Creole Lima Beans

Recipe No. 560 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, Lima, dry — 15 pounds
• Water, cold — 2½ gallons (10 No. 56 dippers)
• Onions, quartered — 12 ounces
• Salt — 4½ ounces (9 mess kit spoons)
• Bacon, diced — 3 pounds
• Meat stock — 3 quarts (3 No. 56 dippers)
• Tomatoes — 2 No. 10 cans
• Flour, sifted — 1½ pounds (1½ No. 56 dippers)
• Bacon fat, melted — 1½ pounds (¾ No. 56 dipper)
• Sugar, granulated — 6 ounces (12 mess kit spoons)
• Pepper — as needed
• Chili sauce — 1½ pints (¾ No. 56 dipper)

Directions

Key ingredients

Bacon Grease

1. Wash beans thoroughly. Cover with cold water; soak 3 to 4 hours.
2. Add onions. Cover and heat to boiling point; reduce heat and simmer until beans are tender but not split or mushy.
3. Fry bacon; drain. Add bacon to beans.
4. Mix stock and tomatoes; heat.
5. Mix flour and melted bacon fat. Add small amount of tomato mixture; stir until smooth. Add gradually to remaining tomato mixture. Heat to boiling point; boil 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
6. Add sugar, pepper and chili sauce; mix well.
7. Place beans in baking pans. Pour tomato mixture over beans.
8. Bake in moderate oven (350° F.) 40 minutes to 1 hour.

Notes

SCALED TO 8 SERVINGS (the original is ÷12.5): Beans, Lima, dry — 1 lb 3¼ oz Water, cold — 3¼ cups Onions, quartered — 1 oz Salt — about 2¼ tsp Bacon, diced — 3¾ oz Meat stock — 15⅓ tbsp Tomatoes — 2 cups Flour, sifted — 2 oz Bacon fat, melted — 2 oz Sugar, granulated — ½ oz Pepper — to taste Chili sauce — 3¾ tbsp

— TM 10-412, Army Recipes (War Department, 15 August 1944), recipe No. 560, Vegetables. Army measures: 1 No. 56 dipper = 1 qt; 1 No. 55 dipper = 1¾ qt; 1 mess kit cup = 1½ pints.