Main dish:

• 3 stumps of chicory (about 225g before cleaning) (witlof)
• 1 celeriac (or celery root) (knolselderij)
• 2 medium onions, chopped 2x2cm
• 3 cloves of garlic, finelly chopped
• 500 g mixed minced meat
• 1 tbsp minced meat spices
• 300 g bacon cubes
• 800 g pre-cooked sliced potatos
• Minced meat spices

Cheese sauce:

• 50 g unsalted butter
• 50 g flour
• 100 g cheese
• 300 ml cooking cream + 200 ml water / 500 ml milk
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp chives (finely cut)
• White pepper, salt and onionpowder to taste

Minced meat preperation:

1. Use spices to season minced meat and let rest in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.

Clean and cut chicory:

1. First, cut the bottom of the stumps of chicory, and cut the chicory in halfs lengthwise.
2. (optional) Because chicory is quite bitter, some people prefer to remove its "heart". This is the solid white triangle at the base. Easiest is to cut it in half lengthwise again and just cut the end of diagonally.
3. If you haven't cut it in halves the second time in step 2, do that now, so that for 1 stump you have 4 pieces.
4. Cut the chicory into small strips (about 1cm wide).
5. Put in a bowl and set to the side.

Clean, cut and grate celeriac:

1. It looks daunting but as long as you have a decent knife you should be fine ;)
2. If the stalks ar still on, cut them off. IF you are making a stock you can use them, else they can be discarded.
3. Also cut the end of the other side of the root.
4. Stand the root upright on the chopping board on either of the created stable surfaces.
5. Cut the remaining peel of in vertical strips, following the shape of the root.
6. (optional) Alternatively, you can also cut the root into slices (about 2cm thick) and remove the peel per slice. Easier when you have less confidence with a large knife.
7. Grate the pieces of root in a bowl using a coarse grater and set aside.

Main preparation:

1. Preheat a large pan (frying pan / wok) on medium heat.
2. Add the onions and bake them until they start to glaze, and then add the minced meat.
3. Let that cook until it starts to brown and make some room in the pan for the garlic to fry undisturbed.
4. In a seperate pan, fry the bacon cubes
5. Add the garlic and let fry for a minute or so, and stir it through.
6. Now add the chircory until it shrinks. You can speed up this process by putting a lid on the pan.
7. Make sure to either let most of the moisture evaporate, or strain it, so the mixture is not too wet.
8. Put this mixture aside.

Cheese sauce:

1. Put a medium size cookingpan with a s thick a bottom as possible on low-medium heat.
2. Add the butter to the pan and slowly melt it.
3. Once melted stir in the flour using a wooden spoon.
4. Let the flour slowly cook whilst also stirring every now and again.
5. When it is done you will smell a slight whiff of cookies.
6. Now slowly whisk in the water and the cooking cream, adding a bit at a time and making sure all is disolved before adding new liquid. This prevents lumps in the final product.
7. Now you you can add the mustard, chives, salt, pepper, onionpowder and cheese.
8. Make sure to sufficiently heat the sauce so the cheese is mixed into the sauce.
9. Stir properly so that you have a nice smooth final product.

Final prep:

1. Preheat the oven to 200° C
2. Use butter to grease the inside of the ovendish and put half of the potatoslices on the bottom
3. Put half the grated celeriac and cover the potatos.
4. Now add the meat onion chicory mixture on top and spread it evenly.
5. On top add another layer of grated celeriac and one of potatos.
6. Finally, top it of with the sauce and put it into the oven and bake for approx 45 minutes until goldenbrown.

• Large ovendish
• Whisk
• Wooden spoon