Meatless Monday – Cheesy Spinach Kugel

So I've been doing Meatless Monday for a while and a few months ago I did a recipe for my Pesto Mac & Cheese.  A friend of mine saw the recipe and sent me a message asking me if I’d ever tried Kugel?  I had no idea what it was so I had her send me her recipe over so I could give it a try.  I made it a couple of time and then customized it.  Thanks so much to Zanalista for sharing the information and the idea for this great recipe.

So what is Kugel anyway?  Kugel is a baked dish that can be served either sweet or savory.  It’s extremely flexible and can be made with either potatoes or egg noodles.  I opted for a savory version.  I started out making a full recipe but this doesn't reheat as well as I’d hoped, it is very similar to mac & cheese and is usually best on the first day.  My recipe feeds two people and if you’d like to make for a family just double.

So let’s get started

Photo Credit - Renee Olson

Ingredients

¼ of a 16oz bag of wide egg noodles

½ of a small container of sour cream

½ of a small container of cottage cheese

1 cup of shredded white cheddar cheese

1 cup of shredded Muenster or other white cheese

1 cup of frozen spinach

½ cup of milk (about)

½ cup panko bread crumbs

Salt

Pepper

Process

Boil your noodles per package instructions, keep in mind you can vary the noodles based on number of servings, I was going for a small dish.  Cook until al dente and drain.

TIP – Salt your water to flavor the noodles

In a bowl combine the sour cream, the cottage cheese and the spinach, salt and pepper to taste.

Photo Credit - Renee Olson

In a baking pan (butter it, else it will stick) layer the noodles and cheese mixture, alternating like you would when making a lasagna.  Sprinkle your shredded cheeses between each layer, leaving a bit to put on the top.

Photo Credit - Renee Olson

Take the ½ cup of milk and pour into the pan.  You should see it come up just to the top of the noodles.  Zanalista recommended pouring at the four corners to insure coverage.  I did it that way and it worked out perfect.

Photo Credit - Renee Olson

Sprinkle the breadcrumbs across the top of the dish and place in a 450 degree oven for 45 minutes.  The breadcrumbs are optional, but I tried it both ways and they really add a great texture to the dish.

Photo Credit - Renee Olson

I checked on mine several times as I thought the bake time was too long but it did indeed need the full 45 minutes to allow the milk to combine with the cheese and noodles to make a really awesome sauce.

Photo Credit - Renee Olson

Cut into squares and serve.

Photo Credit - Renee Olson

My understanding is that you can make this dish with raisins and brown sugar for a sweet option but I didn't try that.  I loved this and it turned out amazing.  I've added it to my meatless diet.

Have a recipe you’d like me to try?  Want to tell me about one of mine you've tried?  Just send me a message as Sosanna@sosannascloset.com or leave me a comment here.

Namaste & Blessed Be

Sosanna

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