Jewish Kugel

Have you ever had kugel? Noodle kugel is a traditional Jewish holiday dish made from egg noodles baked in a sweet custard. It can be made in advance, refrigerated and baked before serving, making it perfect for big family get-togethers.

I kept seeing my friends post about this noodle pudding around Rosh Hashanah and I was so curious, I had to try it myself! It’s so different from anything I had ever tried. A sweet pasta dish that is used as the main course? I just couldn’t resist!

I researched all the kugel recipes I could find and ended up combining three different recipes to create this one. I’m sold! It’s so good! Perfectly sweet, but hearty enough for a main dish. And my kids thought they were getting away with eating dessert for dinner!

Kugel is pronounced kuh-gull or koo-gull and has been around for hundreds of years. It has got to be good if it has been around for that long! Kugel originates in southern Germany and it is a Yiddish work for baked casserole. It is a popular option for Jewish holidays, like Shabbat, in that region. It is also a popular dish for family brunches.

Ingredients Needed for Kugel

In order to make kugel, you need a starch, eggs and fat. For the starch, we use wide egg noodles and for the fat we use a combination of butter, cottage cheese, sour cream and cream cheese. Here is your grocery list:

Kugel

• Egg Noodles
• Unsalted Butter
• Eggs
• Sugar
• Cottage Cheese
• Sour Cream
• Cream Cheese

Topping

• Butter
• Sugar
• Graham Cracker Crumbs

The exact measurements for each ingredient are listed in the recipe card at the end of the post.

How to Make Jewish Kugel

We will start by making the topping, and then we will move on to making the kugel itself. This is so simple. I can see why it has stood the test of time. It is also be easily scaled up for larger crowds.

Topping

1. Combine: Add the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter to a small bowl and stir to combine.
2. Save: Set the topping aside to be used later.

Kugel

1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cook: Cook the egg noodles as directed on the package. Drain and rinse.
3. Separate: Next you need to separate the the eggs. Place the yolks in a large bowl and beat them with a hand mixer (or you can whisk them by hand) until pale yellow. Save the egg white in a separate bowl.
4. Beat: Add the sugar and cream cheese to the egg yolks and beat them again.
5. Mix: Add the noodles, butter (cut into small pieces), sour cream and cottage cheese. Mix everything together well folding together with a wooden spoon.
6. Beat: Using the electric mixer, beat the e

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! My family’s plans for this weekend took a u-turn thanks to the crazy weather. We spent almost 17 hours in the car yesterday trying to get to my brother’s wedding. Gas stations without power, trees down across the highway, nonstop rain and wind, not to mention all the flash flooding, we finally turned around and drove back home late last night. So, today is alllll about couch time (WHY does driving exhaust a person so much?) and hopefully getting a bit of sunshine on a walk this afternoon.

I soooo wish we could’ve been there, Karl and Marybeth! I love you both tons and can hardly wait to celebrate in person soon.

ON THE BLOGS THIS WEEK: Baked pumpkin oatmeal is one of our favorite fall breakfasts. There is just something awesome about the way oatmeal changes when it is baked. Almost like a cake, but not nearly so sweet, this is a hearty breakfast that we all enjoy.

Bite-size pieces of chicken are tossed in a mixture of oil and spices before being quickly cooked in a hot skillet to create these flavorful and juicy Indian chicken bites. Served with cilantro lime rice or mushroom and pepper rice pilaf this is a meal that my whole family loves.

Tender broccoli and rich, melt-in-your-mouth cheese bring so much flavor to each broccoli and cheese stuffed chicken breast. I’ve been craving these for a couple of weeks now, so it’s time to put them back on our meal plan.

Toasted pearl couscous with spinach, chicken, raisins, pine nuts, and a hint of lemon makes a light, warm, salad-like dish. (And it gets bonus points for being absolutely delicious when the leftovers are served cold the next day for lunch!)

I told my boys we’d do a big brunch this weekend, since our fun weekend plans didn’t work out. This French bread stuffed with sausage, eggs, and cheese sounds just about perfect right now.

Oh, my friends, these blueberry lemon bars turned out even more amazing than I hoped! With sweet bursting blueberries in every bite of the tangy lemon bars, they proved irresistible for me.

Swiss Roll ice cream starts with a creamy vanilla base swirled with chocolate and layered with bite-size pieces of Little Debbie Swiss Rolls. I shared this ice cream with my boys a few weeks ago and they happily gave it the thumbs up.

What I’m CRAVING: I adore scones and I don’t make t

The Best Home Fries Recipe

Nothing beats a crispy, crunchy side dish of home fries! They are so comforting and relaxing and everyone loves them! Eat them for breakfast, lunch or dinner!

There’s something so homey about chunks of crispy on the outside and soft in the middle potatoes. I didn’t grow up going to diners, nor do I now, but potatoes were a staple in my home and they always bring feelings of safety and happiness for me. So naturally diner potatoes were something I needed to try!

Ingredients for Home Fries

All you need is 7 simple ingredients to make home fries, and I’m willing to bet you have most (if not all) of them at home already. Here is what you will need:

• Russet Potatoes
• Baking Soda
• Vegetable Oil
• White Onion
• Seasoned Salt
• Ground Black Pepper
• Unsalted Butter

The measurements needed of each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the of the post.

How to Make Diner Style Home Fries

One of the keys to home fries is that as you cook them, if they start to look dry in the pan, you need to add a little bit more oil and stir coat them and let them keep cooking. Let me walk you through the whole recipe step by step:

• Prep: Start by washing the potatoes and you can peel them if you want. Cut the potatoes into half-inch cubes.
• Boil: This step is optional, but if you want extra crispy potatoes, start by boiling the potatoes. Place the potatoes in a large pot and add enough water to cover the potatoes.
• Cook: Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda. Put a lid on the pot and bring the water to a boil. Once it is boiling, remove the lid and let the potatoes cook until the cubes are easily pierced with a fork.
• Drain: Once the potatoes are fork tender, drain them well and then pat them dry.
• Sauté: While the potatoes are cooking, heat a tablespoon of oil in a large skillet (use a cast iron skillet if desired) and add the onions. Sauté the onions until they are soft and translucent. Remove the skillet to plate and set them aside.
• Cook: Add the rest of the oil to the same skillet over medium-high heat and add the potatoes in a single layer (you may need to do a few batches). Allow the potatoes to cook on each side until golden and crispy. Stir as needed and let the potatoes cook.
  • NOTE: This is where you may need to add more oil if the potatoes start to look dry as you work through the batches.
• Combine: Once all the potatoes are browned and crispy on all sides, add all the potatoes, onions and butter to the skillet and season with the salt and pepper and toss everything together to combine.
• Serve: Serve the potatoes hot and enjoy!

The complete instructions can be found in the recipe card down below where you can also save or print the recipe.

Tips for the Best Skillet Potatoes

Here are a few tips for making the best skillet potatoes…crispy on the outside and soft in

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes w/ Cinnamon Caramel Syrup [+Video]

These decadent whole wheat pumpkin pancakes are the perfect fall breakfast treat. Topped with a delicious cinnamon caramel syrup, they will melt in your mouth and leave you wanting more. Plus, check out the accompanying cooking video for easy step-by-step instructions!

I bet you didn’t know that pumpkin pancakes could ever be this amazing did you? Better yet, we make ours whole wheat pumpkin pancakes which strangely tastes even more like a pumpkin pie. But of course, you can use all white flour too.

Even our kids, who are die hard Melt in Your Mouth Buttermilk Pancake fans, and I mean like favorite thing ever, claimed that these pancakes and this syrup are all kinds of amazing and have already begged me to make them again. You could totally just make them with all purpose flour, but the whole wheat somehow works better in this recipe. It’s more hearty with flavors of fall but still light and airy, while most ww pancakes totally aren’t.

Ingredients for Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes

Here are all the ingredients you will need to make these whole wheat pumpkin pancakes and the cinnamon caramel syrup:

For the Pancakes

• Dry Ingredients: Salt, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Flour, Whole Wheat Flour and Sugar
• Wet Ingredients: Eggs, Buttermilk, Pumpkin Puree and Melted Butter

For the Syrup

• Butter
• Sugar
• Buttermilk
• Light Karo Syrup
• Vanilla Extract
• Cinnamon
• Baking Soda

The measurements of all the ingredients can be found in the recipe card down below.

How to Make Pumpkin Pancakes Recipe

The key to a whole wheat pancake, if you’re not used to making them is to start out with a 50/50 ratio of all purpose and whole wheat flour. It will keep your pancakes fluffy until you can take the 100% plunge. Here are all the steps for making these pancakes:

1. Prep: Preheat a griddle pr large skillet to medium heat on the stove or use an electric griddle.
2. Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients.
3. Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (except the butter).
   • PRO TIP: Whisking the dry ingredients and wet ingredients in separate bowls is a must. This allows for an even distribution of the baking powder in the recipe so the pancakes turn out perfectly fluffy.
4. Drizzle: Slowly pour in the melted butter whisking to incorporate.
5. Combine: Using a wooden spoon, make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and then pour in the wet ingredients and stir together until almost completely combined. The batter will be very thick, like a cake batte

Swiss Roll Ice Cream starts with a creamy vanilla base swirled with chocolate and layered with bite-size pieces of Little Debbie Swiss Rolls. I shared this ice cream with my boys a few weeks ago and they happily gave it the thumbs up.

Are you ready for a true confession today? I have a weakness for Little Debbie Swiss Rolls – a somewhat embarrassing weakness. I know, I know, I’ve admitted weakness in the past for all kinds of foods: from this cookie dough, to this incredible salad and this restaurant ice cream, to any number of homemade sauces and syrups.

But Swiss Rolls, I am near blushing just admitting it, but I’m still going to tell you. I had to buy the Swiss Rolls for this ice cream recipe not once, not twice, but THREE times before I finally made the ice cream. I can NOT resist those darn chocolate coated cake and whipped cream treats!

I finally just bought the last box and went straight to the kitchen with them and started the ice cream. If you are anything like I am, do NOT buy the Swiss Rolls even a couple of days in advance. They’ll prove irresistible and you’ll have to go buy more.

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