Friday, September 24, 2010

Lochen Kugel


This is my version of my grandmother's kugel - it is basically a white macaroni & cheese casserole and not a sweet kugel. Her recipe as written wasn't how I remember the dish so I adjusted it to get this recipe. It is a family favorite! "Lokshen Kugel" is Yiddish for "Noodle Pudding", however, my grandmother spelled it Lochen Kugel.

"There's nothing that butter doesn't make better. " Grammie Rose


Click "Read more>>"  below for recipe...







Rose's Lochen Kugel

24 ounces extra-wide egg noodles - regular OR whole wheat blend
12 T butter, melted
12 ounces cream cheese, softened
24 ounces 4% cottage cheese (Aunt Bertha used small curd & Grammie used large)
18 ounces sour cream
1/2 cup whole milk
7 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 t salt
some black pepper
24 ounces sour cream (OR more), for serving

1.  Heat oven to 350º.
2.  Boil the noodles in salted water until just past al dente.  Drain.
3.  Meanwhile, use some of the melted butter to grease a 9" x 13" x 2" baking dish.
4.  Thoroughly mix together the cream cheese & cottage cheese. 
5.  Add half the remaining melted butter, the sour cream, milk, eggs, salt, and pepper and mix well.
6.  Add the noodles & mix well.  Immediately pour into prepared dish.  Pour the last of the melted butter evenly over the top.
7.  Bake for 30 minutes (or longer - could be at least 15 minutes more) & the kugel is turning golden on top, however, don't overbake until the interior is dry!
8.  Serve with sour cream or thick Greek yogurt.

Notes:
• Boil the noodles until tender, not al dente - they should not be mushy, of course, but if they are undercooked, they will absorb more moisture & the kugel will be drier.
• Advance Preparation:  Do not prepare anything ahead of time.  If you mix everything together before baking & then hold it, the kugel will turn out dry.
• Makes about 8 servings.

Keeping:  Leftovers keep several days in the refrigerator.  Of course, they should be sliced about 1 1/4" thick & sautéed in butter until golden on each side.  Serve with salted sour cream or thick Greek yogurt.


My niece is a vegetarian and she usually requests this as her main dish for Thanksgiving :)

4 comments:

  1. This looks so yummy and so decadent. I think I might have to try this!!!

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  2. I hope you like it, Steph! My family recently informed me that the really prefer this with regular egg noodles...I can't tell too much of a difference with the whole wheat, though!

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  3. This is exactly what I've been looking for! My husband grew up with this kind of Lokshen Kugel, too - not the sweet kind. His didn't have cream cheese in it, but that can only make it better, right? :-)

    When he was in college, he'd use a hot plate to just boil noodles and then stir in equal parts of sour cream and cottage cheese, since he didn't have an oven.

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  4. Hi Cheryl - the cream cheese was my addition after finding my grandmother's written recipe was dryish. LOL about your husband making noodles with sour cream & cheese on a hot plate! I'm going to suggest that to my son :)

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