The Cozy Cookbook is here! This hamburger gravy recipe is easy to make completely from scratch or incorporate cream of mushroom soup. Serve it over rice, toast, noodles, biscuits, mashed potatoes, and more!
Hamburger Gravy
This is without a doubt, the most nostalgic recipe on my blog. My dad used to make this meal for me all the time growing up.
Have you ever heard this recipe referred to as S.O.S.? Something similar to this used to be served in military mess halls, (my dad used to have it in the Air Force), and they called it Sh** on a Shingle. 😆
There are a ton of variations of S.O.S, which is why I’m calling it “hamburger gravy” instead. Many remember S.O.S. as being made with chipped beef on toast.
It’s really easy to incorporate add-ins too. I’ve provided the basic, easy, flavorful recipe… and have also included info on how to incorporate vegetables or cream of mushroom soup.
How to Make It
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Cook the beef, onions, and garlic in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the Worcestershire sauce, seasonings, and flour. Stir to combine and cook for 1-2 minutes, until you can no longer smell flour.
Add the beef broth, in small splashes and use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom and sides of the skillet.
Slowly stir in the half and half, followed by the beef bouillon. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let it bubble gently, it will continue to thicken and concentrate.
Serve over mashed potatoes, buttered noodles, or with biscuits.
See below on optional ingredient additions such as vegetables or cream of mushroom soup.
Adding Cream of Mushroom Soup
- Make the recipe as-is and let it simmer and reduce. Add 1/2 can cream of mushroom and 1/2 cup milk and let it simmer and reduce again until thickened. You may choose to add 1/4 lb. more ground beef, or utilize the extra ‘gravy’ to incorporate vegetables. (See ingredient addition options below)
- If you prefer to use a whole can of cream of mushroom, add it with 1 cup of milk and use 1.5 lbs ground beef.
- Be sure to check out my homemade condensed cream of mushroom soup recipe.
Ingredient Additions
- Mushrooms: Cook them separately to release some of the water, concentrate their flavor, and give them a nice golden color. Mix them into the hamburger gravy at the end. This lets them retain their color, texture, and flavor.
- Frozen Vegetables: Frozen Carrots, peas, corn, and green beans make excellent additions to this meal. Add them when the beef stock is added and let them heat up as the gravy thickens.
What to Serve With Hamburger Gravy
- Mashed Potatoes, Skillet Potatoes, Roasted potatoes, or Potato Wedges
- Buttered Noodles
- Buttermilk Biscuits (You can make them without buttermilk)
- Roasted Vegetables
- Cornbread or Corn Casserole
Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. This freezes and reheats well.
Tools For This Recipe
(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
- 3-Quart Stainless Steel Sauté Pan– The same size as pictured in this recipe.
- Silicone Spatula and Silicone Soup Ladle
- Gravy Boat- I have this one which keeps the gravy warm with a candle on the bottom!
- Pinch bowls. I always like to measure out my seasonings and other ingredients ahead of time.
- Measuring spoons. I love that these are magnetic. They keep my drawer neat.
Try These Next
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- The Best Meat Sauce
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- Baked Ravioli
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- Easy Chili Recipe
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- Copycat Cracker Barrel Meatloaf
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- Lasagna Roll Ups
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- Taco Soup
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Tried This Recipe?
Leave a review, I love hearing your feedback! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Hamburger Gravy
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 3 Tablespoons Flour
- 1 ½ cups beef broth
- 1 cube beef bouillon, or 1 tsp better than bouillon
- ½ cup half and half
Optional Additions- See Notes
- 10.5 oz cream of mushroom soup, (10.5 oz.)
- 1 cup milk
- 8 oz. white button mushrooms, sliced, rinsed, and patted dry
- 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
Instructions
- Brown the beef in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions halfway through and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Add the Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, and flour. Stir to combine and cook for 1-2 minutes, until you can no longer smell flour.
- Add the beef broth, in small splashes and use a silicone spatula to "clean" the bottom and sides of the skillet. Add the half and half in the same manner, followed by the beef bouillon. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let it bubble gently, it will continue to thicken and concentrate.
- Once near your desired level of thickness, serve over mashed potatoes, buttered noodles, or with biscuits.
- See notes on optional ingredient additions such as vegetables or cream of mushroom soup.
Notes
- Make the recipe as-is and let it simmer and reduce. Add 1/2 can cream of mushroom and 1/2 cup milk and let it simmer and reduce again until thickened. You may choose to add 1/4 lb. more ground beef, or utilize the extra 'gravy' to incorporate vegetables.
- If you prefer to use a whole can of cream of mushroom, add it with 1 cup of milk and use 1.5 lbs ground beef.
- Be sure to check out my homemade condensed cream of mushroom soup recipe.
Ingredient Additions
- Mushrooms: Cook them separately to release some of the water, concentrate their flavor, and give them a nice golden color. Mix them into the hamburger gravy at the end. This lets them retain their color, texture, and flavor.
- Frozen Vegetables: Frozen Carrots, peas, corn, and green beans make excellent additions to this meal. Add them when the beef stock is added and let them heat up as the gravy thickens.
Half and Half is a combination of 50% milk and 50% cream. Milk may be used instead if needed.
Storage:
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. This freezes and reheats well.
Nutritional information is per serving and does not include the optional addition of cream of mushroom soup, milk, mushrooms, and veggies. There are 4 servings in this recipe.
This is such a delicious dish. Everything about it is so comforting. I can’t even count how many times I’ve made this since I found your recipe. I have yet to find one of your recipes that I didn’t love. Thank you for all your delicious recipes.
This makes me so happy Kathy! I love that you’re enjoying the recipes. This is a great one for back to school, my daughter loves it. Thanks so much for the great comments and review!💖
I love hamburger gravy, I’ve been making it for years and that’s what I’ve always called it. My dad’s SOS was chipped beef in white gravy over toast.
My Dad has so many stories about it too, he filled me in on the SOS name lol! Whatever it’s called, it’s yummy💗
My mother used to make this for my brothers and sisters and I and called it “favorite gravy”!! 😊😊😊
Since she had so many of us to feed, she made it much simpler and faster by just sprinkling flour over the hamburger and thickening it with milk or half and half.
Thank you so much for the memories! ❤️
Hi Jeannette! This is definitely a super nostalgic recipe! I’m so glad that it brought back some memories for you, I love hearing that!! -Stephanie
Very easy to make. Delicious! Will make it again!
I’m so happy this gravy success Caroline! Thanks so much for the review💗
Been eating this for 50+ years and is one of my favorites. I have worked-in many different variations over the years. It never disappoints this over-sized old man.
I’m so happy to hear that Ken! It’s definitely a classic, my Dad introduced me to it. Thanks so much for the great review!💗
Made this tonight as a quick meal- a few years ago this would have been considered a more complicated recipe for me haha. I love how Cozy Cook has totally boosted my cooking confidence. Anyways, my husband and 2 year old sang its praises. I’ve always made home made mashed potatoes and the hamburger gravy went over it deliciously! Not my personal fave (even though it’s still VERY tasty) but I knew my hubby and toddler would like it and they sure did!!
I’m so happy it was such a hit Stephanie. I love that your cooking confidence has been boosted, yayyy! Thanks so much for the great comments and for taking the time to leave a review!❤️
I grew up on this, too, and make it, but I don’t add any of the extra seasoning (I really don’t know if mom did) – for mine, it’s just hamburger, onion, salt & pepper. Mom made a gravy, but after awhile, I decided to make life easier and add a whole can of mushroom soup with no extra liquid (I don’t drain the hamburger). We put it over mashed potatoes and I always put ketchup on it.
I’ll try your version to see if the extra seasonings take it over the top!
Sounds yummy, I can’t wait for you to try it, enjoy Sandra!💗
Do you think evaporated milk would work instead of half and half?
Yes! 🙂 And the longer it simmers, the more it will thicken!
This was fantastic! My kiddos and I tore it up. I ate it over mashed potatoes the first night and then had some leftover for lunch the next day so I had it over jasmine rice. Both were great. I will definitely be adding this into my dinner rotation!
Sounds like such a yummy meal Kristen, mashed potatoes are a must! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!💗
DELICIOUS! I am not unfamiliar with this idea, I grew up eating “hamburger and gravy over mashed potatoes” but never had an actual recipe written down, I have made it for my family many times by winging it, trying to recreate what I grew up with, I never actually made it the same twice since I didn’t have an actual recipe. I followed this one except I added some extra seasonings, it was perfect, I had my mom over for dinner tonight because she hasn’t had this meal since I was a teenager (many years ago 😉 )
I didn’t use the soup portion of this recipe, I followed it exact but added 1 1/2 tsp. no salt seasoning, 2 TBSP L.B. Jamison’s beef soup base instead of bouillon, 1/2 tsp basil, 1/2 tsp. thyme and 1/2 tsp. mustard powder. I’m sure it’s amazing without my additions but I can rarely follow a recipe without changing something. My mom LOVED this, when I asked her if it tasted like she remembered, she said, it was better than she remembered.
I forgot to mention that I doubled this recipe and served it over homemade mashed potatoes!
Yayyy! Thanks again Julie!❤️
Wow, I’m so happy you made this for your mom after all these years, and it was a huge hit! NIce work, and thanks so much for the great comments and for taking the time to leave a review!🙌