USS Little Rock - Our Favorite Navy Recipes

Navy Recipes

Food Fit For a King !!

It was amazing the way the galley crew could come up with gourmet quality food from stores that hadn't been replenished in weeks. Our hats go off to those "Masters of the Griddle and Soup Pot" !!!

On this page we've posted recipes that we all remember from those glorious days at sea.
Where possible, the recipes have been adjusted to accommodate a "family size" meal.

Page last updated: 15 Aug 2011

Chipped Beef on Toast	Minced Beef Gravy on Toast
Navy Bean Soup	Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Baking Powder Biscuits	Glazed Corned Beef
Navy Cherry Crumble Pie	S.O.S. Explained

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1. The NAME of your favorite NAVY RECIPE
2. Your experiences in making any of the POSTED recipes
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Chipped Beef on Toast

(See note below about "S.O.S.")

Ingredients:

4 1⁄2 oz. dried beef
2 cups milk
2 tbs. butter
1⁄4 cup flour
Salt and pepper
6 slices bread Cooking Instructions:

1. Melt butter in pan, add dried beef.
2. Cook 2-3 minutes to brown.
3. Add milk (reserve 1⁄4 cup for later), salt & pepper.
4. Bring to boil.
5. Mix flour and remaining milk together.
6. Slowly add to boiling mixture until it begins to thicken.
7. Serve over toast.

* Note: See note below about "S.O.S."

This page is from The Navy Wives Web Site

U. S. Navy Minced Beef Gravy on Toast

30 minutes, 30 minutes preparation

(See note below about "S.O.S.")

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs ground beef
2 medium onions, chopped
cooking oil, if needed
salt and pepper
5 tablespoons flour, approximate
1 (16 ounce) can whole tomatoes, diced
5 1/2 ounces tomato juice
2 cups hot water, approximate
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, to taste
1/2 teaspoon sugar, to taste

1. Crumble the ground beef into a skillet and brown with the onions.
2. If beef is very lean, add a tablespoon or two of cooking oil.
3. Salt and pepper to taste.
4. Add flour, one tablespoon at a time, stirring and cooking each spoonful, before adding the next.
5. The flour must be cooked to preclude a starchy taste through out.
6. Add enough flour to absorb most of the oil.
7. Stir in the tomatoes and the tomato juice, followed by the water.
8. Allow to simmer on low heat to thicken.
9. Adjust consistency as necessary.
10. Add nutmeg and sugar and adjust to taste

This recipe is from: http://www.recipezaar.com

Just what is "S.O.S."?

(Sometimes referred to as 'Shit on a Shingle'.)

Believe it or not, there is no one specific recipe for "S.O.S". It is in fact a sort of generic name given to just about anything that resembles gravy and is served on top of a piece of toast. Just about every cook has their secret recipe. Two of the most popular Navy recipes are shown above.

On the website SeabeeCook.com, which bills itself as "The Online Information Source for American Military Cooks", in an article entitled "How the Cooks Prepared SOS" by Steve Karoly, we find that with regards to S.O.S. recipes "Each service kept their favorite (recipes) until the Armed Forces Recipe Service was published in February 1969. After 1969, service cooks were exposed to the favorite recipes of the other services. Creamed beef, which was originally an Army favorite, has become the most popular version of SOS."

Here are the recipes they provide:

CREAMED BEEF ON TOAST (S.O.S.)
1 (3 or 4 oz.) pkg. sliced dried or smoked beef, chopped
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. all purpose flour
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 1/3 c. milk
1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
English muffin or toast

In large skillet, melt butter. Stir in flour and pepper. While stirring, add milk and Worcestershire sauce and heat until thick and bubbly. Add beef and continue to cook while stirring for a couple of minutes. Spoon over toast or English muffins.

U.S. NAVY STYLE - S.O.S. (MINCED BEEF)
1 lb. ground beef
1 med. onion, chopped
1/4 c. celery, minced
2 tbsp. flour
1 (20 oz.) can tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 c. water
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp. nutmeg

Brown beef, onion, celery; add flour. Mix thoroughly. Add tomatoes, salt, pepper and water, sauce and nutmeg. Simmer 1/2 hour. Serve over crisp toast. Serves 6.

Both of the above recipes are from: Cooks.Com

Navy Bean Soup

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 pound Navy beans soak overnight
1/2 pound Ham, or ham bone with meat
3 quarts Water
1 cup Mashed potatoes prepared
3 medium Onions chopped
2 cloves Garlic chopped
1 whole Celery bunch, chopped
1 1/4 cup Parsley chopped

1. Soak beans overnight and rinse.
2. Place beans in large stock pot with ham/ham bone or bacon ends.
3. Add 3 quarts of water. Bring to boil then simmer 2-3 hours.
4. Stir in mashed potatoes, onions, celery, garlic and parsley.
5. Simmer another 1 to 2 hours.
6. Remove meat and bone.
7. Dice meat, and return to soup, stir and serve.

This recipe is from: www.bigoven.com

Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Official Navy Recipe No. G 029 01

(Serves 100)

Ingredients:

1 gal plus 2 qts of PINEAPPLE, CANNED, SLICES, JUICE PACK, INCL LIQUIDS
1-3/4 cup CHERRIES, MARASCHINO, WHOLE
3 lbs SUGAR, BROWN, PACKED
3 cups BUTTER, SOFTENED
10 lbs CAKE MIX, YELLOW

1.   Drain pineapple well. Drain cherries; slice in half. Set fruit aside for use in Step 3.
2.   Pour 1-1/2 cups butter or margarine in each pan. Sprinkle 3-1/4 cups brown sugar evenly over butter or margarine.
3.   Arrange 54 pineapple slices, in rows 6 by 9, over mixture in each pan. Place 1 cherry half into each pineapple slice. Set aside.
4.   Prepare mix according to instructions on container.
5.   Pour 3-1/2 quarts batter evenly over fruit in each pan.
6.   Using a convection oven, bake at 325 F. 25-30 minutes on low fan, open vent or until done.
7.   Remove cakes from pans while still hot. Cut 6 by 9. Serve fruit side up.

Baking Powder Biscuits

Yield 100 1 Biscuit Portions

Ingredients by weight (or measure):

6-5/8 lbs FLOUR, WHEAT, GENERAL PURPOSE (1 gal 2 qts.)
3-5/8 oz. MILK, NONFAT, DRY (1-1/2 cup)
5-7/8 oz. BAKING POWDER (3/4 cup)
1-1/2 oz. SALT (2-1/3 tbsp.)
12 oz. SHORTENING (1-5/8 cup)
3-7/8 lbs. WATER (1 qt. 3-1/2 cup)
2 oz. COOKING SPRAY, NONSTICK ( 1/4 cup 1/3 tbsp.)

Method:

1    Sift together flour, milk, baking powder, and salt into mixer bowl.
2    Blood shortening at low speed into dry ingredients until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.
2    Add water; mix at low speed only enough to form soft dough.
4    Place dough on lightly floured board. Knead lightly 1 minute or until dough is smooth.
5    Roll or pat out to a uniform thickness of 1/2-inch.
6    Lightly spray each pan with non-stick cooking spray. Cut with 2-1/2 inch floured biscuit cutter. Place 50 biscuits on each pan.
7    Using a convection oven, bake at 350 F. for 15 minutes or until lightly browned on low fan, open vent.

Notes: For browner tops: In Step 1, add 1/2 cup granulated sugar per 100 portions to dry ingredients.

Glazed Corned Beef

.....I don't know how much you guys made me really learn to eat Corned Beef... Loved it at sea, cause it meant that I could go back for seconds because of the unlearned ones "pass" on it. Anyway, herewith a good recipe for the closest I have been able to come up with

Ingredients

1 4 to 4 1/2-pound corned beef, rinsed
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup apricot preserves
2 T-spoons brown sugar
1 T-spoon soy sauce

1. Preheat oven to 350 degs F. Coat a roasting pan with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Place the corned beef in the roasting pan; Add the water and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 2 hours; drain liquid.

3. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Spread evenly over the corned beef. Cook uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the corned beef is fork-tender, basting occasionally with the pan drippings. Slice the corned beef across the grain and serve.

_________________________________________________________

They say 6 to 8 servings.... Not in my house!... We hardly even have leftovers, even. The one that gets up earliest usually gets to finish it off for breakfast... LOL..

BTW, I have found that when the beef finally comes out of the oven, if you have selected a 'flat' cut, then (by inserting) a knife directly under the fat layer you can separate the two pieces. Run the knife blade, flat side down, across the meat, and the fat will separate, leaving you with a re-stacked piece of meat with no fat.

Thanks to you guys for 27 1/2 years of real good eating.

Respectfully,

John K. Ellett, RMC, USN (Ret)

NAVY CHERRY CRUMBLE PIE
Yield: 100 servings (About 12 pies)

Jim Fernandez, USN veteran, emailed us this request: "Hello, I am a former old salt during the Vietnam era and have been looking for a Navy recipe for Cherry Crumble. I love this dessert. Can you help?"

The only recipe we were able to find similar to Jim's request is for Navy Cherry Crumble pie. As I recall it was delicious. I think this is pretty close to what Jim remembers. (Ed.)

Note that the "Yield" is for 12 pies! That's 100 servings!

Ingredients	By Weight	By Measure
Flour, Wheat, General Purpose	8 lbs	1 gal 3-1/4 qts
Salt (Step 1)	1-1/2 oz	2-1/3 tbsp
Sugar, Granulated (Step 1)	4-3/8 lbs	2 qts 2 cup
Shortening	3-1/8 lbs	1 qts 3 cup
Cherries, Canned	19-2/3 lbs	2 gal 1 qts
Sugar, Granulated (Step 4)	1-1/2 lbs	3-3/8 cup
Sugar, Granulated (Step 7)	2-1/4 lbs	1 qts 1 cup
Cornstarch	7-7/8 oz	1-3/4 cup
Salt (Step 8)	1/8 oz	1/8 tsp
Water, Cold	1 lbs	2 cup
Margarine	3 oz	1/4 cup 2-1/3 tbsp
Food Color, Red	1/4 oz	1/4 tsp

Method
1.	Mix flour, salt, sugar, and shortening in a mixer bowl 1 minute at low speed to form a crumbly mixture.
2.	Place 1-1/2 cups of mixture in each pan; press firmly into an even layer against bottom and sides of pan. Set remaining crumb mixture aside for use in Step 5.
3.	Drain cherries. Set aside juice for use in Step 7.
4.	Combine cherries and sugar. Spread 2 cups mixture over crumbs in each pan.
5.	Spread 1 cup reserved crumb mixture over cherries in each 9-inch pan.
6.	Using a convection oven, bake 35 to 40 minutes at 350 F. or until done on low fan, open vent.
7.	Take reserved juice add water to equal 1 gallon per 100 portions and combine with sugar; bring to a boil.
8.	Combine cornstarch, salt, and water; stir until smooth. Add gradually to boiling mixture. Stir until well blended; cook at medium heat about 5 minutes. Add margarine or butter and food coloring.
9.	Pour 1-1/2 cups of sauce over each baked pie.
10.	Cool; cut 8 wedges per pie.

Portion: 1 slice
Calories: 456
Carbohydrates: 77g
Protein: 4g
Fat: 16g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 185mg
Calcium: 16mg

Comments from the Crew and our Friends...

Received from Barbara Hurst MS2 USNR on 23 Jan 2010:

"I can't believe it !!! I finally found someone who actually had the Minced Beef Gravy on Toast recipe. I was an MS2 reserve & civilian galley worker at Glenview Naval Air Station in Glenview Ill. I had a box of recipe cards but lost them in a move. I have been trying to find some of these recipes for years. Most I could kind of remember what went into them, but I wasn't really sure about the minced beef . Thank you so much.. You made my day."

Received from Will Haney USN (Ret) on 30 Jan 2010:

Thank you for the recipe page. After spending 20 years in the Navy, some of these are very dear to my old taste buds. Mainly the (SOS) minced beef gravy on toast, and (I'm going ahead and say it "foreskins on a raft") chipped beef on toast. Thank you, and I hope I didn't offend anyone with my little off color comment. If you were USN you have heard it before.

Received 15 Aug 2011 from Sue Tyler:

My dad was in the Army but he learned to love many US Navy recipes. I have been a cook most of my life and frequently had customers request "SOS" made with dried beef, hamburger, sausage, bacon and chopped ham. Still the breakfast or dinner of choice with my family of 13 kids, 29 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren! Thanks !!!

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