Stuffed Celery Appetizer Recipe
A Generational Family Traditional Recipe
I served this stuffed celery recipe on Christmas Eve, and as I was preparing I remembered how many holidays of stuffed celery went on the tables in the many houses and homes. It goes way back to my great-grandmother. We called her “Big Noni”. Big Noni was a little Italian lady with blue eyes who spoke broken English and had no wrinkles! Good genes. Whenever she saw me, she would hold my cheeks and kiss me on each and say, “God-a-Bless You”. That is my forever memory of her, besides the many large extended family dinners and delicious food she prepared and taught us how to make. Before coming to the United States, she was a professional cook in Rome. How fortunate I am to have known her – The Great-Grand of us all…the legacy she passed onto us.
Stuffed celery was served when we were all so hungry before a big meal, it would sustain us, but not so much that we would still be able to eat and enjoy what was coming. Also, it serves many, and is inexpensive in ingredients. Dollars were stretched with large families then. I think it is a full circle moment today with the shrinking dollar.
This year, I doubled the recipe, stuffed some celery and also added in some crackers for those that preferred a cracker and dip. Everyone enjoyed it and I kept tradition. It’s an oldie and a goodie! It’s so good it made it to my cookbook, MaMa Mia Cucina. Enjoy!
Why you will love this recipe:
- Can be prepared in advance
- Easy on the Budget
- Adaptable
- It is a generational recipe – what is yours?
What you will need for this recipe:
- Electric Mixer
- Mixing bowl
- Spatula
- Measuring spoons
- Teaspoon
- Cutting board
- Chef knife
- Butter knife
Recipe:
- 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 2 hardboiled eggs (yolks only)
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- ½ teaspoon dill weed
- ½ cup stuffed green olives sliced
- 2-3 celery stalks, washed and cut into 2-inch pieces
- Paprika for sprinkling
Directions:
Remove the egg shells and egg white from the hard-boiled eggs. In a mixing bowl, add the hard-boiled egg yolks, softened cream cheese, garlic salt, dill weed, and sliced green olives. Mix all well with an electric mixer until well-combined.
Prepare the celery pieces by washing and cutting into pieces about 1 to 2-inches. Pat dry. This works best with the wider pieces for stuffing. I slice the narrow pieces and use for dipping.
Stuff celery and sprinkle with paprika and serve.
