This cottage cheese noodle kugel is the old-school kugel made by countless Old World bubbes, with the New World addition of a cornflake crumb topping. It is a great brunch or post Yom-Kippur breakfast dish, served with bagels, lox, and spreads. It is also ideal during the Nine Days, when vegetarian menus rule, or on Shavuot or Hanukkah when there is a tradition to eat dairy foods.
What You'll Need
- 16 ounces/400 grams wide egg noodles
- 1/2 stick/50 grams butter, melted
- 16 ounces/500 grams cottage cheese
- 16 ounces/500 grams sour cream or Israeli white cheese (gvina levana)
- 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 3/4 cup sugar (divided)
- 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups cornflakes, crushed
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- Optional: 1/4 cup golden raisins (for extra sweetness).
How to Make It
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C). Butter a 9- by 13-inch baking dish that is 2 inches deep.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook according to package directions until al dente, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.
- Place the noodles in a large bowl. Add the melted butter, cottage cheese, sour cream or gvina levana, eggs, vanilla, and 1/2 cup of the sugar (and the raisins, if you use that option). Mix well.
- Pour the noodle mixture into the prepared pan, and smooth the top with a spatula.
- In a medium bowl, mix the cornflakes, cinnamon, and the remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Sprinkle the cornflake mixture evenly over the top of the noodle mixture.
- Bake the kugel, uncovered, in the preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until it is set, the top is golden brown, and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
Make It A Meal
Lots of folks think of kugel as a side dish, but it totally works at the center of a breakfast-for-dinner (also known as brinner) menu, too.
- Start with soup. Get your veggies in with a bowl of roasted carrot, apple, and celery soup or zucchini basil soup.
- Alongside the kugel, serve a salad, like an heirloom tomato salad with goat cheese and arugula, or a romaine salad with sun-dried tomatoes, pecans, and feta. Of course, you can skip the cheese on either salad if you feel the kugel already has plenty.
- If the kugel's sweet cinnamon-sugar cornflake topping isn't dessert enough for you, finish the meal with a fruit-laden treat, like apple and dried cherry crisp, a couple of chocolate hazelnut stuffed dates or a slice of pie.
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving) | |
---|---|
Calories | 618 |
Total Fat | 34 g |
Saturated Fat | 18 g |
Unsaturated Fat | 10 g |
Cholesterol | 174 mg |
Sodium | 698 mg |
Carbohydrates | 62 g |
Dietary Fiber | 4 g |
Protein | 15 g |
(The nutrition information on our recipes is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. Individual results may vary.)