Creamed Beans and Celery

Recipe No. 565 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, green — 20 pounds*
• Salt — as needed
• Water, boiling — as needed
• Celery — 5 pounds
• Salt — as needed
• Water, boiling — as needed
• White sauce, hot — 5½ quarts (5½ No. 56 dippers)

Directions

1. Wash beans and remove ends. Cut beans into pieces. Add boiling salted water.
2. Cover and heat to boiling point; reduce heat and simmer about 30 minutes or until tender. Drain; reserve liquid.
3. Scrub celery; dice and cover with boiling salted water.
4. Cover and heat to boiling point; reduce heat and simmer about 10 to 15 minutes or until tender. Drain; reserve liquid.
5. Mix beans and celery.
6. Prepare white sauce (recipe No. 497) using liquids drained from beans and celery.
7. Pour white sauce over vegetables just before serving.

Notes

SCALED TO 8 SERVINGS (the original is ÷12.5): Beans, green — 1 lb 9⅔ oz Salt — to taste Water, boiling — to taste Celery — 6⅓ oz Salt — to taste Water, boiling — to taste White sauce, hot — 1¾ cups

3 No. 10 cans green beans may be substituted for the 20 pounds fresh green beans. Heat beans before draining. Diced pimientos or chopped, fried bacon or ham may be added to the white sauce for variety.

— TM 10-412, Army Recipes (War Department, 15 August 1944), recipe No. 565, Vegetables. Army measures: 1 No. 56 dipper = 1 qt; 1 No. 55 dipper = 1¾ qt; 1 mess kit cup = 1½ pints.