This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.

US Army Hamburger Gravy - SOS: Military Comfort Food

With fall approaching and dreams of cooler mornings, I’m thinking about one of my favorite dishes from my time in the Army: SOS, or hamburger gravy, over biscuits. (SOS means "Sh*t On a Shingle.) Back in WWII, when SOS earned its nickname, it was made with creamed chipped beef gravy served over toast. The toast was the “shingle,” and the gravy was the—you know what. While people still call chipped beef gravy on toast SOS, in my Army days, we usually served hamburger gravy over biscuits. That was our SOS. You could probably call it SOB, but you might not get away with it—if you know what I mean.

SOS Hamburger Gravy: Comfort Food at Its Best

There’s nothing better on a cold morning than a hearty breakfast. A fluffy biscuit (or two) smothered in creamy ground beef gravy, eaten alongside 300 of your closest friends. SOS hamburger gravy is perfect for camping, before a forced march, or any day when you need energy to keep you going until later. These days, I don’t do many forced marches—but you never know, I might have to chop wood, chase the dog, or something like that.

I like to top my biscuits and gravy with two over-easy eggs. My husband, on the other hand, gets creative with his SOS. He piles biscuits and gravy on his plate, smothers the whole thing with grits, and tops it with eggs. He was in the Army a lot longer than I was, so I guess he’s earned the right to go wild with it.

In the mess hall, we made gallons of SOS hamburger gravy in a giant stationary pot bolted to the floor. The pot was so big that the shorter cooks needed a step stool to stir it. The fact that we never had any SOS left over after chow says everything about how much people loved it. Despite its less-than-respectful nickname, SOS is the ultimate military comfort food. Luckily, it’s much easier to make at home than it was in the mess hall with this authentic US Army SOS recipe, and just like back then, there are never any leftovers.

Do you have memories of SOS in the military? Have you made this SOS hamburger gravy recipe? Let me know in the comments below—and don’t forget to share it with 300 of your closest friends.