Celeriac Puree with White Cheddar Cheese and Roasted Garlic

Celeriac may just be one of those things you've walked right past in the produce department of your grocery store. It's a beastly looking thing; a big dirty ball of gnarly looking roots. It is also called Celery Root yet has nothing to do with celery at all. Well, I'm here to tell you that next time you see one grab it because they are so delicious. They are not as intimidating as they look and are simpler to peel and dice than a winter squash. The celeriac on its own is quite mild and the flavors I used really give it life. But you can prepare them as simple as you would mashed potatoes or go all out for the holidays, spare no expense drizzling it with white truffle oil. It's all up to you because celeriac is a wonderful blank canvas to use. This preparation is somewhere in between though the photo shows it with an added drizzle of white truffle oil. The puree is a wonderful combination of the earthy taste of roasted garlic combined with the sharpness of white cheddar cheese and is a perfect dish for you holiday table. I hope you enjoy.

Celeriac Puree with White Cheddar Cheese and Roasted Garlic

Ingredients:

6 cups celeriac, peeled and diced

1 head garlic, sliced in half

1 tsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. 2% milk (or any)

2 Tbsp. reduced fat sour cream

3/4 cup white cheddar cheese, shredded

salt and pepper

vegetable spray

Preheat oven to 400'

To clean the celeriac begin by slicing off the root end and the top. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the skin. Rinse in cool water and dice 1/2" into cubes. Lightly coat the bottom of a large sauce pan with vegetable spray and transfer the celeriac into the pot. Cook on medium high heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Add water to cover and bring to a boil on high heat. Reduce heat and simmer the celeriac for about 25 to 30 minutes until tender. Drain and reserve cooking liquid to use later.

While the celeriac is simmering place both halves of garlic on a small sheet of aluminum foil. Drizzle them with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper if desired. Close the foil and roast for about 30 minutes or until tender.

Place the roasted garlic, celeriac, milk and sour cream in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to puree, adding a tablespoon of cooking liquid at a time until desired consistency is reached. Add the cheddar and pulse to combine.

Nutrition Facts

8 - 1/2 Cup Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 88.6

Total Fat 4.5 g

Saturated Fat 2.8 g

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3 g

Monounsaturated Fat 1.3 g

Cholesterol 12.8 mg

Sodium 140.8 mg

Potassium 36.3 mg

Total Carbohydrate 8.4 g

Dietary Fiber 1.5 g

Sugars 0.2 g

Protein 4.2 g