Cook the Book: Noodle Kugel
Kugel always had a place on the table at holiday meals while I was growing up, not only as a side dish but also as a source of entertainment. This seemingly simple casserole was an endless topic of debate. Which was better, sweet or savory? Who made the best version? Was noodle kugel superior to potato kugel? There was even controversy about how to pronounce the actual word.
This recipe for Noodle Kugel, adapted from Lari Robling's Endangered Recipes, can be tweaked to your own specifications. I like to add dried fruits and nutmeg to mine. Kugel might be a little sweeter than the side dishes that we are used to, but don't be put off, I made this recipe recently as an accompaniment to brisket and it was fantastic.
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Noodle Kugel
- makes 16 two-inch squares -
Adapted from Endangered Recipes by Lari Robling.
Ingredients
For the topping:
1/2 cup cornflake crumbs
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
For the kugel:
5 ounces fine egg noodles, cooked and drained (2 cups cooked)
3 eggs
8 ounces cottage cheese
8 ounces sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Procedure
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Make the topping: In a bowl, mix cornflake crumbs, sugar, and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. Make kugel: Grease an 8-inch-square baking pan and place noodles in the pan.
4. In a blender, purée eggs, cottage cheese, sour cream, sugar, butter, and vanilla. Pour over noodles and sprinkle topping over all.
5. Bake kugel for 1 hour or until pudding is cooked though and slightly puffy.
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9 Comments:
This reminds me so much of my Grandmother's recipe which she use to make the night before, refridgerate it overnight and just before popping it in the oven (after bringing to room temp.) she'd put the cornflake mixture on the top. She also put 8 ounces of Philly cream cheese in the blender mixture with only 1/4 c. sugar, 4 eggs and a STICK of melted butter.
This is even great served cold or at room temp.
bessfour at 3:18PM on 05/25/09
Caroline, I love Noodle Kugel!!! I made it during Passover (even though I am not Jewish - in this lifetime, anyway) with brisket - the two go together perfectly. I was going to blog about my recipe, but I just couldn't get a photo of the stuff that pleased me. (I tend to have an aversion to photographs of beige food.)
I also love to make kugel on the weekend sometimes and warm up slices during the week as a breakfast item. My version has a little more dairy than yours (I like it moist and protein rich), and I add a good amount of golden and regular raisins, with plenty of cinnamon and a hint of nutmeg. No cornflakes on mine. I just sprinkle plenty of sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon on top, and let it brown until a nice, crisp crust forms.
To warm it up during the week, I cut a slice and place it on a bed of foil, sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar, drizzle with cream or half and half, and place in the convection (toaster oven) until it's ready. Yum!
Thanks for the reminder. I should whip some up this afternoon for the week!
Happy Memorial Day!
~ Paula
Paula Maack at 3:36PM on 05/25/09
Whoa, this is almost exactly my mom's recipe. I recently asked her to email it to me for Shavuot--for comparison's sake, here's hers (the topping is essentially the same):
16 ounces broad noodles
1 pound cottage cheese
1 pint sour cream
1 cup milk
1⁄2 cup butter, melted
1⁄2 cup sugar
4 eggs, beaten
1⁄2 cup raisins or cherries or crushed pineapple, drained
We always had it with pineapple and it was fantastic that way. The similarities fascinate me--she couldn't remember where she got it; I guess it was quite popular at some point.
But since I grew up kosher, I have to say that pairing this dairy kugel with brisket is a shonda ;)
debbiek at 4:48PM on 05/25/09
This recipe brings back many fond memories, and since my grandmothers and great aunts both passed away, it's been years since I've had some noodle kugel. It was served every Jewish Holiday except for Passover. This recipe is so much like the kugels we always had. My mother's mother used to add chopped walnuts, pecans or almonds to the topping, wish is a great addition.
Sadly, I think noodle kugel has become endangered as younger generations try more modern and experimental dishes. Maybe adding some salted caramels to the recipe will make it hipper?
I'm definitely going to make some for Rosh Hashana, and will use this recipe as my base. And the book sounds great - I can think of so many endangered recipes that should be revived.
MMinNYC at 7:38PM on 05/25/09
I make noodle kugel often enough and hope to pass it on so that it never becomes extinct. Like debbiek, I must take issue with serving a dairy kugel with brisket. A lovely rich and cheesy kugel like this one, shines alone.
izzy's mama at 10:50PM on 05/25/09
Kugel is an excellent example of a dish where most recipes are very similar, but the slight differences in the proportions and the variations in technique and cooking time make them entirely unique.
I know my own recipe is very similar to all the above, but I only bake it for 30 minutes or so and the result is not a kugel you cut, it's one you spoon from the pan. This is not at all traditional, but I really like the flavor and texture this way. It always think of it as the ulitimate macaroni and cheese.
Lari Robling's book, by the way, is a great idea. I often lament the recipes my family stopped making before I was old enough to think to ask questions about them.
CatBoy at 12:30AM on 05/26/09
I am so glad that everyone is as excited about kugel as I am! It's such a simple thing that is so delicious. I love that everyone has their own variation on the recipe, they all sound great! I think my next kugel is going to involve ricotta and/or mascarpone. Keep the kugel alive!
Caroline Russock at 1:36AM on 05/26/09
We have a "family" recipe for noodle kugel but everybody makes it slightly differently. My mother slicks apricot jam on top; I use a sugar-spice sprinkle. For several years when I lived in Dallas I was assigned to bring Torah class munchies on the Saturday of Pesach because I found KfP lochen and would use them to make the kugel - it was a BIG hit.
morgancain at 12:22PM on 05/26/09
Kugel is one of those things I've wanted to try making for a while. The closest I've ever come is what one could call "spaghetti pudding" -- leftover plain cooked spaghetti, mixed with milk, sugar, butter and vanilla extract (and cocoa, sometimes). I'd cook it on the stove top as a teenager, mashing the mixture down with a potato masher and cooking it until it thickened like rice pudding.
Adding the extra dairy and eggs, and baking it all together, doesn't seem like that far of a leap.
ArkansasTraveler at 11:05PM on 05/26/09