I grew up a Navy brat and then spent adulthood in the Army. Amongst my assignments in the Army was as preparer of the SOS. This is about as close to the exact basic recipe home-sized as it can get. Only thing, a touch (1/2c) too much milk in the roux for 3TBS of flour.

It's SoS no matter which meat you make it from as long as it's served atop bread (toast, biscuit, waffle, ...) -- the meat can be any ground or thin sliced meat you have handy. Way-way back chipped beef is what the navy had on ships in barrels (not so many cows out in the ocean) so it was 'creamed chipped beef on toast' that was origin of the military variety. (you can still get this in jars at the grocery - soak it in fresh water first!)

The USMC, Army, and Air Force adopted it with what we had readily available most places; ground cow. 'Creamed Beef on Toast' It can as easily be ground pig, ground goat, ground sheep, even ground bird or game animal and it's still SoS. Though some eyebrows will be raised when you start deviating too much. Creamed Spam on Toast might not fly too many places but Creamed Tuna on Toast isn't too bad. I've even used last night's leftover roast beef and it's amazing good eats.

What makes it SoS is that it's creamed meat (the first S) on a bread shingle (the second S) - what makes it "gravy" is that we made a roux and then reduced a liquid with it. [make it really thin with a beef stock and you have cream of beef soup] Serve it over egg noodles with a dollop of sour cream and it's dinner. Military cooks are multitaskers. :-)

As for the roux - at sea and in-the-field it was very often powdered milk as the base. Land-side, when it was handy, some real cream is wonderful in this dish. Half-and-Half works pretty well too. Just don't go with more than 50% cream or it gets really thick really fast.

Accessories? Black pepper is just about obligatory. A few splashes (at the table) of Tabasco is many folk's favorite. Some beef stock base, Worcestershire, or (when in Europe) Maggi is great. In Asia you can use Soy, Teriyaki, Oyster/Fish Sauce, etc and it's good too. But those aren't essential to SoS - they just make it a touch more flavorful and happy on some tongues.

Great recipe Peg, thanks for lots of memories.

I remember when I ate this cream beef in the ARMY at Fort Bragg North Carolina.

My daddy used to make it with bacon chopped and chopped hard boiled eggs in the gravy. He called it SOS, on toast YUMMY. Thanks dad. I think of him every time I eat it.

The Air Force version of SOS also had Worcestershire sauce as an ingredient in the recipe.

Retired E-8

Good recipe, some differnt variations I have run accross:
seen some with either mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, jalapenos, garlic added. Seen it served in ramen noodles(minus the flavor packet), rice, toast, crossaints, and the standard toast. Of course with those who enjoy this meal regualarly, the standard anticholesterol tablet is served 1 hour prior to the meal.

Great stuff, ate it at Thailand, Okinawa, Guam and Carswell air base. Great stuff.

This reminded me of my day in the AF, except I used it over waffles or french toast. Yum yum yum!!!

Just a great breakfast over hashed brown potatoes and eggs over easy. Wash it down with a Jack on the rocks at the NCO club LOL

As an Army cook, I like to put the SOS over grits with cheese.
Just for myself. :)

Very easy to put together. Served this with a salad. My husband liked it and said it reminded him of when he was in the Navy and Coast Guard.

I ate SOS every morning for 22 years. Taught my daughter how to cook it. This recipe is the closest to what the army served than any of the others listed. Great with some bacon and eggs on the side. Sometimes a nice strip steak with it. Pour it over your fried potatoes... A plate full of heaven.

Qh Sgt. Lewis where are you... he made this for us in Korea 50 years ago and everyone looked forward to SOS day! He added some seasoning to his that made it absolutely delicious!

I fry my ground beef in Lipton beefy onion soup mix and then add the cream sauce and it is very good.

I father has been retired since '93. Just the other day he wouldn't shut up about creamed beef over toast. I guess I'll give this a try for a nice birthday breakfast.

Hard to find any place here in Hawaii that makes good SOS. Been eating it from 1967 to 1993 while in the Army. Happy to have found your recipe, will try it out tonight. I am sure it will be great. I will it now and again later...