Savory Cheese Kugel Recipe - Pechluck's Food Adventures (2024)

FAQs

What is a substitute for farmers cheese in kugel? ›

ILOC tip: if you can't find farmer cheese, just do a full pound of cottage cheese instead.

Noodle kugel is a traditional Jewish dish of egg noodles baked in a sweet or savory custard. Much like a French toast or strata, kugel can be made in advance, refrigerated and baked before serving, making it perfect for big family get-togethers.

Do You Eat Noodle Kugel Hot or Cold? While noodle kugel should be removed from the oven and cooled for at least 30 minutes after baking, it can be eaten at any temperature. Eaten warm, when just set, noodle kugel's texture is more akin to a baked mac and cheese (the extra-crunchy noodles on top might be the best part.)

Kugels are a mainstay of festive meals in Ashkenazi Jewish homes, particularly on the Jewish Sabbath and other Jewish holidays or at a tish. Some Hasidic Jews believe that eating kugel on the Jewish Sabbath brings special spiritual blessings, particularly if that kugel was served on the table of a Hasidic Rebbe.

Hailing from Germany, kugel is, at its core, a baked casserole with starch (usually noodles or potatoes), eggs and fat. While that's the base, kugel can be found in many variations from savory to sweet. The word kugel is German for “sphere,” which refers to the dumplings that made up the earliest version of the dish.

Quark is traditional in the cuisines of Baltic, Germanic and Slavic-speaking countries as well as amongst Ashkenazi Jews and various Turkic peoples. Dictionaries sometimes translate it as curd cheese, cottage cheese, farmer cheese or junket.

Make Sure to Cool Your Kugel

Once it's baked, a kugel needs to cool, otherwise it will fall apart when slicing. Give it at least an hour to cool and set up, then slice and serve it warm or at room temperature.

Kugel is traditionally served as a side dish alongside something meaty like brisket or roast chicken. In this case it would normally be served warm, but it can also be refrigerated and eaten cold the next day. Sweeter versions can also be eaten hot or cold, and taste great with fresh cream or vanilla ice cream.

You can also freeze kugel. Wrap in plastic wrap and then foil and store for up to 3 months. Reheat at 250°F for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or defrost in the fridge and reheat using the instructions above.

The name of the dish comes from the Yiddish word kugel meaning 'sphere, globe, ball'; thus the Yiddish name likely originated as a reference to the round balls of dough that were placed in the center of the cholent, a traditional Shabbat stew, to cook alongside it and absorb its flavors for its later use as a side dish ...

What is kugel in English? ›

noun. ball [noun] anything roughly round in shape. a ball of wool. bowl [noun] a wooden ball rolled along the ground in playing bowls.

You usually bake a kugel uncovered at medium heat like 325 or 350 to allow the custard to set slowly and stay creamy, higher heat can make it split or dry out.

What's a good substitute for farmer's cheese? We've already mentioned that cottage cheese is a good alternative, but Indian paneer and ricotta work too. That said, certain Slavic recipes (like pierogis, blintzes, and vareniki) are simply not as authentic without it.

Also called twaróg, tvorog, or syr, among other names. Found in almost every Slavic, Baltic, and Germanic country. American-Style Farmer's Cheese. This is basically cottage cheese that has been pressed to remove water.

Farmer cheese is a mild white fresh cheese with a crumbly texture and subtle, milky flavor. It's super-easy to make at home—it requires just three ingredients and some patience. And because it isn't aged or pressed for a long period of time, you can make it and eat it on the same day.

Though very similar and interchangeable in most recipes; ricotta is made from whey, whereas Farmer's cheese is made from milk.