Creamed Chipped Beef Over Potatoes

Introduction:

Creamed Chipped Beef otherwise known as S.O.S. is one of the meals I prepared recently. Am exploring simple, easy, and inexpensive meals, lately. While preparing this main course I cooked and mixed slowly at a mild temperature to keep from scalding the milk gravy. Basically, creamed soups can be so much slop or well-prepared delicious soups. An important tool used to cook proper cream soups is a gravy shaker; mixing in a shaker prevents the flour from clumping into blobs, and the milk/flour is evenly mixed from the very beginning.

One of the problems I have noticed with milk soups is the skillet or pot getting too hot and burning the milk. Using the shaker allows me to closely monitor the temperature.

Ingredients:

• Ground Beef - one pound of lean beef (depending on how many people are planning to eat this meal. )
• Milk - almost two cups
• Potatoes - four small russets (again, depending on how many will be eating)
• Flour - for this batch of cream chipped beef, I ended up using just over three tablespoons
• Spices - garlic powder (not garlic salt), black pepper, and table salt. all to taste
• Water - add to the soup to keep it at a nice wet consistency. The flour causes the milk to really thinken

Method:

1. Cook up the meat until done completely through. Remove the grease from the skillet containing the meat. After the meat is removed, drain any excess grease by using a paper towel under the meat. You should have a lightly oiled skillet with the meat "leavings" sitting on the bottom of the pan.I normally add a couple of tablespoons of milk to enable me to see what is occurring inside the skillet as it warms.
2. I normally add about two tablespoons of milk to the skillet to enable me to visually monitor the temperature of the skillet.Then preparing the gravy shaker, I add two-three tablespoons of flour to about a cup of milk. Then, shake until thoroughly mixed.
3. Add the cup (about a cup) of milk to the skillet and start scraping the meat leavings described in step #1 into the milk/flour mixture. The color of the milk will darken as the meat flavors the soup.I add the meat in small amounts to add flavor. While all of this is happening, keep stirring the soup as it thickens.

Sides and Conclusion

For this batch of soup I used a bed of boiled and mashed potatoes. The chipped beef soup also goes well on top of toasted bread. It tastes very nice with a couple of eggs cooked to suit your taste, and with a glass of juice.

Recipe by LonsLens © Lonnie D. Watkins