Applewood Spreadable Challenge: Potato and Celeriac Gratin

If you read my blog regularly you will know I am taking part in the Applewood Spreadable Blogger Challenge to create recipes using Applewood Spreadable cheese.  I already used a pumpkin to create Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie. I then wondered what else I could make. One of the vegetables that caught my eye was a celeriac. I have heard of celeriac but never tried using it before.

Celeriac is a turnip shaped vegetable which has a rather tangy celery like taste. I found out that it can be served raw, in a coleslaw type salad with possibly a mustard sauce or boiled and served like potato. I decided I was going to try making a potato and celeriac gratin, which made a lovely accompaniment to a chicken dish. The addition of panacetta and the Applewood Spreadable Cheese worked really well and it was very tasty.

I will definitely try using celeriac again, I loved the taste and it adds a little more flavour to the potato dish that you would normally have. The Applewood Spreadable cheese worked perfectly as well adding a subtle smoked flavour to the dish.

Potato and Celeriac Gratin Recipe

Ingredients

• 220g Panacetta or bacon
• 420 ml double cream
• 350ml milk
• 2 tablespoons Applewood Spreadable Cheese
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
• 1 red chilli, chopped
• 1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard
• 500g celeriac
• 500g potatoes

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C, Gas Mark 4
2. Fry the pancetta gently until it is slightly brown.
3. Chop the chilli. rosemary and garlic into small pieces.
4. In a small pan bring the cream, milk, garlic, rosemary, cheese, and rosemary to the boil.
5. Peel and slice the potatoes and celariac into thin slices.
6. In a casserole dish add a small amount of the milk mixture, then a layer of potatoes.
7. Now add a little bit of the panacetta, a layer of celeriac and a bit more of the milk mixture.
8. Keep layering in this way finishing with a potato layer and pour the remainder of the milk mixture over the finished layers,
9. Cover and bake for an hour.

This is a lovely warming side dish and would also be lovely served with a beef casserole.