S.O.S. Casserole

A quick and easy casserole recipe made with S.O.S. (creamed beef) gravy topped with buttered toast cubes perfect for breakfast or dinner.

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Growing up, Mama made a Tuna Casserole that I LOVED.

Reading that sentence really puts into perspective for me how much times have changed… at least one of my kids would saw his toe off with a plastic spoon before he tried tuna casserole. But I loved it as a child!

Our tuna casserole is topped with buttery bread cubes that bake up golden brown and delicious and boy, lemme tell ya, when I’d see that thing come out of the oven, my mouth would water with anticipation!

I got to thinking about that casserole last week and wondered what else I could cook with a topping like that.

The topping is really just buttery toast cubes so I thought… what dishes do you serve over toast?

And WHAM-O! I remembered S.O.S.! That same kid of mine that would rather saw his toe off than try tuna casserole loves S.O.S.! That makes no sense, right? Kids are weirdos. Seriously, though, he loves it.

The first time I ever served S.O.S., I made his plate first then cut everything up (because he was too little to use a knife and fork back then). I sat down to make my plate, looked over and he’d already cleaned his plate! And was asking for more!

Want more proof that kids are weirdos? He loves S.O.S. but won’t eat sausage gravy over biscuits. And he loves sausage AND biscuits.

So anyway, I decided to make a casserole using a hamburger S.O.S. gravy base then top it with the bread cubes. And it was glorious! I am adding this recipe to my Christmas morning breakfast buffet!

I've heard several theories as to where S.O.S. got its name. Daddy first had this in the Army where they called it "Sh!t On a Shingle". He said that's what it was called because you put this "gravy looking sh!t" on a piece of toast that was so stale, it looked and tasted like a shingle.

That makes perfect sense to me.

I've also heard that your guts will be in big trouble when you eat this so you'll be in distress and calling for help (sending out an S.O.S.).

We also make this with dried chipped beef but don't call it S.O.S. (though I know many people do). We call it Creamed Chipped Beef. Mama and I actually prefer this version better but the kiddos love the ground beef one so that's what I make the most!

HOW TO MAKE S.O.S. GRAVY

I’ll include this information in the recipe below, but just in case you ever need it, this is how I make my S.O.S. gravy:

1. Brown ground beef in a large skillet until cooked through. Pour contents of pan into a colander to drain.
2. Meanwhile, melt 1/2 cup butter in the skillet over medium heat.
3. Add 1/2 cup flour to melted butter then stir with a whisk and cook for one minute.
4. Pour 2 cups of milk into skillet then whisk and cook until mixture begins to thicken.
5. Pour 2 additional cups of milk, salt, pepper and cooked ground beef into skillet. Cook and stir until mixture is thickened into a velvety gravy.

If you love comfort food casseroles, check out these recipes too!

• Chicken & Stuffing Casserole - An addictive casserole recipe with Pepperidge Farm stuffing, sour cream and chicken.
• Smothered Chicken Casserole - Layers of creamy potatoes (think Potatoes Au Gratin) topped with chicken, smothered with cheese and bacon!
• Sausage & Rice Casserole - a simple recipe perfect for supper, side dishes, potlucks and Thanksgiving (sometimes called Rice Dressing).
• Pork Chop Casserole - An easy pork chop bake made with rice and French onion soup.
• Hamburger & Rice Casserole - Ground beef and rice baked together in a classic casserole recipe that's easy to make your own.
• Chicken Tetrazzini - Classic tetrazzini made with pasta, mushrooms, wine (optional) and cheese. Super easy AND super delicious!

Recipe for S.O.S. Casserole

S.O.S. Casserole

Yield: 6 Servings

Author: Mandy Rivers | South Your Mouth

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 29 MinTotal time: 39 Min

A quick and easy casserole recipe made with SOS (creamed beef) gravy topped with buttered toast cubes perfect for breakfast or dinner.

Ingredients

S.O.S. Gravy

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups milk, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Toast Topping:

• 10 cups bread cubes (see notes)
• 1/2 cup butter, melted

Instructions

S.O.S. Gravy:

1. Brown ground beef in a large skillet, seasoning with salt and pepper. Once beef is cooked through, pour contents of pan into a colander to drain.
2. While beef is draining, melt butter over medium heat in the skillet. Once butter is melted, add flour then cook and whisk for one minute.
3. While continuously whisking, pour 2 cups milk into skillet. Cook and whisk for 2-3 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken.
4. Add remaining 2 cups of milk, cooked ground beef, salt and pepper to skillet then continue cooking until mixture is almost as thick as you like your gravy (or approximately 5 minutes). We’re under-cooking the gravy just a bit because it will continue to thicken while the casserole bakes. Taste for seasoning then add more salt and pepper if desired.
5. Pour mixture into a 13x9 3-quart baking dish.

Toast Topping:

1. Drizzle melted butter over bread cubes then gently toss to combine.
2. Arrange bread cubes over S.O.S. gravy then bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until bread cubes are golden brown. Serve immediately.

Notes

• Use a thicker sliced bread if available. I used 9 slices of Sara Lee Artesano Bakery Bread. 
• I cut some of the crust off of my bread but that’s totally optional.
• You don’t have to remove the ground beef from the skillet before adding the butter and flour (plenty folks don’t) but I’ve always found my gravy turns out perfectly smooth and silky if I cook the roux separately and add half the milk before adding the meat back. Plus they pump so much water into meat these days, the pan drippings contain a lot of extra liquid which can throw off the gravy.
• Feel free to add mushrooms to your gravy (that’s how Mama likes it) or to make this with chipped beef instead of hamburger.

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