Baked Celeriac with Cheese
Tender sliced celeriac layered with grated cheese and butter, baked until golden and bubbling. A simple, elegant Central European appetizer or side dish.
Historical recipe
Modernised adaptation of an early 20th‑century source. Not independently tested by Attic Recipes. Quantities, temperatures, and food safety guidance have been updated for a contemporary kitchen — we cannot guarantee accuracy or results. Always follow current food safety guidelines for your region. If you have a health condition, allergy, or dietary requirement, consult a qualified professional before preparing this recipe.
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- Celery
- Dairy
Additional notes
-
Caution
Contains celeriac, a regulated celery allergen under EU Regulation 1169/2011. Celery allergy can cause severe reactions including anaphylaxis in sensitive individuals. Always declare to guests with celery allergies.
Celeriac cannot be substituted in this dish — it is the primary ingredient. This dish is not suitable for those with a celery allergy.
-
Caution
Contains dairy (butter and cheese). Not suitable for those with lactose intolerance or dairy allergies as written.
Use a good dairy-free hard cheese and plant-based butter for a dairy-free version — the layering technique works equally well.
- 1
Peel the celeriac roots thoroughly with a sharp knife or sturdy vegetable peeler — the skin is thick and uneven. Cut away any tough or discoloured patches. Wash well under cold water.
Tip Work quickly once peeled — celeriac oxidises and browns on contact with air. Drop peeled roots into cold water with a squeeze of lemon juice if you are not cooking immediately. - 2
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the whole or halved celeriac roots and cook until completely tender — about 20 to 25 minutes depending on size. Test by inserting a sharp knife; it should meet no resistance.
Tip Do not undercook. The celeriac needs to be fully soft before layering — it will not soften further in the short oven time. - 3
Remove the celeriac from the water and allow to drain and cool slightly on a cutting board — about 10 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, cut into thin slices, approximately 5mm thick.
- 4
Preheat the oven to 190°C / 170°C fan (375°F). Grease an ovenproof dish generously with 1 tablespoon of butter.
- 5
Arrange a single layer of celeriac slices across the bottom of the dish. Scatter a layer of grated cheese over the top, then dot with small pieces of butter. Repeat — celeriac, cheese, butter — until all ingredients are used, finishing with a layer of cheese on top.
Tip Press each layer down gently so the dish is compact. A loose stack will separate when served. - 6
Season the top with salt and pepper. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted, bubbling, and golden brown on top.
- 7
Remove from the oven and serve warm directly from the dish.
Nutrition Information per approx. 180g
Nutritional values are approximate estimates and may vary based on specific ingredients used, preparation methods, and portion sizes.
Serving Suggestions
Serve warm directly from the baking dish as a first course, or alongside roasted or braised meat as a side. Works particularly well with pork or veal. A simple green salad alongside keeps the meal balanced.
About This Recipe
Four celeriac roots, boiled until tender, sliced, and layered in a buttered dish with grated cheese and butter, then baked for fifteen minutes until golden and bubbling. That is the entire recipe. It is one of those dishes that asks almost nothing of the cook and produces something genuinely good at the table — the mildly sweet, earthy flavour of celeriac softened by boiling and enriched by cheese and butter, with just enough oven time to pull everything together into a cohesive gratin.
Simple enough for a weeknight, presentable enough for guests.
Why It Works
Boiling the celeriac fully before baking is the key step. Fifteen minutes in the oven is not enough time to cook raw or even partially cooked celeriac through — it is only enough to melt and brown the cheese. The pre-cooking does all the structural work; the oven finishes it. Skip this step or undercook the boiling phase and the dish will be unpleasantly firm in the middle.
The butter between the layers is not decorative. As it melts during baking it bastes the celeriac and carries the cheese flavour through the layers, preventing the bottom from drying out while the top browns.
On the Cheese
The original recipe specifies only “grated cheese” — standard for a household cookbook of the era, where the cook was expected to use whatever good hard cheese was available. In Central European kitchens of the early 20th century, this would most likely have been a local hard cheese similar to what we now call trapist or aged Gouda. Several options work well here:
Gruyère — the most complex flavour, nutty and slightly sweet, melts beautifully. Best choice if available.
Aged Gouda or trapist — mild and creamy when melted, widely available across the region.
Parmesan — sharper and saltier than the others; reduce the added salt in the recipe if using Parmesan.
A blend — half Gruyère, half Parmesan is a practical and delicious combination that gives both melt and flavour depth.
Troubleshooting
Cheese browns too fast before the dish is hot through: Cover loosely with foil for the first 10 minutes, then uncover for the final 5 to brown the top.
Dish watery at the bottom: The celeriac was not drained well enough after boiling, or was sliced while still too wet. Pat the slices dry with a clean cloth before layering.
Celeriac still firm after baking: It was undercooked in the boiling stage. Return covered to the oven for another 10 minutes, or finish on the stovetop with a splash of cream.
A classic of early 20th century home cooking, preserved and adapted for the modern kitchen.
The Story Behind This Recipe
Historical Context
Celeriac — the bulbous root form of celery — was a staple vegetable in Central European kitchens throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, far more common in the region than the stalked variety familiar to Western European cooking. Baking boiled vegetables with cheese and butter was a standard technique for elevating everyday ingredients into something suitable for a proper table. Dishes of this type appear consistently in household cookbooks of the era as appetizers or light first courses, reflecting a cuisine that made careful, considered use of root vegetables through the winter months.
Modern Kitchen Adaptation
The original recipe gives no quantities and no oven temperature — both typical for household recipes of this era written for experienced cooks. The instruction to put the dish in the oven 'a quarter of an hour before lunch' translates directly to the 15-minute bake time used here. Temperature is set at 190°C / 170°C fan (375°F), the lower end of what produces a properly browned cheese top without drying out the celeriac underneath. The cheese type is not specified in the original; several options are given below to suit availability and taste.
This recipe is an independent modern adaptation developed from historical sources in the public domain. It is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute professional dietary, nutritional, or medical advice. Food preparation involves inherent risks. The reader assumes full responsibility for safe food handling, ingredient sourcing, and adherence to current local food safety guidelines. The site operator accepts no liability for outcomes resulting from the preparation or consumption of this recipe.
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