S.O.S. (Creamy Hamburger Gravy)
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 and his Army Dad before him. 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 very similar to the way I make my Homemade Sausage Gravy. The only difference between this and sausage gravy is we would substitute the ground beef with a spicy pork sausage. It’s also 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. In addition, some people also call Creamed Chipped Beef “S.O.S.” but this is how we make it and have for the last 80 plus years.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)
- ground beef
- milk
- salted butter
- all-purpose flour
- salt and pepper
- bread
HOW 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.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
- Creamed Chipped Beef
- Chicken a la King
- Ground Beef Stroganoff
- Crock Pot Meatloaf Meatballs
- Ground Beef and Gravy
- Hamburger Steaks with Tomato Gravy
- Slow Cooker Hamburger Potato Soup
- Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak
- Crock Pot Meatloaf
- Air Fryer Meatloaf
- Hamburger Hash
S.O.S. (Creamy Hamburger Gravy)
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 cups milk, 2% or higher
- 4 Tablespoons salted butter
- 4 Tablespoons 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 whisk until butter/flour mixture is bubbly.
- Add milk, salt, and pepper. Whisk continuously until thick and bubbly.
- Add cooked ground beef back in 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.
Video
Notes
- Note: this is the exact same recipe I use for sausage gravy. Instead of ground beef, I substitute with hot, ground breakfast sausage.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
My Air Force dad taught my scandalized French mother how to make this dish. Being French, she insisted on sauteed onions and garlic as well as herbs. We loved it! As an adult, I have added a couple of teaspoons of Worcester Sauce. Still love it. And yes, over toast.
I add diced onion with the beef and end with cream of mushroom soup ( new addition to an old favorite). Just add the soup right from the can until you get the right constancy.
I loved eating s@$t on shingles. When I was very young and my step dad was dating my mom he came over for dinner and I asked my mom if we could have s@$t on shingles! Hahahaha he looked at me with such a surprised expression and exclaimed, “Creamed beef on toast!” My 4 year old self preceded to argue with him that it was in fact called s@$t on shingles!!! Hahahaha oh goodness. Gotta love growing up army!
Wow this isn’t just a recipe it’s about memories going back to parents and grandparents. My dad was NAVY in WWII and Korea and had many stories of his 14 years in the service. I passed this recipe along to family and friends too. Thanks to wqall that served.
In my active duty Army days this was served at breakfast and I ate it over an omelet. Found it in a couple delis over the years and still like it.
Thank you for this. My Air Force dad used to make this for us kids when my mom had to work. This was always a special treat for me. He died twenty years ago and I never knew how to make it. I really crave it in the winter. Even my now 24 year old daughter remembers eating this.
My mom use to make this when I was a kid. She would use half and half instead of milk and put peas in it because I would not eat vegies
I still make hamburger gravy,but when I was in the army I stumbled upon the gravy after I had french toast on my plate and of course I didn’t use any syrup just some butter on it,you had to get to the end of the serving line to add your condiments ,but when I got towards the end I saw the hamburger gravy and said put it on my french toast and it was even better than just on butter toast,both ways are good but I believe to me anyways its way better on french toast my kids love it not so much on regular toast but french toast is better so give it a try,ifin you unsure just make one piece if you dont like it no harm but I reckon you’ll change your mind once you try it that way,but just make the french toast just milk and egg kind no powder sugar just plain I’ve been eating it that way since 1980,and my kids ask for it alot,sorry for so long,give it a try and you won’t be disappointed
for a better flavor, fry a few pieces of bacon first. use the drippings from the bacon as a substitute for the butter when making the ‘gravy’ (some might think it’s more of a roux, frankly i don’t know the difference). if you haven’t munched the bacon during the cooking, you can crumble it up and add it with the ground beef.
My mom always made this. My dad of course was a Navy man! Sometimes she made it with ground beef, sometimes tuna and my favorite was canned fish flakes! All three were delicious! We often had it for supper when we would get home late because of some activity we were at!????
My dad was a Army cook, during the Korean war. He used to make SOS quit a bit at home. Thats where I got my love for it. And Im a 14 year Army vet. I ate it every time it was offered to me or on the menu at the mess hall. I put it on my eggs my potatoes, my biscuits, and my toast.I LOVE IT!!! Ive also always used a tbl spoon of Worcestershire sauce when I make mine.
Havent had this in so long and come across this recipe today. So guess what i made! 4 year old loved it! Thanks.
Delicious but like my mom I added worsteshire .. needs a little more salt, but over biscuits or toast it’s amazing comfort food
Love hearing about recipes from the past…please keep them coming!
I learned about this from my WWII Army cook father. The only difference is we used corn starch mixed in a little cold water, for thickening. Still have this every once in a while
Hi Darla,
I use cornstarch as well, but as I’m browning my meat I add. a package of Lipton onion soup mix. Yummy!!!
All this time I thought my dad was joking about the name! Sorry dad! He was a cook for the National Guard. We ate it over mashed potatoes when he or mom would make it, though. Brings back memories of him and mom in the kitchen cooking together. God rest their souls! I still love it and actually think I will be making this tomorrow….yummy!
I grew up on this (my Dad was an Army vet), but he always added chopped onion. It’s what makes that SOS taste (doesn’t it taste bland without it?) I always add a little garlic powder or minced garlic when Browning the meat and onions….good stuff!!!
That’s how my stepfather made it, too. He was a veteran of Korea and Vietnam. We miss him terribly.
I make this for my husband, it’s the only gravy he will touch. He has his over baked potatoes. I usually have mine over saltines. I tried white rice once, didn’t work out well.
My husband brought this recipe into our home from the U.S.Army. Only he never used hamburger, He always used chopped chipped beef. That is the way we always had it and loved it. Even though he has passed, I still make it for myself.
I love this dish, I use to eat it all the time in the Air Force but didn’t know how to make it until now. I’ve made it about eight times since finding the receipe and it turns out wonderful each time.
Hi Jim! First of all, thank you so much for your service to our country! Secondly, thank you for coming back and leaving your feedback. It means the world!
Made this tonight served over cheddar mashed potatoes and it was great. My dad was a single parent and made this and a couple other meals he learned from his days in the army. He changed the chipped beef to hamburger cuz my brothers and I didn’t care for it that way but it was one of my favorites even after he learned how to cook ???? thanks for a great recipe.
Love hearing this Kymberle! And I love that it brings back so many good memories for so many of us!!
I have this same recipe I found in an old cook book, the only difference is mine uses canned evaporated milk. My husband was in the Army and he wanted me to make some, my kids loved and I still make it. It is great when camping or on vacation, freeze it and take it with you.
This brings back memories. My mother made this with Chipped beef. When I was in the Marines I had it both ways. Then I became a Marine’s wife and to stretch our grocery budget it was made often. When I got divorced and was a single Mom I fixed it, again to stretch the grocery budget. I haven’t made it for a while but I think I will soon. Great comfort food and I need to stretch that budget again.
My family made sos the same way. But we also did it with bacon,peas and hard boiled eggs. These where 2 of our favorite meals even today and passed it down to our children and childrens, children.Everyone loves it.
My daddy was a Marine and he made this for us all the time. My children loved when papa would make them S.O.S and boiled eggs. We miss him so much as he passed in 2010. I try to make this for at least twice a year.
Every time my grandma and I get to talking about what we are making for dinner, SOS comes up. It’s still one of her go-tos, though she uses chipped beef instead of ground. My dad made it in college a lot too, and he’d throw in a can of veggies to make it a complete meal 😉
I make mine with Cream of Mushroom soup. 3 cups of milk and salt and pepper.. Put it over mashed potatoes for supper. Put leftovers in the fridge for S.O.S. in the morning for breakfast. Awesome!!!
Me too!
Growing up in the 30′ and 40’s SOS was chipped beef gravy on toast and Hobo Stew was hamburger gravy served on toast or mashed potatoes.. You cannot get the old fashioned chipped beef anymore. I asked my butcher why and he said it’s against the law to make it anymore like they used to. Love both types though and still make the hamburger gravy. Thanks for the reminder. I haven’t made it in a while, now I want to.
You can still buy it anywhere. It comes in a small jar.
Dried chipped beef is still available in many stores and is in a small glass with a metal lid
Yes but it’s very salty.. pork sausage.. or want beef. Try, chopped up fine sirloin steak ..
That works too. Love it.
I loved both creamed hamburger and chipped beef as a kid and am going to make this tonight!
I have purchased the dried beef and it appears to be available from different vendors, including Walmart. Hormel makes it, it comes in a jar maybe 2.5 oz. and I’d guess it would be near Spam. It’s quite salty but totally delicious with a white gravy. I love peas in the hamburger version. Dinner tonight!!!!
I never had this while growing up, but once I joined the Army, it became my favorite breakfast meal. Thank you for the memories.
we called this hobo gravy when growing up
my mom served it with creamy mashed potatoes, yummy
Go to any chow hall on any military base and you can have a big helping. quick meal just ad a veggie.
I love creamed hamburger over toast or mashed potatoes!
I add peas or mixed veggies.
I grew up on SOS on toast. Still make it for my kids. I love it.
I grew up I rural Ohio. Our school cafeteria cooled many of your recipes! Brings back a lot of memories. We moved from a large city to the country when I was a teen. I loved living in the country. I still do! And I’m loving all your recipes!!
Oh yes, I remember this from my elementary school days. The only difference was they would serve it over mashed potatoes – I loved it. I think I will be making this real soon for my family. Thank you for sharing & also, thank you for the memories.
Love hamburger gravy and love your pic of it beautiful plated on toast, brought back a wonderful childhood memory, toast was the only way mom mad it!
I’ve only heard of this being made with chipped beef. That is what I grew up with! But I’m gong to try this one, too! I, too, am going to make a big batch and freeze it! Thanks for the memories.!
My grandpa was in Vietnam so this is a regular dish in our family, though we serve it over mashed potatoes. Delicious!
Try it over crinkle-cut French fries!
Oh that sounds delicious!!
Golly, I remember this dish. I made it a lot because my son always loved it. It was an easy dish to make too. My mom would make it a lot, too. I still do.
We make it with chipped beef, fry the chopped chip beef in butter, when brown add flower and milk. stir over medium heat until bubbly. great on toast, fried potatoes, even french fries in a pinch!
My mom this for us. There were 5 children. We loved it over waffles!
Harvey ??? Gravy
I had never even heard of hamburger Harvey until about a month ago, I got the recipe out of a friends family cook book. My husband and I loved it! We froze half and ate it again a week later ???? I’m 63 yrs old, I thought SOS was creamed chipped beef on toast or creamed tuna … still learning new/old things!
LOVED IT AS A CHILD GROWING UP. WHEN I WAS DIVORCED AND BROKE WITH 2 LITTLE KIDS WE ATE CREAMED TUNA ON TOAST OR RICE.
Sharon we were 2 struggling people in college in the 60’s and did good to afford a can of tuna, but this was so yummy whenever we could. we had 3 babies and one on the way..Wish the kids now a days could see and enjoy the sweet pleasures of life and survival. We made it!!! have a great year! I commend you!
My mom used to make this for us with chopped up hard boiled egg added and it was really good.
I love this with hamburger & chipped beef. The only thing I add is a dash of Worchestershire as a little extra flavor to the hamburger recipe.
It isn’t the same without the Worcestershire!!!!
According to the Navy’s 1952 recipe for Minced Beef on Toast, the commissaryman braised ground beef and chopped onions in a “steam-jacketed kettle.” He then added flour to the meat and cooked until it browned. Shortening was used if the meat was lacking in fat content.
Canned tomatoes, mace or nutmeg, salt, ground black pepper and water was added. The mixture was then simmered 10 to 15 minutes.
This recipe is from a copy of the Navy’s commissary handbook of recipes given to me by a former Navy cook.
Sounds yummy! My dad was Navy, as well, in the early 60s. He remembers hamburger gravy like the posted recipe AND the minced beef recipe you refer to . He cannot decide which one he likes best!
Yes! I was trying to explain to someone that chipped beef and gravy is different from this. Both are good but they are basically two versions of the same recipe. I love them both!! Please tell your Dad that we thank him for his service!
I recall my Air Force days (1956-60) when I’d frequently stay up late just to catch midnight chow in order, to enjoy the SOS. Poured the gravy over a piece of toast and topped it off with a pat of butter. Ahh, those were the days!
This sounds more like the SOS I remember. I joined the Navy in 55
Love this recipe! I often put it over rice and its sooo good!! So versatile, you can put it over biscuits, add cheese to it – what ever your imagination can think of. Thanks for sharing!
This recipe is a favorite in Central PA but made with the dried beef. Love it for any meal.!
Another great memory of my mom. We had this often and we all loved it. I actually made it a week ago because I was thinking of her. Thanks for the retro recipes, love memories of a simpler time.
This is the definitive meal of my childhood tho my mother would use whatever bread she had on hand, including the last few hot dog buns or leftover biscuits. We eagerly lapped it up! Thanks for the reminder – I need to make it soon. (:
My grandmother used to make this for her kids back when they made recipes that tried to stretch a pound of meat a lot further –40’s and 50’s–her gravy would be a little thinner. My mom would make it sometimes, too, when I was a kid, but we always added a slice of cheese on top.
Yes! Boy does that bring back memories of my navy dad. Sometimes my mom would make it with dried chipped beef. It was also a fav of my late husband, and he was army (ret). Thanks for the memories 🙂
Yea my Dad would use chipped beef too, but I like both
Love hamburger gravy!! We put it over mashed potatoes. I’ve never heard of it over toast, but I’m sure it’s good!
My mom would brown the ground beef with chopped onion, then add a can of cream of mushroom soup (with maybe a bit of water?), then served over toast. Loved it!
Not the same recipe
You have to try this over toast. My Dad was in the Air Force and this was one of our favorite food he made. I still make it but have more gravy.
Same!! We ate this all the time growing up in the Air Force!
My Navy Dad, put it over anything, for us kids. Toast, rice, mashed potaties, hashbrowns, noodles….literally anything lol……he also added onions and sometimes, mushrooms.
So so so good ! Makes me remember him !!
My Dad did the same thing and it tasted great no matter what you put the gravy over.
Gotta take the military for passing on tradition… Even S.O.S.
Not only is this a good recipe and way to eat a quick meal, but so glad it helps you to remember your father. How sweet…take care..
Me, too! Alwzys had it that way at school!