Like many iconic Jewish dishes, noodle kugel recipes invite heated debates: Sweet noodle kugel or savory?! Naked or topped with cornflakes? Wide noodles or extra-wide noodles? Golden raisins, dried cranberries or apricots, or no fruit at all? What about cream cheese? Or cottage cheese? Everyone has an opinion.
When Sarah Jampel developed this recipe, she writes: “I putzed! I fussed! I schmoozed! I schlepped! I kvetched! I ate a lot of kugel until, finally, we landed on one (so soft! so bouncy!) we felt would please the fanatics, persuade the haters, and entice the uninitiated.”
Her version of every Jewish holiday’s favorite noodle pudding is a touch sweet and a little eggy, landing somewhere between airy and rich, with small curds from cottage cheese. Tugging on a few noodles so they breach the surface means you get golden brown bits that crunch. And don’t tell your guests, but we like the pieces from the corner of the casserole dish—where the noodles get crispy from the heat of the pan—best. Save those for yourself. Make it for Shabbat. Make it for brunch. Just make it—we promise you’ll love it.
Looking for more kugel recipes? Try Michael Twitty’s apple and honey rice kugel. Or if you need a kosher for Passover side dish, go with Bonnie Frumkin Morales’s mushroom matzo kugel with Swiss chard.
What you’ll need
Measuring Spoons
$10 At Bon Appétit Market
Measuring Cups
$28 At Bon Appétit Market
Large Pot
$55 $48 At Amazon
Tongs
$21 At Amazon
Colander
$11 At Amazon
13x9" Baking Dish
$20 At Amazon
Paring Knife
$10 At Amazon
Small Bowl
$15 At Amazon
Whisk
$10 At Amazon
Large Bowl
$18 At Amazon
Large Basting Spoon
$16.37 At Amazon
Recipe information
Total Time
90 minutes
Yield
10–12 servings
Ingredients
12
2
½
8
½
1
1
2
1
Need to make a substitution?
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°. Cook 12 oz. extra-wide egg noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 4–5 minutes. Drain, leaving a little bit of water clinging to the noodles.
Step 2
Generously butter a 13x9" baking dish (we prefer glass for even heating, but metal is okay, too).
Step 3
Make the creamy sauce: Cut 1 stick butter into a few big pieces and transfer to a small heatproof bowl. Microwave until butter is melted, about 1 minute. Let cool slightly. Whisk 8 large eggs and ½ cup (100 g) sugar in a large bowl until sugar is dissolved and eggs are frothy, 1–2 minutes. Add 1 lb. full-fat cottage cheese, 1 lb. full-fat sour cream, 2 tsp. vanilla extract, 1 tsp. ground cinnamon, and 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt to egg mixture. Whisk vigorously to combine. Pour in melted butter and whisk again to combine.
Step 4
Add hot noodles to bowl and toss to coat with a spoon or spatula.
Step 5
Transfer noodle mixture to prepared baking dish, tipping dish to evenly distribute. For a really crispy top, pull a few noodles to the surface so that they’re poking out over the sauce.
Step 6
Bake kugel, rotating pan halfway through, until custard has souffléed, top is browned, and noodles on the surface are crispy, 50–55 minutes.
Step 7
Let cool at least 20 minutes before slicing. Fight over those almost-burnt noodles on top.
Editor’s note: This noodle kugel recipe was first printed in September 2019 as ‘Basically Noodle Kugel.’ Head this way for more of our best recipes for Rosh Hashanah →