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Feb222014

Creamed Chipped Ham (Beef) on Toast – SOS

My absolute favorite childhood dish I requested it every year on my birthday. This is the most special recipe that reminds me of my Mom. #sos #creamedham #armyfood #ontoast
My absolute favorite childhood dish I requested it every year on my birthday. This is the most special recipe that reminds me of my Mom. #sos #creamedham #armyfood #ontoast

Find the recipe card at the end of the post. Make sure to read the content as it contains chef tips, substitution options, and answers to FAQs to help you succeed the first time around!

My absolute favorite childhood dish I requested it every year on my birthday. This is the most special recipe that reminds me of my Mom.

Shaved Ham in a bechamel sauce on toast with peas - pure comfort food!

Now I’m going to be completely honest with you about this dish.  It is NOT the most visually appealing dish ever. It has a certain name that most know as “S**t on a Shingle” is most common – heck that’s what my Dad called it. 

Mom called it “Chipped Beef on Toast” even though it was never ever beef.  It was always shaved baked ham.  I, called it, PERFECT!  See this was my TIME FAVORITE recipe EVER my Mom made.  Even though we had virtually no money growing up each of us kids got to pick out anything we wanted to eat for our birthday – dinner and dessert. 

My absolute favorite childhood dish I requested it every year on my birthday. This is the most special recipe that reminds me of my Mom. #sos #creamedham #armyfood #ontoast

For 18 years (well maybe not when I was 1 or 2 years old), I asked for Chipped Beef on Toast and her to-die-for Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Pudding frosting. This is true ‘peasant’ food – it’s ridiculously cheap, fed a ton, and well was ‘fugly’ looking.  This would be the child in the family that wasn’t the athlete, wasn’t the brainiac, wasn’t the one that stood out but rather was the wallflower of the family.

Shaved Ham in a bechamel sauce on toast with peas - pure comfort food!

BUT… yes but… when given the chance they proved you wrong.  They stood out because they were unpretentious, ordinary, and simplistic.  In their own way, they were truly amazing.  That’s how this dish is to me.  With just a few simple ingredients, you can take that wallflower plain Jane dish and make it taste absolutely phenomenal. So yes, this will never be one of those gorgeous dishes that you just want to lick your monitor over but if given that chance to shine, it will become one of your all-time favorites.

Shaved Ham in a bechamel sauce on toast with peas - pure comfort food!

Now, this I had on toast, not bread but toast. The contrast of the crunchy bread with the creaminess of the bechamel sauce with the hint of pepper and ham was just…perfect.  The peas, for me, must only ever be canned peas. I absolutely LOATHE frozen peas and while fresh pea rock, they just don’t quite work in this dish.

ChippedHamonToast1

Now even though my dearest mother has been gone for 26 years I still make this in the month of May (my birthday month) just for me.  Mr. Fantabulous honestly I don’t think has ever tried this in all the years we’ve been together.  I don’t think it’s on purpose, it’s more just that I make just enough for me. It’s like a personal dish that I have with her – at least in my heart when I eat it.  It’s one of those foods that always trigger happy memories for me.

Do you guys do that?  Do you have a food or dish that triggers a certain memory or slew of memories?  Tell me about it.

Shaved Ham in a bechamel sauce on toast with peas - pure comfort food!

Now, what makes this even more ‘fugly’ if you will is that if you notice in the pictures, there are 2 regular slices of toast and the lowly end/crust piece.  This, again, is a must for me.  The crust was the anchor of the ‘boat’ that didn’t get this stuff on it.  Since I was the youngest of the kids, even though it was my birthday I always seemed to get stuck with the crust.  You know, that slice of bread that no one EVER wanted.  It was hard and well more crust than real bread. 

However, Mom always made it out to be so much more awesome than the regular bread slices.  See, this dish, the bread must be toasted.  And for me, the toast HAD to be crispy.  Again it’s that texture thing.  You don’t want this to get all mushy right away.  The crispier the toast, the longer it held up against the weight of the sauce and fillings.  So if you used the end slice, it got super crispy and while my brothers would get stuck with the mushier pieces cause they had the “real bread” toasted my lowly crust was still nice and crispy up towards the end.  Thus we called it the anchor of the boat.  It was sturdy, kept stuff in place, and didn’t let the fillings sink down in.

Pretty ingenious, eh?

ChippedHamonToast

So if I had to say one thing about this dish to you to try it I’d have to say “Don’t judge a book by its cover. Open it up and give it a try. You may just find yourself totally in love and beyond thrilled you gave it a shot!” Delicious doesn’t have to be fancy schmancy or drop-dead gorgeous.

ChippedHamonToast6
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Creamed Chipped Ham (Beef) on Toast – SOS

  • Author: The Kitchen Whisperer

Find more fantabulous recipes, tips and tricks at www.thekitchenwhisperer.net. Also, join our TKW Family on Facebook

Shaved Ham in a bechamel sauce on toast with peas - pure comfort food!
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★★★★★ 5 from 18 reviews
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Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoon butter, unsalted
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 1 1/2 cups half and half (or can use all milk)
  • 1 pound shaved chipped baked ham (or can use chopped dried beef)
  • 3 1/2 cups peas (canned or frozen – thawed)
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 8 slices of bread, toasted – don’t forget about the ‘anchor’ crusts!

Instructions

  1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.
  2. Add in the flour and whisk for a minute to cook the flour.
  3. SLOWLY add in the milk whisking constantly to break up the clumps.
  4. Reduce heat to medium low and cook, whisking often until the mixture thickens. ~3-6 minutes. Watch so it doesn’t burn!
  5. Once the mixture thickens add in the ham and using a rubber tipped spatula, mix to combine, gently scraping on the base on the pan.
  6. Cook for 1 minute.
  7. Add in the peas, stir gently and turn off the heat.
  8. Toast the bread and place 2 slices of toast on a plate.
  9. Ladle a generous portion over the toast.

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Pairs Perfectly With:

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Giving Props and Italian Stuffed Shells
Mom's Classic Stuffed Cabbage Rolls Mom’s Classic Stuffed Cabbage Rolls – The Best Recipe!

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Recipe Reviews & Comments

  1. Carol Herbert says

    September 13, 2023 at 7:56 am

    I moved to the UK nearly 30 years ago from the USA and hankered for creamed chip beef over the years. I went to Lidls today and found some air dried pork from their Italian week specials. I thought this may do the job in me making Cream Chip beef. The challenge will be in shaving it thinly.
    My mother made this for me, on crisp white toast, one of 6 children on a monthly basis. It was always a delicious treat. I loved hearing that it was the same for someone else. I thought we were poor growing up, but this meal elevated my life, and now I realise now how lucky I was and that I had everything I needed. Thank you God!

    Reply
    • TKWAdmin says

      September 13, 2023 at 10:46 am

      Thank you so much for sharing this Carol! Yes, this dish was everything to me. And still is to this day!

      Best Kitchen Wishes!

      Reply
  2. Amanda says

    May 30, 2023 at 6:38 pm

    What type of flour did you use?

    Reply
    • TKWAdmin says

      June 1, 2023 at 9:57 am

      All Purpose

      Best Kitchen Wishes!

      Reply
  3. Judy says

    May 8, 2023 at 3:11 pm

    Followed the recipe exactly. Delicious!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • TKWAdmin says

      May 9, 2023 at 2:08 pm

      So happy you loved it Judy; thank you!

      Best Kitchen Wishes!

      Reply
  4. Scot Parker says

    April 25, 2023 at 8:07 am

    It was great! I used a one pound honey baked ham. I added fried onions, a teaspoon of one of those popular cayenne pepper sauces (avoiding brand names), and after taking it off the stove, some chopped up dill (too much heat kills the taste of dill). For the bread, I baked those biscuits that come in a cardboard can. I cut them in half and crisped them up further in the air-fryer. Really good! Thank you for the recipe.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • TKWAdmin says

      April 25, 2023 at 8:16 am

      Oh wow Scot you definitely gave it a killer twist! It all sounds incredible!

      Best Kitchen Wishes!

      Reply
  5. Marilynn Scchlott says

    April 14, 2023 at 10:51 am

    This was my favorite dish my mom made for our family, growing up in the 40’s and 50’s in the Detroit area.
    I make it still and only use canned peas. Your story was wonderful and so full of the same things I remember. It will make the dish taste even better when I make it tomorrow. Thanks

    Reply
    • TKWAdmin says

      April 14, 2023 at 2:40 pm

      Thank you so much, Marilynn! This recipe means so much to me!

      Best Kitchen Wishes!

      Reply
  6. Craig Jones says

    March 7, 2023 at 10:54 am

    Loved the story; loved your mom! I would eat this in a heartbeat!!!

    Reply
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