Chipped Beef Gravy and Eggs on Toast a Lower Fat Country Breakfast.

All of the men in our family are prone to the old fashioned "country breakfast" of gravy and eggs.  It is beloved as biscuits and gravy, sausage gravy and biscuits, s--- on a shingle, and gravy on toast.  Never was this more evident than when several years ago the whole family, maybe 30 or so of us took several family trips together and cooked our meals and ate family style in huge luxurious cabins in the Smokey Mountains.

Even the guys who were not aware of their love of this became fans!!  Mother sometimes made this version for breakfast rather than the more traditional sausage gravy.  She always served it with scrambled eggs but varied between biscuits and buttered toast for the base.

I have used both the dried beef sold in small glass jars and that sold in plastic pouches and both work fine.  The point to remember is the canned version is much saltier and you need to therefore be exceptionally  aware of salting the gravy as to not overdo!!

This version would also contain considerably less fat as the toast does not need butter, the eggs are poached using no fat, and there is far less fat in the dried beef than in pork sausage.  You could trim it further by using low fat milk.  I use 2%.

Ingredients for Chipped Beef Gravy:

3 T. butter
6 T. flour
3 C. milk
pinch of salt
generous pinch of freshly ground black pepper
2 pkg. dried beef,  cut into small pieces with a knife or scissors

Melt the butter in the bottom of a heavy bottomed medium saucepan.  Stir in the flour and continue stirring without ceasing adding the milk all at once.   Continue stirring with a large whisk and season with salt and pepper.

When the mixture has come to a boil and thickened reduce the heat to a low flame and add the beef,  simmer stirring occasionally while making 4 slices of toast and poaching 4 eggs to taste.

Position warm plates with 2 slices of toast each and top generously with the gravy.  Carefully position the poached eggs atop the gravy and serve any remaining gravy on the side.  Serves 2.

NOTE:  If you have gravy left it can be refrigerated and reheated easily in the microwave oven.  My husband has asked me before to make extra so he could reheat for a work day breakfast.

To poach eggs using only the most basic tools:

Place a large flat bottomed vessel containing water to a depth of 2" over heat and bring to a boil.   Add a tablespoon of vinegar to the water.  This will help contain the egg white.  Reduce the water to a simmer.  Crack an egg onto a saucer and slide it into the simmering water.  Quickly repeat this process 3 more times.  Set timer for 3 minutes and cover the pan.  At the end of three minutes carefully remove each egg with a slotted spoon.

Note: I used an egg poacher today but have done the basics tried and true.