Mystery Lovers' Kitchen: noodle kugel

Wednesday, January 14, 2026

Noodle Kugel #recipe by @LeslieKarst

Some weeks back when I posted about brisket, I said I’d provide the recipe for the noodle kugel I served alongside it, so here it is.

Kugel is a traditional Ashkenazi Jewish baked pudding or casserole—either sweet or savory—made from noodles or potatoes. The word “kugel” means “ball” or “sphere” in Yiddish, referring to its original shape (though they’re now generally made in a rectangular casserole or baking dish). Considered to be a comfort dish, it’s often served—in its savory form—alongside mains such as braised brisket or roast chicken, and drizzled with the gravy or drippings from the meat.

The recipe here comes from Shirley Tessler, my good friend and excellent cook (who generously edits the recipes for my mysteries), whose grandmother used to make this dish—though her Bubbe made her own noodles, and likely used shmaltz (chicken fat) instead of oil, according to Shirley.

With store-bought noodles, kugel is simple to make and absolutely delicious!

Noodle Kugel

(serves 8-10)

Ingredients

16 oz. egg noodles (medium or wide)

1 large yellow onion, peeled and coarsely chopped

½ cup + 1 tablespoon oil (I used olive oil, but any will do)

2 teaspoons salt, divided

½ teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder (optional--not pictured)

¼ teaspoon black pepper (or more, to taste)

4 eggs, beaten

paprika, for garnish

chopped parsley, for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat the ½ cup of oil in a skillet over low heat until shimmering, then add the onion, along with 1 teaspoon of the salt and the garlic (if using), and sauté until softened and starting to brown. (It will seem like a lot of oil, but don’t worry—it’s part of the sauce, so to speak.) Set aside.

Cook the noodles in a large pot of salted water until al dente. Drain.

Dump the drained noodles back into the pot, then stir in the onions, along with the oil they were cooked in.

Add the other 1 teaspoon of salt, as well as the pepper, and stir to mix thoroughly.

Add the beaten egg to the noodles and stir until evenly coated.

Grease a 9” x 13” baking pan with the 1 tablespoon of oil, then dump in the noodles and spread evenly in the pan. Sprinkle with paprika.

Bake for 50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Served garnished with the chopped parsley.

Es gezunterheyt! (Bon appétit!)

🌱 🍋 🌿

Coming April 7!

Orchid Isle Mystery #3

MURDER, LOCAL STYLE

Available for pre-order here.

A dinner to die for! Retired caterer Valerie Corbin and her wife Kristen investigate a suspicious poisoning in this new Orchid Isle mystery featuring a feisty couple who swap surfing lessons for sleuthing sessions in tropical Hilo, Hawai‘i.

🍍 🌴 🍹

Out now in paperback!

Orchid Isle Mystery #2

WATERS OF DESTRUCTION

Buy link here.

2026 Lefty Award Finalist

for Best Mystery!

"Immerse yourself in Hawaiian lore and savor the portrayal of the stunning landscapes
while enjoying the entertaining mystery."

Kirkus Reviews

Also available

in paperback!

MOLTEN DEATH

Orchid Isle Mystery #1

Buy link here

2025 Lefty Award Finalist

for Best Mystery!

“Karst’s first Orchid Isle novel is part murder mystery, part vividly evocative, colorful sketch of Hawaii and its history, geography, tradition, culture, food, language, and people. Armchair travelers and mystery aficionados alike will find it entertaining.”

Booklist

This first book in my brand-new Orchid Isle mystery series features retired caterer Valerie Corbin and her wife Kristen who, on a trip to the Big Island of Hawai‘i, swap surfing lessons for sleuthing sessions when a hike to an active lava flow turns deadly.

Praise for MOLTEN DEATH:

“a compelling read that will enlighten, engage, and entertain, leaving readers longing for their next trip to the Orchid Isle.”

--New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay

“a terrific debut to a series that will go on my must read list!”

--USA Today bestselling author Deborah Crombie

A SENSE FOR MURDER

2024 Lefty Award Finalist

for Best Humorous Mystery!

This newest Sally Solari mystery

is available for purchase here !

Praise for A SENSE FOR MURDER:

“[Sally is] sassy, irresistible company... Culinary cozy fans will be in heaven.”

--Publishers Weekly

“An enjoyable read for mystery mavens and foodies alike.”

--Kirkus Reviews

Justice is Served: A Tale of Scallops,

the Law, and Cooking for RBG

is the 2024 Silver Medal Winner for both the

IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award

and the IPPY Award!

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Praise for Justice is Served:

"a suspenseful, exhilarating memoir; Karst relays her determination to serve the 'perfect' meal to RBG alongside an uplifting, enlightening portrayal of one of the most admired justices in the history of the Supreme Court."

-Foreword Reviews (starred review)

"[This] book is a romp from cover to cover—and, just like a great meal, left me ready for more."

-Karen Shimizu, executive editor, Food & Wine-

All of the Sally Solari Mysteries (as well as my other books) are available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Bookshop.

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Gluten-free Noodle Kugel, not just for the holidays!! Recipe from @DarylWoodGerber

From Daryl aka Avery:

Noodle kugel is not just for the holidays!

If you've never had kugel, yes, it's a traditional Jewish dish, often served on the sabbath and holidays, but it can be made throughout the year. It consists of egg noodles and eggs and lots of other delicious treats. I learned to make this after my husband and I got married. He's Jewish; I'm Christian. We had lots of things to learn about each other's religions and have found common ground in food. [He likes my yule log, which I'll share in December.]

Anyway, kugel. I'd never had it before, but I quickly became an expert at making it. To me, it's like apple pie in a casserole!

When I had to start eating gluten-free, I had to give up all sorts of delicious treats, and when the Jewish holidays came around, I thought, "Oh, no! What am I going to do? No one makes gluten-free egg noodles!"

Now, there are some good gluten-free matzo crackers, but you can't use matzo to make noodle pudding. And, yes, there are some delicious pastas (spaghetti, fettuccine, lasagna and macaroni elbows), but no noodles.

Until now! I found a "long" egg noodle that is fabulous! It's made by Jovial.

I got so excited, I went right home and made noodle pudding, and my family couldn't tell the difference from my "regular" version.

So, please, for the holidays, if you need to eat gluten-free and you used to enjoy noodle kugel, try this recipe! If you can eat wheat, then you can make this recipe just the same, using regular egg noodles.

Noodle Kugel

(serves 8)

1/2 cup golden raisins

12 ounces egg noodles (use gluten-free if necessary; Jovial brand is great!)

1/2 stick butter, melted

1 pound cottage cheese (2 cups)

2 cups sour cream

1 cup sugar

6 eggs

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 green apple, peeled and chopped fine

2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar for topping * (see below)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Presoak raisins in hot water while preparing the rest.

Fill a large pot 2/3 full with water. Bring to a boil. Boil the noodles for about 4-6 minutes, stirring often so they don't stick together. Strain the noodles. Rinse. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine melted butter, cottage cheese, sour cream, sugar, eggs, cinnamon, and chopped apples. Drain raisins and add to mixture. Stir well. Add noodles. Stir again.