Potato and Celery Root Gratin Packets

These Potato and Celery Root Gratin Packets offer a lighter, quicker take on the classic gratin, with perfectly steamed potatoes and celery root infused with aromatic flavors. Cooked in a packet for moist, tender results, this easy side dish can be baked in the oven or grilled, making it a versatile and flavorful addition to any meal.

Since my recent obsession with packet cooking, I’ve noticed one huge advantage of using this method – the flavors of the finished dish become really concentrated and every bite is infused with the taste of every single ingredient. Another advantage of cooking food in packets, is that the ingredients stay really moist, since they literally steam as they cook.

Fish is my favorite ingredient to cook en papillote – (French for “in parchment”), so I thought it would be a great idea to come up with a side dish to throw into the oven at the same time. A potato gratin is such an indulgent, scrumptious dish, but usually takes awhile to prepare and is also very heavy. Cooking it in a packet in smaller serving portions speeds up the cooking time significantly and also is a wonderful way to steam the potatoes in aromatics instead of lathered in a heavy cream sauce. I also added some celery root to the potatoes. If you’ve never tried celery root, I would really encourage you to give it a chance – it is delicious!

I was intending to cook these potatoes on the grill, but Sergi ended up coming home later than usual, so the oven worked out just as well. Next time I get a chance, I will grill these delicate spuds. Sergi and I are both partial to grilled potatoes and love the slightly charred edges on the potatoes and the grill marks, as well as the grilled flavor. This is a convenient recipe to have on hand to use both the oven or the grill. As in all my other packet recipes, you can use parchment paper instead of aluminum foil, unless you will be grilling the packets. 

Ingredients:

1 – 1 1/2 lbs potatoes, (4-5 medium) gold potatoes are best for this recipe, thinly sliced

1 medium (10-12 0z) celery root, peeled and thinly sliced

1 onion, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

3 Tablespoons butter, melted (or oil)

1/2 – 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 Tablespoon dry herbs (parsley, thyme, rosemary, etc.)

4-5 Tablespoons chicken or vegetable broth (1 –  1 1/2 Tablespoons per packet)

4-5 Tablespoons heavy cream (1 –  1 1/2 Tablespoons per packet)

8-10 Tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese

fresh herbs to garnish, such as dill, parsley, thyme, chives, etc, minced

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. You can also do this on the grill, in which case you would preheat the grill to medium heat.

Peel the potatoes and the celery root. Slice the potatoes and the celery root into really thin slices. If you have a mandoline, this is the best tool for the job, but you can certainly use a knife. If you don’t want to use celery root, just use extra potatoes instead. Slice the onion very thinly, using a mandoline or a knife. Slice the garlic, but don’t try using the mandoline, you might end up losing some fingertips:). Toss the sliced vegetables in a large bowl with the melted butter, salt, pepper and dry herbs. Use any seasonings that you like to flavor your potatoes – dry herbs (dill, thyme, oregano, parsley, basil, rosemary, etc.) or spices (paprika, cayenne pepper, nutmeg, etc.). Meanwhile, tear off 4 sheets of aluminum foil. I like using heavy duty aluminum foil. The sheets need to be 18 – 20 inches wide.

Of course, you can also use parchment paper, if you will be making this in the oven. If you will be preparing this dish on the grill, I would suggest using a double layer of aluminum foil for each packet.

Place 1/4 of the vegetables into each packet, placing them on one half of the aluminum foil. You can also make the packets smaller and make 6 of them instead of 4.

Spread out the vegetables so that they are in an even layer. Pour 1 – 1 1/2 Tablespoons of broth and heavy cream, EACH, over the vegetables.

Sprinkle with the finely grated Parmesan cheese, about 2 Tablespoons per packet, but the amount of cheese is up to you. Use more or less, depending on your preference. You can also use other cheese, such as Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Provolone, Mozzarella, Fontina, etc. Fold the second half of the aluminum foil over the vegetables and seal the edges all the way around, to form the packets. For the oven method: Place the packets on a large baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes. You can open the packets at the end and place it under the broiler for a few minutes to crisp up the top, if you’d like.

For the grill method: Place the packets on the grill and cook on medium heat for 30-35 minutes.

Garnish with fresh herbs. 

Potato and Celery Root Gratin Packets

Olga Klyuchits

These Potato and Celery Root Gratin Packets offer a lighter, quicker take on the classic gratin, with perfectly steamed potatoes and celery root infused with aromatic flavors. Cooked in a packet for moist, tender results, this easy side dish can be baked in the oven or grilled, making it a versatile and flavorful addition to any meal.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Sides

Servings 4 6

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 - 1 1/2 lbs potatoes gold potatoes are best for this recipe, thinly sliced
• 1 medium 10-12 0z celery root, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 onion thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves thinly sliced
• 3 Tablespoons butter melted (or oil)
• 1/2 - 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 Tablespoon dry herbs parsley, thyme, rosemary, etc.
• 4-5 Tablespoons chicken or vegetable broth 1 - 1 1/2 Tablespoons per packet
• 4-5 Tablespoons heavy cream 1 - 1 1/2 Tablespoons per packet
• 8-10 Tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
• fresh herbs to garnish such as dill, parsley, thyme, chives, etc, minced

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. You can also do this on the grill, in which case you would preheat the grill to medium heat.
• Peel the potatoes and the celery root. Slice the potatoes and the celery root into really thin slices. If you have a mandoline, this is the best tool for the job, but you can certainly use a knife. If you don't want to use celery root, just use extra potatoes instead.
• Slice the onion very thinly, using a mandoline or a knife. Slice the garlic, but don't try using the mandoline, you might end up losing some fingertips:).
• Toss the sliced vegetables in a large bowl with the melted butter, salt, pepper and dry herbs. Use any seasonings that you like to flavor your potatoes - dry herbs (dill, thyme, oregano, parsley, basil, rosemary, etc.) or spices (paprika, cayenne pepper, nutmeg, etc.).
• Meanwhile, tear off 4 sheets of aluminum foil. I like using heavy duty aluminum foil. The sheets need to be 18 - 20 inches wide. Of course, you can also use parchment paper, if you will be making this in the oven. If you will be preparing this dish on the grill, I would suggest using a double layer of aluminum foil for each packet.
• Place 1/4 of the vegetables into each packet, placing them on one half of the aluminum foil. You can also make the packets smaller and make 6 of them instead of 4. Spread out the vegetables so that they are in an even layer.
• Pour 1 - 1 1/2 Tablespoons of broth and heavy cream, EACH, over the vegetables.
• Sprinkle with the finely grated Parmesan cheese, about 2 Tablespoons per packet, but the amount of cheese is up to you. Use more or less, depending on your preference. You can also use other cheese, such as Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Provolone, Mozzarella, Fontina, etc.
• Fold the second half of the aluminum foil over the vegetables and seal the edges all the way around, to form the packets.
• For the oven method: Place the packets on a large baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes. You can open the packets at the end and place it under the broiler for a few minutes to crisp up the top, if you'd like.
• For the grill method: Place the packets on the grill and cook on medium heat for 30-35 minutes.
• Garnish with fresh herbs.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!