This Pastelón de cepa de apio, a celery root or apio criollo bake with spinach and cheddar is the perfect dish for an easy, quick, and low-effort meal. Serve alone or as a side dish. Take advantage of this wonderful root to prepare something new and delicious that you will love.
By - Reviewed: . Original: Feb 20, 2014
Why we ❤️ it
Now let me tell you about cepa de apio, or Creole celery root and why I like it so much: I love its mild flavor, a great substitute for potatoes and other starchy roots.
This root vegetable has become a trendy food in our country, and with good reason. It is very versatile and can be used in many ways. And now you can make it as a casserole or gratin.
What's cepa de apio?
Cepa de apio is an andean root vegetable called Arracacha or Apio criollo in South America. It grows in temperate climates, so in the Dominican Republic, it is produced in the mountains of Constanza.
Cepa de apio has a creamy texture, and a taste like a mixture of potato and celery. In countries where it is not available, you can use celeriac for this recipe, but the taste and texture will be different.
Apio criollo and pastelón de cepa de apio.
Serving suggestions
You can serve this as a standalone dish with some Dominican salad, or as a side dish. It's fantastic with grilled Costillitas de puerco (ribs), and Pinchos de pollo (chicken skewers). I also love it with pork chops, like Chuleta frita, and Chuleta ahumada guisada.
It goes great served with some sliced tomatoes, and it also pairs well with these chicken rolls.
Top tip
- I typically buy more cepa de apio than I use in just one dish, so I peel it and chop it into chunks or slice it and freeze it. It stores very well in the freezer.
- The way I peel celeriac and cepa de apio is cutting them into smaller chunks, then peeling with a sharp paring knife or vegetable peeler.
About this recipe
This creamy pastelón de cepa de apio, although not a traditional Dominican dish, is very popular with our Dominican audience.
This recipe yields 6 servings.
Video
Recipe
This awesome free recipe contains Amazon affiliate links, we receive a small commission from any purchase you make at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support!
Pastelón de Cepa de Apio [Video+Recipe] Celery Root & Cheese Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 lb celery root , [0.9 kg] 2 lb celery root [0.9 kg]
- 3 teaspoons salt, or to taste, divided by amount
- 1½ cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons onion powder
- 3 tablespoons chopped chives, chopped
- 1 egg (medium)
For the filling
- 4 cups chopped spinach
- 2 cups ricotta cheese
- 2 egg (medium)
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
For baking
- 1 tablespoon butter for greasing pan, for greasing pan
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
1. Boil the celery root
Peel, chop and wash the celery root. Place in a pot, and cover with water (plus a little more), add 2 teaspoons of salt, and boil over medium heat until the root is soft (about 15 minutes).Meanwhile, heat the oven to 300ºF [150ºC].
2. Mix the filling
- While the celery root boils, combine spinach, ricotta, eggs, onion powder, and salt in a bowl and fold with a spatula until well combined.
3. Mash the celery root
- Remove the celery root from the water, and discard the water. Mash with a masher or fork until smooth.Mix the celery root with the sour cream, onion powder, and chives. Season with salt to taste. Mix with the egg. Reserve
4. Assemble
- Grease a 9-inch [25 centimeters] cake pan with butter.Pour half of the celery root mixture into the pan in an even layer. Pour the spinach mixture into another even layer, finishing with the remaining celery root.Top with cheese and return to oven.
5. Baking
- Place in preheated oven.Bake until it is cooked through and the cheese turns golden brown (about 35 mins).
6. Serve
- Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes before slicing. See serving recommendations on the recipe.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutrition information.
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. ❤️ Plus, get great weekly recipes from me!
More celery root recipes
Cepa de apio has become very popular in our country, and we have been adding some celery root recipes to enjoy at home. The closest to a traditional recipe is this vegan Crema de cepa de apio. I also loved this Yuca and celery root puree that combine it with one of our favorite ingredients. You can also use it in this Mixed yaroa, which offers the choice of using cepa de apio instead of potato, and I also love it combined with one of my favorite ingredients in this Celery root and ginger soup.
To make it into a roasted celery root toss it with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and dry herbs. I then roast it on a baking tray, I also make it into French fries in the air fryer.
- Learn more about me and the humans behind this blog.
- Share your questions and comments about this post.
- Subscribe to receive our recipes and articles by email.
- Please stay in touch! Follow us on:
