Macaroni au Gratin

Recipe No. 207 from the U.S. Army’s WWII cookbook — Macaroni, Spaghetti, Noodles and Rice. Quantities are exactly as printed, for 100 servings; a scaled-down 8-serving version is in the notes.

Ingredients

• Macaroni — 11¼ pounds
• Salt — 5 ounces (10 mess kit spoons)
• Water, boiling — 10 gallons (40 No. 56 dippers)
• Cheese, shredded — 10 pounds (10 No. 56 dippers)
• Fat, melted — 1 pound (½ No. 56 dipper)
• Flour, sifted — 8 ounces (½ No. 56 dipper)
• Salt — 4 ounces (8 mess kit spoons)
• Pepper — as needed
• Milk, evaporated — 15—14½-ounce cans
• Water (for milk) — 7½ quarts (7½ No. 56 dippers)
• Butter, melted — 2 pounds (1 No. 56 dipper)
• Bread crumbs, dry — 3 pounds (3 No. 56 dippers)

Directions

Key ingredients

Evaporated Milk

1. Break macaroni into 2- to 3-inch pieces.
2. Add macaroni slowly to boiling salted water; boil 10 to 15 minutes or until tender. Drain well.
3. Place macaroni in well-greased baking pans; cover with shredded cheese.
4. Mix melted fat, flour, salt, and pepper together; stir until smooth.
5. Mix milk and water; add to flour mixture. Heat to boiling point; boil until thick, stirring constantly. Pour sauce over macaroni and cheese.
6. Pour melted butter over crumbs; sprinkle crumbs over macaroni.
7. Bake in moderate oven (350° F.) 25 minutes or until crumbs are brown.

Notes

SCALED TO 8 SERVINGS (the original is ÷12.5): Macaroni — 14⅓ oz Salt — ⅓ oz Water, boiling — 3¼ qt Cheese, shredded — 12¾ oz Fat, melted — 1¼ oz Flour, sifted — ⅔ oz Salt — about 2 tsp Pepper — to taste Milk, evaporated — 1¼ can(s) (14½ oz) Water (for milk) — 2⅓ cups Butter, melted — 2½ oz Bread crumbs, dry — 3¾ oz

— TM 10-412, Army Recipes (War Department, 15 August 1944), recipe No. 207, Macaroni, Spaghetti, Noodles and Rice. Army measures: 1 No. 56 dipper = 1 qt; 1 No. 55 dipper = 1¾ qt; 1 mess kit cup = 1½ pints.