Recipes

Baked Potatoes

Recipe No. 616 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.

Army TM10-412 · Side Dish · Vegetable

Serves 100 servings, one potato each.
View source — TM 10-412 Army Recipes (War Department, 1944) ↗

Recipe No. 616 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

  • Potatoes, white, medium size — 100 potatoes
  • Beef fat, melted — 1 pound (½ No. 56 dipper)

Directions

  1. Scrub potatoes thoroughly; dry.
  2. Brush skins with beef fat to keep them soft.
  3. Place in baking pans. Bake in hot oven (450° F.) 1 to 1½ hours or until tender when pierced. Remove from oven.
  4. Prick each potato with a fork or break open to allow steam to escape.

Notes

SCALED TO 8 SERVINGS (the original is ÷12.5): Potatoes, white, medium size — 8 potatoes Beef fat, melted — 1¼ oz

Potatoes may be cut crosswise and lengthwise on the top. Press both ends until potatoes break open. Place lump of butter and sprinkle paprika in opening in each potato.

— TM 10-412, Army Recipes (War Department, 15 August 1944), recipe No. 616, Vegetables. Army measures: 1 No. 56 dipper = 1 qt; 1 No. 55 dipper = 1¾ qt; 1 mess kit cup = 1½ pints.