Creamy Celery Casserole
Celery goes from everyday crunch to tender, savory comfort in this bubbling baked side. Blue cheese gives the creamy sauce a sharp edge, while sherry adds warmth in the background.
Recipe link
Prep time10 min
Cook time40 min
Total time55 min
- Course
- Side Dish
- Cuisine
- Granny's Recipes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Est. calories / serving
- 238
Ingredients
Celery Base
- 1 large bunch celery — about 8 cups after trimming; cut into 1-inch pieces
- as needed Water — as needed for cooking
Cream Sauce
- 1 yellow onion — finely diced
- 1 green bell pepper — seeded and finely diced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 ½ cups reserved celery cooking liquid
- ⅜ cup cream cheese — softened and cut into small pieces
- ¾ cup blue cheese — crumbled
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons dry sherry
- to taste Salt and black pepper (optional) — to taste
Garnish
- parsley (optional) — chopped
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 400°F. Set out a 2½- to 3-quart baking dish.
- Cook Celery: Place the celery pieces in a large pot and add enough water to cover. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes, until the celery is barely tender and still has a little bite. Reserve 1½ cups of the cooking liquid, then drain the celery very well.1 large bunch celery, water
- Prepare Baking Dish: Spread the drained celery evenly in the baking dish.
- Cook Vegetables: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and green bell pepper and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned.1 yellow onion, 1 green bell pepper, 2 tablespoons butter
- Make Sauce: Stir in the reserved celery cooking liquid and dry sherry. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until slightly reduced. Reduce the heat to low. Add the cream cheese and blue cheese and stir until melted and smooth. Stir in the heavy cream and cook gently for 2 to 4 minutes, until the sauce lightly coats the back of a spoon. Do not boil. Taste and season with salt and black pepper.1½ cups reserved celery cooking liquid, 3 tablespoons dry sherry, ⅜ cup cream cheese, ¾ cup crumbled blue cheese, ¾ cup heavy cream, salt and black pepper
- Assemble: Pour the warm sauce evenly over the celery, gently nudging the pieces so the sauce settles throughout the dish.
- Bake: Bake uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, until the casserole is hot and bubbling around the edges and the sauce has thickened slightly.
- Rest and Serve: Let the casserole stand for 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired, and serve hot.chopped fresh parsley
Notes
- Celery: Do not cook the celery until completely soft. It will not soften much more during the short bake, so tender-crisp is the right target.
- Sauce Consistency: The sauce should coat a spoon before it is poured over the celery. If it still looks thin, simmer it a few minutes longer rather than adding another thickener.
- Blue Cheese: The blue cheese is a defining flavor in this casserole. Taste the finished sauce before adding salt because the cheese can be quite salty.
- Sherry: Use a dry drinking sherry rather than salted cooking sherry.
- Make Ahead: The celery and sauce may be prepared separately up to 1 day ahead. Refrigerate them covered, then rewarm the sauce gently before assembling and baking.
- Storage and Reheating: Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and use within 3 to 4 days. Reheat covered until the center reaches 165°F. Freezing is not recommended because the celery softens and the dairy sauce may separate.
- Serving Suggestions: Serve with Herbed Chicken Breasts with Olive Oil, Onion-Baked Pork Chops, or Stuffed Cornish Game Hens.
Nutrition (Approximate Per Serving)
Yield
About 6 cups — Serving size: about 1 cup
- Calories
- 238
- Carbohydrates
- 8 g
- Protein
- 6 g
- Fat
- 21 g
- Saturated Fat
- 12 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 6 g
- Cholesterol
- 58 mg
- Sodium
- 412 mg
- Potassium
- 388 mg
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Total Sugars
- 4 g
- Vitamin A
- 1125 IU
- Vitamin C
- 18 mg
- Calcium
- 142 mg
- Iron
- 1 mg
Equipment
- large pot (with lid)
- colander
- large skillet
- baking dish (2½- to 3-quart capacity)
- measuring cups and spoons