Creamed chipped beef on toast that is. A real depression era classic. If you were in the service you may have known this recipe by a different name – Shit-on-a-Shingle, or by its less vulgar initials, SOS. Whatever you call it, it’s a great and inexpensive way to stretch out leftover beef (roast beef, pot roast, ground beef) or even sausage or ham.
I’m guessing the military cooks overplayed this chow given how cheap and easy it is to throw together. That being the case, it probably made an appearance on mess hall menus more often than our boys in uniform would have liked – hence the scatological moniker. Well, that’s my theory anyway.
This is a starchy delight to be sure, best served for breakfast or lunch so that you have some day ahead of you to burn off all those carbs. A gentle dusting of cayenne pepper over top gives it a little heat, which I like, but I think black pepper is more traditional.
Need This
1-1/2 pounds leftover cooked meat (any kind) – rough chopped
1 tablespoon of butter
2 cups of milk
3 tablespoons of flour
Garlic powder
Worcestershire sauce
Salt
Ground black pepper or cayenne
Sliced white bread
Do This
In a large fry pan with deep sides, melt the butter over low heat. Add the chopped meat to the pan and stir around a little until the meat is warmed.*
Now add the milk, flour, several generous shakes of garlic powder, 3 good pumps of the Worcestershire, and salt to taste.
Continue heating over low heat stirring frequently until the sauce starts to bubble and thicken.
Toast your white bread (the shingles) until well toasted (on the dark side).
Plate the bread and slather the hot creamed meat over the top. Top with a dusting of black or cayenne pepper. Serve hot.
It will not be pretty to look at, but that’s part of the charm. Serve with hot coffee for breakfast, cold beer for lunch.
Serves 4.
*This recipe assumes already cooked meat that only needs to be warmed up. If you are using raw meat then of course you must brown it longer and then throw off the fat before adding the milk. GMN