Corned Beef, Spinach And Celeriac Casserole - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 lb pasta, small shapes like fusilli, rigatoni, bow ties, etc
6 tablespoons butter, divided
1 cup onion, sliced thinly
2 cups celeriac, sliced and chopped into small sticks
1 lb corned beef, shredded (see description above)
8 ounces Baby Spinach (1 bag)
1/4 cup flour
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 cup white wine (or chicken stock)
2 cups milk
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon thyme, dried
2 cups swiss cheese, grated
1/2 teaspoon salt (to taste)
2 cups bread, cubed, fried in butter

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400\u00b0.
Cook pasta until just a minute or two before time according to package instructions. Drain. Cover with cold water and set aside. (The noodles will finish cooking in the oven.).
In a saute pan melt the first 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the onion and celeriac. Cook over medium heat until they start to brown. Remove from pan and set aside.
Wash spinach, but do not dry. Add spinach to remaining butter in the pan. Saute spinach until wilted. Add to onion and celeriac and mix.
Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter in the same saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour until well blended to make a roux. Allow to brown slightly if you wish. This will add some depth of flavour.
Whisk in mustard. Then slowly add wine (or chicken stock), to make a thick sauce. Then, still whisking, add stock and cook until thickened. Remove from the heat. Add a little of the sauce to the egg to temper. Then add back into sauce. Stir in both peppers, thyme and 1 1/2 cups of the cheese and heat until cheese is melted. Add salt to taste. (Remember, if your corned beef is already slightly salty adjust the salt down as you deem fit.).
To assemble, place half of the noodles on the bottom of a buttered 9x9 casserole dish. Then add the shredded corned beef, and then the vegetables, in separate layers. Top with the remaining noodles. Then pour the sauce over the casserole.
Distribute the bread cubes on top and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, or until hot and lightly browned.
Serves 4 to 6.