Potatoes au Gratin

Recipe No. 613 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

• Potatoes, white — 40 pounds
• Salt — as needed
• Water, boiling — as needed

White sauce — 1¼ gallons (5 No. 56 dippers)

• Cheese, finely chopped — 1½ pounds (1½ No. 56 dippers)
• Mustard, dry — ¼ ounce (1 mess kit spoon)
• Butter, melted — 6 ounces (¼ mess kit cup)
• Bread crumbs, dry — 1¼ pounds (1¼ No. 56 dippers)

Directions

Key ingredients

Mustard

1. Wash potatoes thoroughly.
2. Cover potatoes with boiling salted water. Cover and heat to boiling point; reduce heat and simmer 20 to 30 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool. Peel; cut into ¾ inch cubes.
3. Prepare white sauce (recipe No. 497); add cheese and mustard. Stir until cheese is melted.
4. Pour melted butter over crumbs.
5. Arrange alternate layers of potatoes and cheese sauce in well greased baking pans. Cover with buttered crumbs.
6. Bake in moderate oven (375° F.) 10 to 25 minutes.

Notes

SCALED TO 8 SERVINGS (the original is ÷12.5): Potatoes, white — 3 lb 3¼ oz Salt — to taste Water, boiling — to taste White sauce — 1⅔ cups Cheese, finely chopped — 2 oz Mustard, dry — a pinch Butter, melted — ½ oz Bread crumbs, dry — 1⅔ oz

— TM 10-412, Army Recipes (War Department, 15 August 1944), recipe No. 613, Vegetables. Army measures: 1 No. 56 dipper = 1 qt; 1 No. 55 dipper = 1¾ qt; 1 mess kit cup = 1½ pints.