! Thank you for this recipe!
wilhelmina says
This is simple and easy, thanks for the recipe!
Sarah says
Thanks Wilhemina! Sometimes simple is the best.
Sarah says
You are welcome Jennifer. I hope your family loves it as much as mine does.
Mary K says
So many memories of chipped beef on toast! A comfort food for me!
Randy says
Thanks for the instructions.