The Old-School Diner Food People Barely Seem To Eat Anymore

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Looking back at vintage foods is a great way to indulge in nostalgia, enjoy new-to-you favorites, and suss out hidden gems among a variety of otherwise questionable dishes. Although once a staple fare of counter-service restaurants far and wide, one old-school diner food that you don't see on menus anymore is sometimes known by the somewhat R-rated name "s*** on a shingle." Albeit largely forgotten about these days, creamed chipped beef is a traditional diner offering that is worthy of its prominent place in food history.

Made using thin slices of dried beef cooked in a roux of flour, butter, and milk, this meal is typically served on toast and includes a sprinkle of cayenne pepper for a hint of heat. Like many other "poor man's"-style meals, creamed chipped beef is yet another example of Great Depression-era ingenuity. The old-school food rose to even greater prominence around World War II as a popular meal with enlisted members of the US military.

The post-World War II era, beginning in the 1940s, was a time when diners were seeing a golden age, which carried through the 1960s. This wartime food became a symbol of Americana and quickly ascended to becoming the preferred breakfast of many. But over the decades, as chain restaurants began to take over, diners — and with them, creamed chipped beef — began to quietly fade out of fashion. There is only a smattering of iconic old-school diners you can still visit these days. Nonetheless, creamed chipped beef is still cause for nostalgic celebration.

Knowing that chipped steak is a versatile substitute for ground beef, you can dry your own or grab a jar of Amour Star Sliced Dried Beef to make the dish in its original style. You can always make an updated version for modern-day tastes. Between using ground beef, looking at plant-based options, and even upgrading your toast and cream sauce, there are plenty of ways to prepare creamed chipped beef that pay tribute to its predecessor.

Though classic recipes will call for inexpensive white bread, you can easily amp up your dish using Texas toast or biscuits. Skip the toast altogether and serve your creamed chipped beef over hash browns, scrambled eggs, or any of your other favorite breakfast items.

Other varieties of the old-school dish use cooked ground beef instead. This option is less salty in comparison and, depending on your location, potentially more accessible. Simply brown the ground meat and cook it in the cream sauce. Try mixing up your seasonings using white pepper or even a sprinkle of hot sauce, either in place of or addition to the cayenne pepper. Use dairy-free milk and plant-based meat substitutes, like Gardein Gluten-Free Plant-Based Ground Be'f Crumbles, to make a vegan or vegetarian variation of the dish. Any way you choose to enjoy this diner fare, making it your own will let its legacy live on forever.