Baked Beans and Tomatoes

Recipe No. 551 from the U.S. Army’s WWII cookbook — Vegetables. Quantities are exactly as printed, for 100 servings; a scaled-down 8-serving version is in the notes.

Ingredients

Beans, navy — 16 pounds (9 No. 56 dippers)

• Water, cold — 4 to 5 gals. (16 to 20 No. 56 dippers)
• Salt — as needed
• Onions, quartered — 2 pounds (2 No. 56 dippers)
• Molasses — ¾ pint (½ mess kit cup)
• Sugar, brown — 8 ounces (½ mess kit cup)
• Mustard, dry — ¼ ounce (1 mess kit spoon)
• Paprika — as needed
• Salt — 6 ounces (12 mess kit spoons)

Vinegar — 2 ounces (4 mess kit spoons)

• Tomato catsup or puree — 2 quarts (2 No. 56 dippers)
• Pork, salt, sliced — 4 pounds
• Water, hot — as needed

Directions

Key ingredients

Molasses · Mustard

1. Wash beans thoroughly. Cover with cold water; soak 6 to 8 hours.
2. Add salt. Cover and heat to boiling point; reduce heat and simmer until tender but not split or mushy. Drain.
3. Combine beans, onions, molasses, sugar, mustard, paprika, salt, vinegar and catsup or puree; mix well.
4. Arrange alternate layers of salt pork and bean mixture in baking pans, starting with pork and finishing with bean mixture.
5. Bake in slow oven (300° F.) 3 to 4 hours, adding hot water as needed.

Notes

SCALED TO 8 SERVINGS (the original is ÷12.5): Beans, navy — 1 lb 4½ oz Water, cold — ⅓ to 5 gals. Salt — to taste Onions, quartered — 2½ oz Molasses — 2 tbsp Sugar, brown — ⅔ oz Mustard, dry — a pinch Paprika — to taste Salt — ½ oz Vinegar — about 1 tsp Tomato catsup or puree — 10¼ tbsp Pork, salt, sliced — 5 oz Water, hot — to taste

— TM 10-412, Army Recipes (War Department, 15 August 1944), recipe No. 551, Vegetables. Army measures: 1 No. 56 dipper = 1 qt; 1 No. 55 dipper = 1¾ qt; 1 mess kit cup = 1½ pints.