Creamed Chicken or Turkey

Recipe No. 381 from the U.S. Army’s WWII cookbook — Meat. Quantities are exactly as printed, for 100 servings; a scaled-down 8-serving version is in the notes.

Ingredients

Onions, chopped — 1 pound (1 No. 56 dipper)

• Celery, finely chopped — 5 pounds (5 No. 56 dippers)
• Chicken fat (for frying) — 2 pounds (1 No. 56 dipper)

Flour, sifted — 2 pounds (2 No. 56 dippers)

• Chicken or turkey stock, hot — 2 gallons (8 No. 56 dippers)
• Milk, evaporated — 8 — 14½-ounce cans
• Water (for milk) — 1 gallon (4 No. 56 dippers)
• Salt — as needed

Pepper — ¼ ounce (1 mess kit spoon)

• Chicken or turkey, cooked, diced — 15 pounds (15 No. 56 dippers)

Directions

Key ingredients

Evaporated Milk

1. Fry onions and celery in chicken fat until tender.
2. Add flour; mix thoroughly. Add hot stock slowly. Heat to boiling point; boil 2 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Add milk, water, salt, and pepper; mix well.
3. Add chicken or turkey. Heat to serving temperature, stirring constantly.

Notes

SCALED TO 8 SERVINGS (the original is ÷12.5): Onions, chopped — 1¼ oz Celery, finely chopped — 6⅓ oz Chicken fat (for frying) — 2½ oz Flour, sifted — 2½ oz Chicken or turkey stock, hot — 2½ cups Milk, evaporated — ⅔ can(s) (14½ oz) Water (for milk) — 1¼ cups Salt — to taste Pepper — a pinch Chicken or turkey, cooked, diced — 1 lb 3¼ oz

Serve very hot over toast or split baking powder biscuits (recipe No. 26), cornbread (recipe No. 39), boiled noodles (recipe No. 206), or boiled rice (recipe No. 219).

— TM 10-412, Army Recipes (War Department, 15 August 1944), recipe No. 381, Meat. Army measures: 1 No. 56 dipper = 1 qt; 1 No. 55 dipper = 1¾ qt; 1 mess kit cup = 1½ pints.