Scalloped Noodles with Cheese, Tomatoes, and Bacon

Recipe No. 218 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

Tomatoes — 5 No. 10 cans

• Salt (for tomatoes) — 3 ounces (6 mess kit spoons)
• Pepper — ¼ ounce (1 mess kit spoon)
• Noodles — 12 pounds
• Salt (for noodles) — 6 ounces (¼ mess kit cup)
• Water, boiling — 12 gallons (48 No. 56 dippers)
• Cheese, shredded — 9 pounds (9 No. 56 dippers)
• Bacon, thinly sliced — 3 pounds

Directions

1. Mix tomatoes, salt, and pepper together. Heat to boiling point; reduce heat and simmer until slightly thick.
2. Add noodles to boiling salted water; boil 10 to 15 minutes or until tender. Drain well.
3. Arrange alternate layers of noodles, tomatoes, and cheese in well-greased baking pans. Cover with bacon slices.
4. Bake in moderate oven (350° F.) 20 minutes or until bacon is crisp.

Notes

SCALED TO 8 SERVINGS (the original is ÷12.5): Tomatoes — 1⅓ qt Salt (for tomatoes) — about 1½ tsp Pepper — a pinch Noodles — 15⅓ oz Salt (for noodles) — ½ oz Water, boiling — 3¾ qt Cheese, shredded — 11½ oz Bacon, thinly sliced — 3¾ oz

— TM 10-412, Army Recipes (War Department, 15 August 1944), recipe No. 218, 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.