Oh no! I can hear you saying it right now. She’s not writing about S— on a Shingle. But I am!
I can’t remember when I first had creamed chipped beef but I am fairly certain it came out of the freezer section of the supermarket and was made by Stouffer’s. You must remember that my 
mother didn’t cook. When my sister and I were little we could barely contain our excitement when she brought home Swanson’s TV Dinners. So exotic. So delicious. Finding Stouffer’s was like graduating from the kiddie pool to the Olympic-sized swimming pool. I vividly remember my friend Harriett Clewis baking a couple of pans of Stouffer’s Lobster Newburg (which, for some reason, they no longer make – a pity), transferring it to a baking dish and passing it off as homemade to one of her dates in high school. Harriett’s mother couldn’t cook either.
But I digress. Stouffer’s Creamed Chipped Beef was pretty good, but once I learned to make a bechamel sauce I realized I could make my own version. Of course you have to get the dried beef in the glass jar. I don’t know what it’s used for except creamed chipped beef and cheese balls.
I promise if you try this recipe on a cold winter’s night you will not regret it. Better than Stouffer’s. Most definitely.
Creamed Chipped Beef
1 jar dried beef, sliced into thin ribbons
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups whole milk
Pepper to taste
Melt butter in a heavy pan over medium heat. Add flour to the pan and whisk for several minutes to remove the raw flour taste. Slowly pour in milk and whisk continuously until a thick sauce forms. Add pepper to taste and stir in the dried beef. Serve over generously buttered toast.
Note: Normally you would add salt to the bechamel sauce but the beef is already quite salty so you should omit any additional salt.
I grew up eating SOS, and I still like it, and even though my Dad ate it alot during WWII, he still liked it – so it must be pretty good.
Catherine, you have apparently left your region because I had this growing up in NE Ohio. I laughed out loud at the reference to the beef in the little glass jars. FLASHBACK!!!!
)
And you can use the jars for juice glasses!
Hello! I found your website while looking for pictures of chipped beef!! I was born and raised in NYC and I discovered chipped beef for the first time in my life a couple months ago when I went to visit Lancaster, PA. Dutch Country!
And. I. LOVED. IT!
Thanks for sharing your post! And now I know what S.O.S. is!!
Problem is that I grew up with it in MD as one of my favorite dishes. And living now in NYC for 5 years I cannot find it ANYWHERE! Not even just the chipped beef so I can make it at home! Has anyone found it in nyc?
Wow, not even a jar of Armor dried beef? And I thought New York was sophisticated!
i grew up in south dakota and my mom and grandmother would make this all the time! it’s also very good over mashed potatoes! you can also mix it with rice and it’s good!
Good to know its a universal dish. I just love it in the winter.
I just made this. First time ever. And it was a HIT! My hubby who has been eating this dish his whole life told me that it was better than when he used to buy it when he went out to eat. And I truly believe him. Excellent recipe! Thank you for it!
I forgot to mention he is from PA and they apparently know how to make it out there. I had it for the first time myself a month ago and fell in loved.
THANK YOU!!!!! For posting this!! I found you through Pinterest and I’m so excited to find this recipe!!! I grew up in PA and we’d go to Lancaster all the time to the Amish markets and bring some of this home. It’s so freaking good!!! I really hope I can find the main ingredient for this out in CA now.
I find it in the canned meat section of the supermarket. Glad to feed your creamed chipped beef craving – it is delish.
I grew up in NW OH and my frugal German-American mother made “dried beef gravy.” Your recipe sounds just like hers, except she used Buddig’s thin sliced beef that comes in a 2 0z. package. She also included caramelized onions in the rue. She served the gravy over boiled potatoes. Absolutely delicious!
I find those little jars of beef to be kinda high priced. So I discovered that for the bargain price of around $.25 — depending on where you live, you can get a package of Buddig beef that works just as well… IMO. The meat’s not as salty, but you can add more if you like!
Oh – yea .. and it’s also great on a baked or boiled potato!
You can also use diced ham instead of chipped beef. It is a lot less salty and better for you. I have eaten it both ways all my life and like the ham version better.
I grew up on creamed dried beef. Mom made it all the time but we mostly had it for breakfast. She used the glass jars of it & so did I & then I discovered Stouffer’s. It is just as good & way easier to make. I now make it over toasted English muffins & only for breakfast. My hometown was Philadelphia & am of PA Dutch ancestry.