Kid-Friendly Noodle Kugel
I used to make noodle kugel with a stick of margarine. A WHOLE STICK. After I learned about the evils of margarine, for a long time I did not make noodle kugel. At some point recently, after craving a good noodle kugel, I put together this easy recipe. At the end I include options that might make the kugel more interesting, tasty or healthy. However, the “plain” version is the one my kids eat. And it tastes good to me, too.
Ingredients:
- 8 oz. thin egg noodles
- 4 eggs
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Enough canola oil to grease the bottom of the pan
Boil water and prepare the noodles. Preheat oven to 350°. Strain the noodles, and mix with the eggs. Add salt and pepper to taste. Grease the bottom of the pan with oil (I use pyrex; sometimes I make two pans of kugels, one for Friday night and one for Shabbat lunch). Preheat the pan(s) so the kugel will be a little crispier. Add the kugel mixture, and bake for about 30 minutes or until the kugel starts to get crispy.
Options: chopped spinach (frozen is easiest), chopped onion, bits of hamburger meat (I’ve never made it this way, just tasted others, but it’s delicious)
Ilana-Davita says
That looks nice. I'll have to try it. Maybe in winter.
Shabbat Shalom!
leoraw says
Ilana-Davita, I can't blame you for waiting until winter...I want to try your banana bread/cake recipe, but I'm going to wait a few weeks for that one. It's too hot here. Instead we might just have chocolate and watermelon for dessert.
hihorosie says
We grew up eating margarine too. It was cheaper than butter and understood to be "better for you" so butter was reserved for my dad only. The privilege of being King in our house. :) But once it was learned that margarine is very unhealthy the switch was made to butter only. Of course, now in my own house we don't even have a stick of butter in sight.
Mrs. S. says
Noodle kugel used to be a staple of my Shabbat repertoire, but I also stopped making it because of the margarine. When I saw your post in the summer, I wondered if I also dared omit the margarine. Anyway, I finally got the courage to try it this week. I made it with one more egg than usual, but I don't think it was necessary. Also, after I drained the noodles, I tossed them with a tiny bit of canola oil.
The bottom line: until I told them what I had done, no one in the family noticed anything different...
Thanks for the inspiration!
leoraw says
Mrs. S., great, glad you found a way to make a delicious dish without margarine. I wish my eldest son liked spinach, but alas, he just likes this plain.
I must confess that lately I've buying the Classic Salt n Pepper Noodle Kugel, a Highland Park based brand also available in New York. It's the same ingredients as mine, and buying it frees up my time to make tekka (similar to cole slaw), beets, and brussel sprouts.
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