No holiday meal is complete in our house without this sweet noodle side dish (or dessert, depending who you ask). I made my grandmother's recipe and, over the years, revised it. I also vary the fruit I use throughout the year.
Many kugel recipes call for raisins. I'm not a fan of raisins myself, but I'm not shy about swapping in cut-up apple slices, cherries, pineapple, or cranberries instead.
Most importantly: you don't have to be Jewish to make or eat this deliciously sweet noodle dish.
Kitchen Tools I Recommend
- A good pair of oven mitts (Two Lumps of Sugar Silli Mitts and Silly Hotties) for pulling hot dishes and protecting counters and tables
- Spatula and paring knife, Two Lumps of Sugar brand
- A blender (I prefer this over a hand mixer, though either works)
Recipe
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 12-15
Ingredients
- Nonstick cooking spray (to coat the pan)
- 1 cup fruit of choice: small cubes or slices of apple (any baking variety), drained/chopped pineapple chunks, raisins, dried apricots, or cranberries. All optional; the kugel is delicious without fruit too.
- 1 package (12 oz) wide egg noodles
- 1 tbsp club soda (optional)
- 6 large eggs
- 1 lb (2 cups) sour cream
- 1 cup (8 oz) cottage cheese
- 8 oz (1 cup) softened cream cheese
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract (Mexican vanilla recommended)
- Topping: 1 tsp cinnamon mixed with 3 tbsp sugar
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F with the rack in the middle.
- Generously grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray (a glass dish works well for this recipe).
- If using raisins, place them in a cup and cover with hot water to plump for 15 minutes.
- Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add the noodles; don't overcook, they should be tender, not soft.
- Drain the noodles and return them to the pot.
- In a food processor or blender, combine the eggs, cottage cheese, sour cream, cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, club soda, melted butter, and salt. Blend until smooth, about 30-45 seconds.
- Pour the blended mixture into the pot of noodles and stir to coat evenly.
- Add the fruit (or raisins) and stir to combine.
- Pour the noodle mixture into the prepared 9x13 baking pan.
- Mix 3 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle over the top; use as much or as little as you like.
- Bake on the center rack at 350°F for about 1 hour, until bubbly around the edges and golden brown on top; it should puff up like a soufflé. Check and rotate the pan after 30 minutes. Insert a toothpick or knife in the center; it's done when it comes out clean. For a crispier top, broil for 1-2 minutes at the end.
- Remove from the oven and set on a wire rack or towel to cool for 15-20 minutes before serving. Kugel can be enjoyed warm, cold, or at room temperature.
Tips:
- Kugel can be baked up to 2 days ahead. Cover well and refrigerate. Reheat at 300°F for 15 minutes.
- Kugel freezes well for up to 3 months. Wrap tightly and place in a freezer bag. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator, then warm in the oven at 350°F until heated through.