I wrote a column published in April about recipes for chicken and turkey a la king and noted a “memory lane” moment about how this creamy entrée was packaged in the late 1960s as a popular frozen dinner sold in supermarkets by the Banquet brand. When I listed the roster of other entrees sold in this same “Cookin’ Bag” brand line, such as Salisbury steak, roast beef and gravy, roast turkey and gravy and beef stew, I was remiss in not including creamy chipped beef.
It was quickly brought to my attention by not only readers but also my own older brothers and sisters.
Made by quickly frying up some pieces of dried corned beef in a dab of butter, the beef is then “creamed” by adding milk whisked with flour and seasonings and simmered until thickened to serve hot, usually poured over mashed potatoes or toast.
“I’m surprised you forgot chipped beef since that was always among our favorites,” my older sister Pam said.
“Do you remember growing up when Mom would also sometimes make us creamed chipped beef when she had leftover homemade chicken gravy to use as the base.”
Creamed chipped beef was a menu item my siblings recall, as I do too, served on our school lunch trays in the 1960s and 1970s. “Hamburger Gravy” served with mashed potatoes was a similar school menu offering that was an added favorite of both my older sisters and my oldest brother Tom. My sister Pam’s recipe for hamburger gravy was published in a column 12 years ago and is featured in my 2019 cookbook “Back From the Farm.”
The inspiration for Banquet Frozen Foods to include creamed chipped beef among the frozen entrees launched in the early 1960s is because of the nostalgia associated with the recipe. Frozen foods competitor Stouffer’s noticed the brisk sales and demand and followed the lead with their own frozen equivalent, which is still sold today.
The salted and “pressed” dried beef slices used for chipped beef are usually sold in grocery stores in vacuum-sealed glass jars and are shelf-stable, preserved, not requiring refrigeration, therefore making it a valued ration for military menus, especially for the U.S. Army with references dating back before World War I.
Not everyone shares my siblings’ gastronomic celebration for creamed chipped beef served over toast (or mashed potatoes), especially among some military service men and women who have a common grumble about it being an overly frequent menu item in military mess halls. Because of the abundant supply of dried beef and available access to fresh milk or even “canned milk,” creamed chipped beef was a popular menu line item to save money for kitchen commissary budgets.
A recipe for “Chipped Beef to serve 60 Men” is found published in the “1919 Manual for Army Cooks.” Calling for 15 pounds of dried beef and nearly two pounds of butter, the cookbook mentions this recipe “can easily be served in the field to large ranks of hungry soldiers.” By World War II, the recipe was dubbed with a new slang name by soldiers bored with the same menu, christening it by the new name “s*** on a shingle” or sometimes referred to as “SOS,” interpreted to be “Same Old Stuff.”
After the Vietnam War, even popular military-themed comic strips of the day like “Sad Sack and Sarge” and “Beetle Bailey” poked fun at this dish served on army menus.
And while some despise the recipe from military service days, others enjoyed the salty “stick-to-your-ribs” easy entrée, which helped increase demand for the popular frozen variations.
Many recipes use basic seasonings such as those common pantry spices that similarly would be available in a military base kitchen commissary. However, a number of cookbooks reference that adding a few drops of Worcestershire sauce is key to capturing taste and flavor.
I like the basic recipe for creamed chipped beef printed in Volume Seven of the 1958 “Mary Margaret McBride’s Encyclopedia of Cooking.” The popular home economist and early radio and TV food personality McBride, who died at age 76 in 1976, referred to this version as her “master recipe,” although my mom has found adding a scant teaspoon of chicken bouillon paste (and a few drops of Worcestershire) enhances the flavor.
Columnist Philip Potempa has published four cookbooks and is a radio host on WJOB 1230 AM. He can be reached at PhilPotempa@gmail.com or mail your questions: From the Farm, PO Box 68, San Pierre, Ind. 46374.
Mary Margaret McBride’s Creamed Chipped Beef
Makes 6 servings
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 pound dried beef
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups whole milk or light cream or 2 cans evaporated milk
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon paste or 1 cube chicken bouillon (optional)
3-4 drops Worcestershire Sauce, optional
Directions:
Sauté beef lightly in butter until edges curl slightly.
Slowly stir in the flour over bubbling butter and beef until smooth.
Gradually stir in milk or cream until simmering mixture boils and thickens.
Season with black pepper and other seasonings as desired and serve over toast.
