Is it cold where you are? I’ve got just the thing for you! Hot beef sundaes are as quintessential to Iowa as cheesesteaks are to Philly or avocado toast is to Cali. They are the ultimate comfort food and are served every year at the Iowa State Fair (don’t ask me why hot mashed potatoes and shredded beef with gravy are served in the middle of the August heat in Iowa), but I can never resist a bowl when I go to the fair.
I have to credit my mom with recreating these at home-a much-beloved treat when she makes it-so I made her walk me through how she makes it so I could write a recipe. The best part of this dish-it’s meant to look like a (savory) ice cream sundae. Essentially, you want to make the most creamy mashed potatoes you can (like these Ultra-Creamy Mashed Potatoes), layer on the most tender, flavorful shredded beef with a rich beefy gravy, a spoonful of sour cream, shredded cheese, chives and a cherry tomato on top. Having a hard time relating this to your favorite ice cream sundae? I’ll walk you through it…the mashed potatoes (ice cream), the beef with gravy (hot fudge sauce), sour cream (whipped cream), cheese and chives (multi-colored sprinkles), and cherry tomato on top (obviously the cherry on top!). Whoever created this is the Willy Wonka of the savory comfort food world…I love how cheeky it is.
This hasn’t been a great week for me (hence my extended absence from posting…so sorry!), and this is the kind of food that feeds my soul. And OMG, I haven’t told you that I keep discovering that I inadvertently deleted a bunch of pretty good, ready-to-use food photos from my computer when I was making storage space. AHHHH! I thought I had lost these pictures, but a miracle happened and I found these in an old version of the photo editing software on my computer. But alas, after scouring every possible place where the rest of the photos may exist, I did not find any of the other missing ones. I will mark this as a small-and tasty-win for me (and you!).Go ahead, make this for yourself. Your future self (like 3 hours from now) will thank you! Oh and leftovers are pretty solid too, so you’ll keep yourself in the comfort-food zone for a few days. Oh and oh-this will most definitely feed a family too-if you have that sort of thing!
Think of this as a cheeky, savory ice cream sundae: Creamy mashed potatoes are layered with tender, rich shredded beef in a flavorful gravy and a dollop of sour cream. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar and fresh chives and top with a cherry tomato. Perfect for lazy days or when you’re in need of a warm, comforting meal.
Ingredients
Scale
ROAST BEEF:
3 to 3-1/2 pounds beef chuck roast
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 to 3 tablespoons Montreal Steak Seasoning
1 onion, cut into chunks
2 to 3 garlic cloves, crushed and halved
4 cups low-sodium beef broth
3 tablespoons Better than Bouillon Beef Base
2 to 4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
TO SERVE:
Mashed potatoes
4 ounces grated Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
Cherry tomatoes, for topping
Instructions
Generously season the chuck roast with kosher salt, pepper and Montreal Steak Seasoning. In a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, add the chuck roast, onion, garlic, beef broth, Better than Bouillon Beef Base, and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 2-1/2 to 3 hours, until the beef is completely tender and falls apart when shredded with a fork. Remove the beef from the pot and set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, shred into bite-sized strips.
Strain the beef broth from the onions and garlic and allow to settle until the fat and broth separates. Remove the fat with a spoon into a separate bowl. Measure 6 tablespoons of fat into the cooking pan, adding butter if necessary to get to 6 tablespoons. Whisk in 1/2 cup flour, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Cook the roux for 2 to 3 minutes to remove the raw flour taste. In a slow, steady stream, whisk in the reserved beef broth, whisking constantly, and cook until your desired gravy consistency is reached, about 6 to 8 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the shredded beef, stirring to coat with gravy.
To serve, place a scoop of mashed potatoes in a bowl. Top with the beef and gravy and a scoop of sour cream. Sprinkle with Cheddar and chives. Top with a cherry tomato.
