S.O.S. also known as Creamy Hamburger Gravy is an old-school meal. This is a classic, simple and tasty meal that is reminiscent of military cooking!
WHAT IS S.O.S.?
If you have a military background or a military family member, then you are probably very familiar with this meal. It was my Navy Dad’s specialty. Of course, I know military families from all the branches who know exactly what you are talking about when you say “S.O.S.”. We always knew when my Mom was working late because Dad would be cooking this dish. And luckily, my brother and I enjoyed it. It’s a very simple, completely unpretentious dish. And although most of us can make this while blindfolded with one arm tied behind our backs, I figured it needed to be shared here for posterity. 😉
HOW DO YOU MAKE HAMBURGER GRAVY?
So all we’re doing here is making a creamy hamburger gravy. This is the exact same way I would make a sausage gravy. The only difference between this and sausage gravy is we would substitute the ground beef with a spicy pork sausage. It is somewhat similar to GROUND BEEF STROGANOFF.
WHAT DOES S.O.S. STAND FOR?
I grew up only ever eating this over toast. The acronym “S.O.S.” means “Sh** on a Shingle”. Yup. Really. So the “shingle” part is the toast. Some folks like it over biscuits but plain ole simple toast is how I like it best. 
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
ground beef
milk
salted butter
all-purpose flour
salt
freshly ground pepper
bread
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE S.O.S.:
In a medium sauce pan over medium high heat, brown the ground beef. Season with a little salt and pepper. Drain excess grease and set aside. Melt butter in the same sauce pan. Add flour and stir until butter/flour mixture is bubbly. Add milk, salt, and pepper. Stir constantly until thick and bubbly. Add meat and stir.
Taste and adjust seasoning as needed (I usually like a bit more pepper). Serve over toast or biscuits.
Cook’s Note: this is the exact same recipe I use for sausage gravy. Instead of ground beef, I substitute with hot, ground breakfast sausage.
Enjoy!
S.O.S. (CREAMY HAMBURGER GRAVY)
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 cups milk, 2% or higher
- 4 tbsp salted butter
- 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 12 slices bread toasted
Instructions
- In a medium sauce pan over medium high heat, brown the ground beef. Season with a little salt and pepper. Drain excess grease and set aside. Melt butter in the same sauce pan. Add flour and stir until butter/flour mixture is bubbly.
- Add milk, salt, and pepper. Stir constantly until thick and bubbly. Add meat and stir. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed (I usually like a bit more pepper). If necessary, add a little more milk until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Serve over toast.
- Note: this is the exact same recipe I use for sausage gravy. Instead of ground beef, I substitute with hot, ground breakfast sausage.
Video
Nutrition
WANT MORE CLASSIC FAVORITES LIKE THIS ONE? TRY THESE!
HAMBURGER STEAKS WITH TOMATO GRAVY
GROUND BEEF STROGANOFF
SALISBURY STEAKS
This is my favorite childhood recipe. We always called it creamed beef on French toast, AKA SOS. Many people think SOS is chipped beef but it’s not. The way my Mom made it, and the way I make it now, is like the recipe above. The only difference is that I make it with French toast. Mix up eggs and milk and dip some bread in and fry in butter. Serve the beef mixture over the warm and soft French toast. I”m drooling just thinking about it!!!
Just made this dish this morning. My wife, the picky eater of the family, loved it! I was brought back to fond memories of my service in the Army. Mostly fond anyway 😁. I would recommend this to anyone that buys the boil in a bag sos. I plan on trying it with some chipped beef next. Thanks for sharing!!
This was just called Hamburger Gravy where I grew up in NC and we’d put it over mashed taters. SOS was made with Chipped Beef which we put on toasted white bread.
S.O.S. is hamburger gravy. Had that for breakfast every morning over a ham, cheese & mushroom omelet on toast, when I was in the Army. My mom used to make chipped beef gravy on toast also but never called SOS. I am also from NC.
Hi Bob! Yes, I am used to calling the other kind Chipped Beef Gravy on Toast too. To me, that is a totally separate recipe. 🙂
I grew up in the midwest and my dad and uncle served in World War II in Germany and the Philippines respectively and they both referred to SOS as chipped beef on toast because the chipped beef was dried rations and always available. Later, My late husband, and father-in-law, were in the Korean war where again SOS was chipped beef on toast. In the early 70’s, my current husband went to a prestigious private military school where again SOS was chipped beef on toast! The Gulf war years was still in the chipped beef on toast mode when my twin boys served their country. So actually Tina is correct, SOS is chipped beef over white toast.
However, growing up on a farm, we ate a lot of ground beef and had what we called hamburger gravy over mashed potatoes or biscuits. SOS was strictly chipped beef over toast.
Perhaps Bob and yourself are of the younger generation where the military did not have to use rationed food like chipped beef.
Perhaps in the last 20 years, fresh ground beef was used at military installations…so that is why you believe the ground beef version rather than the chipped beef version. I am sure during the war, our guys were not eating ham and mushroom and egg omelets for breakfast as Bob (below) was so fortunate to have By the way, I am 76 years old.
Nope – definitely NOT the younger generation – ha! My Grandfather was a cook in WWII and later the Korean War (God rest his soul) – both times – always with ground beef. He was a Midwest boy and they worked hard to get protein into their guys. He even has a story once of having to use goat meat in the Philippines during a troop transition period. Ick! My Grandfather actually taught my father how to make it (who served in Vietnam and the Gulf War.) We are a very strong military family (all the way back to the Revolutionary War.) My aunts, Grandmother and sister-in-laws have all served and I speak with personal experience as well. I suppose there are different versions of it and they can all be called S.O.S. – just because someone’s memories and recipes are different doesn’t mean they are wrong. We can enjoy it all no matter what it is called. 🙂
Excellent recipe and a big hit at my house! I made one small change, which was adding one tablespoon of worcestershire sauce (or soy sauce would work, too) for added umami flavor. We like to put this gravy on mashed potatoes, but next time well do toast to change it up a bit!
I’ll definitely be making this again!
Thank for this recipe. My stepdad cooked this for us in the Philippines and enjoyed it very much. When I asked him what it’s called, I remember almost choking when I heard his answer.
It is also good over hashed browns and scrambled eggs.
Yes!! So true, James!
The best hamburger gravy I’ve made in a long time I’ve been trying different recipes but this is been my favorite by far unless my mother makes her hamburger milk gravy some things you just can’t duplicate and that’s one that I haven’t been able to
I love hearing that!! No one can ever create the way Momma made things. Ever. But I am so thrilled you still enjoyed this recipe. Thank you!
Excellent. This is the exact recipe my USMC Dad made for breakfast. I would rarely eat this as a kid, now I love it.
He always called it S. O. S. or Sh** On A Shingle
Thanks Jim! I love hearing everyone’s memories of this dish!
Glad to see finally someone knows what SOS really is, see a lot of recipes for SOS and it is really Creamed Chip Beef
Hi Linda – the creamed chip beef was always a separate dish – but not S.O.S. Made the same way but with dried beef. I am learning that it probably depends on which branch of the armed forces you were in and what type of meat your canteen could procure. My grandfather was an old army cook and it was always ground beef but I am sure all of these recipes are special in their own right. 🙂
Breakfast in the military was an awesome thing. I’d get the s.o.s. right over my 2 egg, cheese and mushroom omelette. Fuel for a busy day!
Going to start whipping this up around here. I miss it, and it looks pretty easy to make.
Thanks for the recipe!
Well done! Thank you for sharing this. It totally reminds me of my childhood Saturday mornings!
Grew up on this as a breakfast staple since my Grandpa made it as a cook in the Army. My mom passed the recipe to my sister and I with these changes to the above: corn starch vs flour, add garlic salt, over SOURDOUGH bread.
Used to eat this as a kid made with dry canned dried beef slices. Think it was a Hormel brand. It came in a small (2-4 oz) glass jar with a metal lid on it. Once used, you kept the jar because it could be used as a glass. Perfect for little hands is why my parents kept them as there were 6 of us kids. And, yes, it would be my Dad who made this. My Mom hated it.
Ha! I loved reading your memories Phyllis!
I also grew up eating Stuff on a Shingle, as my Dad would call it! He was in the army, stationed in Bienna at the Palace of Justice. He would always kid about the ‘Stuff’, sometimes calling it the real name to shock us kids! He would add a little bit of garlic powder or salt which gave it a little extra flavor, and it was so good. I sure miss you Dad….I love you…
That should be, Vienna, Austria!
Thank you for this recipe. Simple & good. Navy generally use dried beef because of availability on the ship.
I have been using Nutra Thik (Hormel product) for a thickening agent instead of flour or cornstarch. Very easy to use.