Easy Kugel Recipe with Cottage Cheese (Jewish Noodle Pudding)

There are times when I love introducing my non-Jewish friends to traditionally Jewish foods and other times when I feel just plain bad about it. For instance, I haven’t been able to persuade many people to join me in my love of kasha and bowties. But when it comes to this Kugel Recipe with Cottage Cheese, my job is pretty easy. It’s a consistent winner!

What is kugel?

Pronounced KOO-gull, kugel is a baked noodle pudding made with egg noodles, eggs, cream cheese and cottage cheese. Kugel is traditionally served on Jewish holidays like Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Depending on your family, your kugel could have cinnamon and raisins or it could be topped with cherries.

In our family, there was so much bickering over the toppings that we eventually started making two different kugels. My dad and I love cherries on top, and that’s how I always make it.

What’s in this Cherry Kugel

I call this Kugel Recipe with Cottage Cheese easy, and I keep my promises. Here’s all you need to make it:

• egg noodles
• eggs
• cream cheese
• cottage cheese
• milk
• butter
• sugar
• vanilla

Start by making a simple custard with the eggs, sugar, milk, cream cheese and cottage cheese. As it bakes, the custard is absorbed by the noodles which get nice and soft (never mushy). The texture is much like a good bread pudding – creamy, smooth and just the right amount of sweet. And the cherries on top are just – well – the cherry on top.

If it still sounds weird, I understand. Some things are better if you just try them. When I would go home from college for Jewish holidays and bring some of this Kugel with Cottage Cheese back to school with me, my non-Jewish roommates would go crazy over it.

I’m not even sure they knew what they were eating at first. But after that first bite, they couldn’t wait for more leftovers from my family’s holiday meals.

Can this Kugel Recipe with Cottage Cheese be low fat?

I have played around with this recipe over the years to see how far I could push it with low fat ingredients. As it turns out, quite far. Low fat cream cheese, milk and cottage cheese will all work in this recipe. So feel free to lighten it up a bit.

I’m not sure why this Jewish noodle pudding seems to be reserved for holidays, because it’s great any time. It’s an awesome dessert alternative to cakes and cookies, and I promise your guests will be intrigued and delighted. Try it and enjoy!

If you make and love this Kugel Recipe with Cottage Cheese, I’d love to hear about it! Drop a rating or leave a comment below.

For more Jewish recipes, try these:

• Mom’s Best Homemade Jewish Apple Cake
• Homemade Challah Bread
• Berry Bourbon Rugelach

For more dessert recipes, try these:

• Chocolate Chip Crumb Cake
• Baked Apple Butter Doughnuts
• Cinnamon Apple Ice Cream Pie

Easy Kugel Recipe with Cottage Cheese (Jewish Noodle Pudding)

Traditional dish made with cream cheese, egg noodles & topped with cherries

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 1 hr

Total Time 1 hr 20 mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine Jewish

Servings 12

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 8 oz. medium egg noodles
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 oz. cream cheese room temperature
• 1 lb. small curd cottage cheese
• 3 tsp. vanilla
• 2 cans cherry pie filling

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cook egg noodles according to package directions. Drain noodles and set aside.
• Beat eggs and sugar together, then beat in the vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine the cream cheese, milk and cottage cheese. Stir in the noodles. Combine all ingredients together.
• Melt the butter in a 8×8 or 9×9 square baking dish. Coat the dish with the melted butter and pour the rest of the butter into the noodle mixture. Pour the noodle mixture into the prepared baking dish. Bake 45 minutes. Remove from oven, spread cherries over top, and return to oven for another 20 minutes.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.

Keyword dessert, easy

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