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One of my favorite dishes at any Jewish holiday dinner growing up was noodle kugel. It’s an old school custard and noodle casserole situation, but such a comforting staple! It’s a sweet side dish that complements its savory counterparts quite nicely. While it’s often made with raisins, I’ve never been the biggest fan of this preparation. What can I say? I’m not a big raisin girlie. Instead, I decided to make noodle kugel with fresh apples! I also used honey instead of sugar, which yields a less sweet dish and is perfect for Rosh Hashanah!
What’s Rosh Hashanah and why is this perfect for it?
For those who don’t know, Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish new year. It takes place on different days every year (sort of like Thanksgiving) because the Jewish calendar is different from the Georgian one that we use here in the US. That said, it’s always sometime in or around autumn.
In my own home and childhood temple, we were taught to dip apples in honey on Rosh Hashanah. This symbolized hope for a sweet year ahead. I always thought it was a nice tradition, and I like the idea of incorporating this combo into more recipes. So here we are, with a honey apple noodle kugel! Of course, you don’t have to limit this kugel to Rosh Hashanah. There’s absolutely no reason why you can’t use it for any other holiday. I just think it’s perfect for this one.
Is this dish kosher?
This dish is chock full of dairy. So if you’re consuming this with a dairy based meal and you use kosher ingredients, it is indeed kosher.
Is this dish kosher for Passover?
To make this dish kosher for Passover, make sure that you buy egg noodles that are kosher for Passover. This is worth specifying because not all noodles are kosher for Passover! The ones that are will say so on the package.
Can this be made in advance?
It sure can! And if you’re preparing a lot of food, this can be a great option. To warm it back up, preheat your oven to 300° Fahrenheit. Keep the noodle kugel in whatever you cooked it in in the first place. When you warm it up, however, cover it with aluminum foil so that the top doesn’t get too much color. Then, put it in the preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until warm.
How long will this keep and how should I store it?
This noodle kugel will last for about 3 days in the fridge. Just make sure to cover it tightly with aluminum foil or transfer it to an airtight container first. You can also freeze it for longer storage (about a month). A freezer bag or freezer safe container works great for this, and vacuum sealing it works even better.
Honey Apple Noodle Kugel
Equipment
- 1 9×13" baking dish
- 1 Large pot
- 1 Blender
Ingredients
- 12 oz Wide egg noodles (Make sure they're kosher for Passover if you'll be serving them on Passover!)
- 1 cup Diced apples
- 4 oz Butter Unsalted
- 6 Large eggs
- 1/2 cup Honey
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 16 oz Full fat cottage cheese
- 16 oz Sour cream
- 1/2 tsp Salt
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. While you wait, add diced apples to a colander, grease 9×13” baking dish and preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
- Cook noodles for 4 minutes or until al dente, draining into the colander with the apples when done.
- Brown your butter. To do this, place the butter in a small pan over medium low heat. Let this go for a few minutes, or until it reaches a deep amber hue. You’ll see it slowly start to brown throughout this process. When it's done, remove it from heat and set it aside to cool.
- Add eggs and honey to your blender and blend until frothy. Then add cottage cheese, sour cream, cinnamon, salt and brown butter and blend until smooth.
- Add the apples and noodles to your baking dish. Then pour in the dairy and egg mixture and use a spatula to mix, ensuring that everything is evenly coated.
- Bake until custard is set and top is golden brown – about 45-50 minutes, then enjoy!
After cooking, you can either serve it immediately, let it cool on the counter top for a bit, or transfer it to the fridge for later. Whatever you do, though, I hope you love it! Don’t forget to let me know what you think in the comments or on Instagram. Bonus points if you tag me in a photo. I always love seeing your creations and hearing your thoughts.
Looking for more tasty side dishes to serve at a festive table? Try my garlicky green beans with pomegranate tahini sauce or perhaps my hasselback sweet potatoes with a garlic herb sauce (I have a thing for sweet and savory if you couldn’t tell). Or if you’re looking for a salad, this little gem salad with passion fruit vinaigrette is to die for.
