Real Recipes From Real Home Cooks ®

hamburger sos

(5 ratings)
Blue Ribbon Recipe by
Fran Miller
Parkersburg, WV

This easy-to-make dish comes from Depression cooking, where a little meat could be stretched to feed & fill up a lot of people and from the United States military, for the same reason. As a Navy Brat born to Depression Era parents, it's a given that this dish would be on our table! If you prefer the chipped beef version, cut the dry beef into small pieces. Make a roux from butter, flour, and milk, then add the chipped beef pieces after it thickens. For those who weren't military brats, the SOS stands for "S--- On a Shingle" OR "Same Old S---." Bet you can figure it out! =^..^=

Blue Ribbon Recipe

Need a quick weeknight meal? Try this easy hamburger recipe. It's basically a hamburger gravy and will make everyone happy. We tried it on toast and mashed potatoes. We loved it both ways... so serve on what you have available. Comfort food at its finest.

— The Test Kitchen @kitchencrew
(5 ratings)
yield 6 servings
prep time 5 Min
cook time 20 Min
method Stove Top

Ingredients For hamburger sos

  • 1 1/2 lb
    ground beef
  • 1/2 c
    all-purpose flour
  • 4 c
    cold liquids (milk & water) see note in step #3.
  • Some
    salt & pepper, optional

How To Make hamburger sos

  • Browning hamburger meat.
    1
    Brown ground beef in a large skillet, stirring often. Do NOT drain. WARNING: Product Endorsement. I love my ChopStir when I'm cooking ground beef! It's the best kitchen gadget EVER! (OK, I'm finished.)
  • Flour poured over browned meat.
    2
    Sprinkle the flour over the ground beef and stir for about 5 minutes, which will lightly brown the flour and soak up the grease.
  • Adding milk to the skillet.
    3
    Now, it's time to add the cold liquids. I personally use about 3 cups of milk & 1 cup of cold water, but this is a personal decision. If I'm low on milk, I just make up the difference in cold water. No one has ever noticed yet. =^..^= So add the liquids and stir well.
  • Seasoning with salt and pepper.
    4
    Add salt & pepper, if desired. Continue cooking the gravy for a few more minutes until it thickens to your desired consistency. If it's too thin, cook it longer. If it's too thick, add a little more cold liquid.
  • Hamburger SOS on a plate.
    5
    Serve over slices of toast (the "shingles" of SOS fame; see note above) and/or mashed potatoes. Or skip the knife and tear up the toast pieces before adding the gravy. Just keeping it simple, right? =^..^=
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