Broccoli Kugel

By
Giora Shimoni
Giora Shimoni
A kosher food enthusiast and home cook with hundreds of published recipes, Giora Shimoni has worked in online publishing for over 20 years.
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Updated on 12/15/21
Broccoli kugel in a casserole dish

The Spruce Eats / Miri Rotkovitz
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 50 mins
Total: 65 mins
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
228 Calories
18g Fat
11g Carbs
6g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 228
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 18g 23%
Saturated Fat 3g 16%
Cholesterol 102mg 34%
Sodium 731mg 32%
Total Carbohydrate 11g 4%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 56mg 279%
Calcium 55mg 4%
Iron 1mg 7%
Potassium 335mg 7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

A kugel is a traditional side dish at Shabbat dinners and Jewish holidays made from starchy ingredients and baked like a casserole. They're usually savory but not always exclusively so, as kugels are born of necessity based on common ingredients you might have on hand. (Sweet kugel is worth trying.)

"Kugel" is a word out of the German language that was spoken around 1,000 years ago—it means "sphere" or "ball." The word for this dish may stem from the fact that the original kugels were baked in round pans and looked a bit puffy, like a sphere. However, there's no reason not to use a square pan for your kugel, as doing so has become traditional.

Many kugel recipes use typically egg noodles or potato as the starch of choice. This broccoli kugel recipe, however, uses whole wheat flour instead. Feel free to use regular all-purpose flour if desired. Its texture is somewhat reminiscent of a crustless quiche, but without the cheese.

Ingredients

  • Cooking spray

  • 1 1/2 pounds frozen broccoli

  • 4 large eggs, lightly beaten

  • 3/4 cup mayonnaise

  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped

  • 1/4 cup whole wheat flour

  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder, or 3 cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 teaspoons salt

Steps to Make It

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9 x 12-inch baking pan with nonstick spray.

  2. Boil water. Add frozen broccoli. Cover pot and simmer. When broccoli is soft enough to mash with a fork, drain. Mash with a fork.

  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the eggs, mayonnaise, onion, and broccoli. Add the wheat flour, garlic powder, and salt.

  4. Pour mixture into the pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a knife inserted into its center comes out clean.

Variations

  • This kugel comes together quickly because of the frozen broccoli, but if you only have fresh, you can use that instead. Steam the broccoli until it's sufficiently soft enough to mash before incorporating it into the kugel as directed.
  • Make this kugel gluten-free by substituting a gluten-free flour blend instead of the whole wheat flour.
  • A sprinkle of paprika across the top just before baking would taste delicious.


How to Store and Freeze Broccoli Kugel

Broccoli kugel should keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 or 5 days. You can also freeze the kugel for longer storage as long as it's in a well-sealed container. It's nice to freeze them well wrapped in individual slices and cook from frozen, right in the oven (about 350 F) for about 30 to 40 minutes or until completely hot. Broccoli kugel tastes better when it's reheated in the oven rather than the microwave, which tends to make it a bit soggy.