Onions au Gratin

Recipe No. 601 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

• Onions — 25 pounds
• Salt — as needed
• Water, boiling — as needed
• White sauce — 1 gallon (4 No. 56 dippers)

Mustard, dry — 2¼ ounces (9 mess kit spoons)

• Cheese, finely chopped — 1 pound (1 No. 56 dipper)

Butter, melted — 4 ounces (8 mess kit spoons)

• Bread, coarsely chopped — 1¼ pounds (2 No. 56 dippers)

Directions

Key ingredients

Mustard

1. Wash onions; peel. Cut into halves or quarters.
2. Add boiling salted water to onions. Heat to boiling point; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 5 to 7 minutes or until tender. Drain.
3. Prepare white sauce (recipe No. 497); add mustard and ¾ of the cheese; stir until cheese is melted.
4. Pour melted butter over crumbs.
5. Arrange layers of onions and cheese sauce in well greased baking pans. Cover with crumbs and remaining cheese.
6. Bake in moderate oven (350° F.) until crumbs are brown and cheese is melted.

Notes

SCALED TO 8 SERVINGS (the original is ÷12.5): Onions — 2 lb Salt — to taste Water, boiling — to taste White sauce — 1¼ cups Mustard, dry — about 1 tsp Cheese, finely chopped — 1¼ oz Butter, melted — about 2 tsp Bread, coarsely chopped — 1⅔ oz

— TM 10-412, Army Recipes (War Department, 15 August 1944), recipe No. 601, Vegetables. Army measures: 1 No. 56 dipper = 1 qt; 1 No. 55 dipper = 1¾ qt; 1 mess kit cup = 1½ pints.