Celery Almond Bake

Celery Almond Bake
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/almond-celery-bake/detail.aspx

Submitted By: Judi Messina
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 55 Minutes
Ready In: 1 Hour 5 Minutes
Servings: 12

"It takes a creative cook like Mom to find a way to make celery star in a satisfying side dish. She combines celery slices with a creamy sauce, cheddar cheese and crunchy almonds. It's deliciously different! -Judi Messina, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho"

INGREDIENTS:
1 bunch celery, sliced
3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (or Parmesan)
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup, undiluted
1 cup soft bread crumbs
1/2 cup slivered almonds (I substitured chopped Macadamia nuts)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place the celery in a greased baking dish. (The size of the baking dish needs to be 2-4 quarts depending on the size of your celery bunch - bigger is safer.) Sprinkle with cheese, paprika and pepper. Top with the soup. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. (I made my bread crumbs by grating 2 slices of frozen white bread.)

2. Cover and bake at 375 degrees F for 45 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with the almonds. Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until golden brown.