One thing that my husband loves is the smell (and taste) of celery. Whether I'm sautéing it in a recipe or chopping it for a salad he always comments that it's his favorite smell and it reminds him of Thanksgiving. Just imagine how surprised he was when I made him this delicious Celeriac Gratin. Actually, I'm not sure who liked it better, him or me.

Here are two recipes for Celeriac, one for a Celeriac Gratin and one for a Puree of Celeriac Gratin. Both of these recipes are from the Time-Life book series The Good Cook Either of these easy to make dishes would be perfect for your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. These are now some of our favorite vegetable recipes.

Please read my "cooks tips" following the recipes

Recipe One: Celeriac Gratin

1 pound celeriac, peeled and quartered
6 tablespoons butter
salt to taste
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Gruyere cheese

Spread 2 tablespoons of the butter in a stainless-steel saute pan and arrange the celeriac quarters in it. Season with salt and add the water. Cook, covered, over low heat for 45 minutes, turning the quarters once or twice.

Drain the celeriac, reserving the liquid. Butter a shallow gratin dish with another 2 tablespoons of butter and put in the celeriac. Reduce the cooking liquid a little over high heat and pour it over the celeriac. Melt the remaining butter. Sprinkle the cheese and melted butter over the celeriac and put in an oven, preheated to 425 degrees F for about 10 minutes, or until the top is lightly colored. Serves 2.

Recipe attributed to Prosper Montagne - Mon Menu


Cooks tips: I always put in less than more when it comes to salt. For this recipe I started with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and used unsalted butter. My husband felt it needed more salt, so he added it at the table.

Recipe Two: Puree of Celeriac Gratin

1 pound celeriac, diced
1/2 lb small white potatoes, peeled and diced
salt to taste
5 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dry bread crumbs

Boil the celeriac and potatoes in slightly salted water until they are tender. Drain the vegetables and mash them, reserving the cooking liquid. Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a saucepan, add the mashed vegetables and cook over low heat for a few minutes, stirring. Then, add the milk and enough of the reserved cooking liquid to form a thin puree. Grease a shallow ovenproof dish and put the puree in it. Sprinkle the puree with the cheese and the bread crumbs and the remaining butter cut into small pieces. Put the dish in an oven preheated to 400 degrees F and leave it there until the surface of the puree is lightly browned - about 15 minutes. Serves 4.

Recipe attributed to Hermine Kiehnle & Maria Hadeck - Das Neue Kiehnle Kochbuch

Click here to print these recipes

Thanksgiving Recipes


Bourbon Cranberry Sauce
Campbell's Green Bean Casserole
Chestnut Stuffing
Fresh Cranberry Orange Compote
Homemade Turkey Broth
Madeira Gravy
Pearl Onions au Gratin
Sage Sausage and Apple Stuffing
Tangy Cranberry Apple Chutney
Tips on Cooking a Turkey

Tasty & Easy Green Bean Recipes


Armenian Green Beans with Ground Meat and Tomatoes (Fassoulia)
Blanched Green Beans
Cream of Green Bean Soup (Company's Coming)
Fried Green Beans
Dilly Green Beans Recipe - Canning Recipe
Ginger Garlic Green Beans
Greek Green Beans
Greek Potatoes and Green Beans
Green Bean Soup (Company's Coming)
Green Beans a'la Waterman's
Green Beans Almondine
Green Beans Almondine (with a hint of lemon)
Green Beans Almondine (with an Asian flair)
Green Beans Almondine (with mushrooms)
Green Beans and Prosciutto Pasta Salad
Green Bean Casserole (Campbell's)
Green Bean Casserole (Cook's Illustrated)
Green Beans, Endive & Boston Lettuce Salad
Green Beans in Sour Cream & Tomato Sauce
Green Beans Provençal, Chef Simone Beck
Green Beans Provençal, Cooking Light
Green Bean Salad, Dill, Parsley & Savory
Green Bean Salad, Feta & Pecans
Green Bean Salad, Soy Glazed Almonds, Cilantro
Green Beans with Coconut
Green Beans with Ginger Butter
Green Beans with Onion Paste (Madhur Jaffrey)
Green Beans with Roman Mustard
Green Beans with Shallots
Italian Green Beans (St. Anna Beans)
Lemon Green Bean & Celery Salad
Oven Roasted Green Beans
Pears with Green Beans & Bacon
Persian Green Beans & Rice (Lubia Polo)
Sautéed Green Beans with Hazelnut Crumbs
Sesame & Portobello Green Beans
Sicilian Green Bean & Fennel Salad (Cooking Light)
Stir-Fried Green Beans with Pork & Chilies
Sweet & Sour Green Beans
Thai Green Beans (Cooking Light)
Three Bean Salad Recipe
White Bean, Green Bean & Red Bell Pepper Salad