Cream Chipped Beef on Toast
intro
A nostalgic, savory American diner comfort food of tender dried beef in smooth creamy white sauce, served over crisp toast, ready in just 20 minutes.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep the chipped beef
Separate the 225g of dried chipped beef slices, then tear or cut them into 1-inch bite-sized pieces. If using traditionally cured, high-salt chipped beef, rinse the pieces briefly under cool running water and pat completely dry with paper towels to remove excess brine and prevent the finished sauce from being too salty.
Toast the bread slices
Place the 8 slices of thick-cut white bread in a toaster or toaster oven set to medium-high heat, toasting for 2-3 minutes until evenly golden brown and crisp on both surfaces, with no soft pale patches. Arrange the finished toast on a ceramic serving platter and cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm while you prepare the cream sauce.
Cook the roux base
Place a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat, add the 57g (4 tablespoons) of unsalted butter, and melt completely over 1-2 minutes, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter is foamy but not browned. Add the 32g (4 tablespoons) of all-purpose flour to the melted butter, whisking constantly for 2 full minutes to cook out the raw flour taste, until the mixture forms a smooth, pale golden paste with a faint nutty aroma.
Thicken the cream sauce
Slowly pour the 960ml (4 cups) of whole milk into the roux, adding 60ml (1/4 cup) at a time, and whisk vigorously after each addition to fully incorporate and prevent lumps from forming. Once all milk is added, increase heat to medium, bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, and cook for 4-5 minutes, whisking occasionally, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon (a line drawn through the sauce on the spoon with your finger will hold its shape without running).
Add beef and season
Reduce heat to low, add the prepared torn chipped beef pieces to the thickened sauce, and stir gently with a wooden spoon to fully coat every piece of beef in cream sauce. Stir in the 0.5g (1/4 teaspoon) of freshly ground black pepper, then let the mixture warm through for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Do not bring the sauce to a rolling boil once the beef is added, as high heat will make the cured beef tough and rubbery.
Serve over warm toast
Spoon roughly 120ml (1/2 cup) of the hot creamy chipped beef mixture evenly over each slice of warm toast, covering most of the toast surface. Serve immediately while the sauce is piping hot and the toast is still crisp, before the bread has time to absorb excess sauce and become soggy.
Tips
2.Keep heat at medium-low to medium when making the roux and cream sauce; high heat can scald milk, burn the roux, or cause lumps and a bitter, off flavor.
3.Wait to add any extra salt to the sauce until after you have stirred in the beef and tasted it, as the cured beef will release salt into the sauce as it warms through.
OMG this took me right back to my grandma’s Sunday breakfast table! I was worried it’d be too salty like the canned version I tried as a kid, but following the quick 20 minute cook time and rinsing the dried beef a little made it perfect. My kids devoured two slices each before I even sat down to eat. SO good, will be adding this to our weekly rotation!
Game changer for quick weeknight dinners! I threw this together last night after my son’s late baseball practice, didn’t even realize it only took 20 minutes total. I added a tiny pinch of cayenne for a little kick, served it over sourdough toast instead of white, and my whole crew asked for seconds. Already told my buddy at work to make it for our next potluck.
Perfect easy meal for meal prep! I made a big batch Sunday night, portioned it out with toast points, and it kept great all week for quick lunches between classes. Way cheaper and tastier than the cafeteria food, and it was so simple even I couldn’t mess it up. 10/10
My husband was in the army and used to rave about the creamed chipped beef they served in the mess hall, so I made this for him last weekend for our anniversary breakfast. He said it tasted exactly like he remembered, maybe even better! I did use a little extra half and half because we like our sauce on the thinner side, worked like a charm.
Wait, has anyone tried making this with gluten free flour and GF toast? My youngest has celiac and I’ve been searching for a cozy breakfast recipe the whole family can eat without making two separate meals. This looks so easy I’d love to give it a shot!
Brought this to my neighborhood potluck yesterday and people were literally scraping the crockpot clean! I kept it on warm the whole time, served with little toast rounds for dipping, and so many people asked for the recipe. Who knew such a simple, cheap dish would be the hit of the whole spread?
Tried this for the first time ever tonight and it came out lumpy? What did I do wrong? I think I added the milk too fast maybe? It still tasted good but the texture was off, wanna get it right next time because the flavor was chef’s kiss.