Carrots a la King

Recipe No. 573 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

• Carrots — 25 pounds*
• Salt — as needed
• Water, boiling — as needed
• Onions, chopped — 1½ ounces (5½ mess kit spoons)
• Butter, melted — 6 ounces (½ No. 56 dipper)
• Sugar, granulated — 2½ ounces (5 mess kit spoons)
• Salt — 2½ ounces (5 mess kit spoons)
• Pepper — as needed
• White sauce — 1½ gallons (6 No. 56 dippers)

Pimientos, chopped — 6 ounces (1 mess kit cup)

• Peppers, green, chopped — 12 ounces (¾ No. 56 dipper)

Directions

1. Scrub carrots thoroughly and scrape to remove outer layer of skin.
2. Slice and add boiling salted water. Cover and heat to boiling point; reduce heat and simmer 10 to 15 minutes or until just tender.
3. Fry onions in melted butter until tender but not brown.
4. Combine carrots, sugar, salt and pepper; mix well.
5. Prepare white sauce (recipe No. 497); add onions, pimientos and green peppers.
6. Pour sauce over carrots just before serving.

Notes

SCALED TO 8 SERVINGS (the original is ÷12.5): Carrots — 2 lb Salt — to taste Water, boiling — to taste Onions, chopped — about ¾ tsp Butter, melted — ½ oz Sugar, granulated — about 1¼ tsp Salt — about 1¼ tsp Pepper — to taste White sauce — 2 cups Pimientos, chopped — ½ oz Peppers, green, chopped — 1 oz

3 No. 10 cans carrots may be substituted for the 25 pounds fresh carrots. Heat before draining.

— TM 10-412, Army Recipes (War Department, 15 August 1944), recipe No. 573, Vegetables. Army measures: 1 No. 56 dipper = 1 qt; 1 No. 55 dipper = 1¾ qt; 1 mess kit cup = 1½ pints.