This is the kind of post which you may want to read at night, because it could easily be a shot game! You know what I mean – right? Every time I say the word kugel, you take a shot of Manischewitz Concord Grape Wine!!!!!

First, what is a kugel you ask? In a nutshell it’s a pudding or casserole made with noodles, potatoes, or vegetables and of course eggs – lots of eggs! It can be savory or sweet, dairy or non-dairy. It can be pronounced a couple of ways koo-gull or kuh-gull.

I was first introduced to a delicious and savory spinach noodle kugel last Rosh Hashanah. I spent the holidays with my family back east and my sister, who cooked the most delicious meal as usual, added a couple of premade side dishes from her local kosher deli. Ordinarily she gets a couple of vegetable kugels which are basically like a vegetable soufflé but a bit heavier and denser. Last year the spinach kugel came with a surprise – it had noodles in it! NOODLES! Sorry for yelling but it was so delicious and I never knew savory noodle kugels even existed – vegetable kugel yes – noodle kugel yes – but a combo? We all went crazy for it! Alright, you know me too well, only I went crazy for it!

When I got back to Ohio, I made it my mission to recreate it. My whole life I have only ever had sweet noodle kugels (or noodle pudding as we called it). In fact, my mother was famous for her sweet dairy free version with fruit cocktail (recipe to come at a later date). Going savory was really a switch for me. After looking through all of my cookbooks, and reaching out to friends, I was disappointed to find almost all recipes called for ingredients I never use. Okay, here’s a portion of my never cook or bake with ingredient list commonly found in this recipe: margarine, Lipton onion soup mix (or any other dry soup mix), mayonnaise, and non-dairy creamer.

I must have made half a dozen versions before I finally came up with this one which only has fresh ingredients in it. The challenge was getting good flavor and the right amount of moisture. That’s when I use my secret ingredients: caramelized onions and no-salt seasoning.*

After making it several times, I found the recipe comes together very quickly, is very flexible, and could not be easier to make. Not only is it a perfect side dish, but when you have vegetarians at your table, it’s like a meal in itself. I like it with a lot of spinach which is similar to the one I had in New York, so I only used ½ a bag of noodles but you can easily add twice the noodles with little alteration. When I used the whole 12 ounce bag, I added one extra egg. If you don’t have medium size noodles, use wide. You can also slice and sauté button or Portobello mushrooms (10 or 16 oz. package) and add that as well.

This is so delicious and something I know my mother would have absolutely loved as she hated most vegetables unless they were camouflaged. The noodles in this dish are a great camo! For me, I love my vegetables hence the extra spinach. It’s a perfect side dish, can be eaten as a meal with a salad on the side, or even made into mini muffins for a little appetizer.

If you are still searching for another dish to add to your holiday menu, then this one if for you. Oh, and if you really did the drinking game, I said the word kugel 13 times (if you count the 2 pronunciations)!!!!!!!!!!!!  Makes 10 to 12 servings. Enjoy!

Ingredients
½ package of medium egg noodles (packages are usually 12 oz. so use 6 oz. dry)
2 large or 3 medium onions diced fine (approx. 3 cups raw)
1 pound spinach steamed, chopped, and liquid squeezed out (you can also use frozen chopped spinach – just plan ahead and defrost)
6 extra-large eggs (if you use large eggs, use 7)
2 tablespoons olive oil (this will be divided)
2 teaspoons salt divided (optional and divided)
1 heaping teaspoon no-salt seasonings*
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon fresh pepper

Directions
Heat a large frying pan on medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and the diced onions. Sauté the onions until they are a golden brown and then let cool. This should take about 30 minutes.

While the onions are cooking bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add one teaspoon of salt to the water and the noodles. Cook according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water and set aside to cool.

At this point, preheat your oven to 375 degrees. 

While the noodles are boiling, into a large bowl add the eggs and beat until broken like you would an omelet. Add the, garlic powder, onion powder, no-salt seasoning, pepper, salt (optional), stir to combine. Add the cooled onions and spinach mixing well. Add the noodles and stir until everything is incorporated.  

Prepare a 2 quart baking dish (9 x 13) with the second tablespoon of olive oil. Spread the oil around with a brush to cover the bottom and sides. Pour the mixture into the dish and even out the top.

Bake uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes or until lightly golden brown on top and set in the center. If it looks like it’s getting too brown on the top but still not cooked through, cover lightly with foil and bake another 5 minutes. 

*My favorite no-salt seasoning is Costco’s Kirkland brand but you can use whatever you like.