Name: Creamed Chipped Beef
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 4 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1/4 cup finely chopped onion; 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon dry mustard; 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme; 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1 1/2 cups half-and-half; 1 1/2 cups whole milk; 1 cup reserved corned beef cooking liquid; 2 cups chopped cooked corned beef; pinch nutmeg; pepper; 6 slices hearty white sandwich bread , toasted; 3 tablespoons minced fresh chives

Why This Recipe Works

Creamed chipped beef gets a bad rap thanks to its oft bland and pasty nature. With a few simple tweaks, we were able to turn it around. First, instead of dried beef (read: leathery), we used our leftover tender and flavorful corned beef. To help the sauce along, we flavored it with onion, dry mustard, fresh thyme, and cayenne pepper. We then increased its richness by using half-and-half instead of milk and by adding a splash of our leftover corned beef cooking liquid. Served over good-quality toasted sandwich bread and sprinkled with fresh chives, our version of Creamed Chipped Beef is one that’s actually worth making.

Before You Begin

You can substitute chicken broth for the reserved corned beef cooking liquid.

Instructions

Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 1 minute. Stir in flour, mustard, thyme, and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in half-and-half, milk, and corned beef cooking liquid. Bring to simmer and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 6 to 8 minutes.

Stir beef and nutmeg into sauce and cook until beef is heated through, about 2 minutes. Season with pepper to taste. Spoon over toast and sprinkle with chives. Serve.