Regardless of which branch of the military lays claim to it, “Shit on a Shingle” is an easy-to-make, satisfying and relatively cheap meal which can feed plenty of people.
My daughter asked for “Shit on a Shingle” when we were making out the menu. The other two had never heard of it and definitely never tasted it. Oh my!!! This is a lapse in culinary education which begs to be rectified . . . and quickly! Growing up, our family was poor enough that we just had “bread and gravy” sans the chipped beef because we couldn’t afford it. I can remember the gravy being made with drippings from hamburger. Still, to this day, I remember it being one of my favorite meals.
I quickly added the request to the menu, made sure the ingredients were on the grocery list and sent my daughter to town. Having just had knee replacement surgery, I can’t yet drive, so I had to rely on her to do her best. She did not disappoint. When the appointed evening came, the two newest were rather skeptical, but after tasting it both of them gave it a thumbs up and asked if we could have it again sometime.
Chipped Beef on Toast
Ingredients
4 pkgs (or 8 oz) thin sliced beef
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. flour
pepper
onion powder
thyme
3 c. milk
Directions
Remove thin-sliced beef from packages and cut into strips and then cut the strips into small chunks. In a skillet, I prefer cast iron, melt the butter. Stir the flour into the melted butter to make a reux. Let brown for 2-3 minutes until golden, stirring occasionally. Add the seasonings to taste – salt is not included because the thin sliced beef has been cured with salt and usually provides enough salt. Whisk the milk in slowly to incorporate the flour. Simmer until bubbly and starting to thicken. Add meat to gravy mixture and continue cooking on low 1-2 minutes, until the meat is warmed. Serve over toast.
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