Killer Kugel Recipes For The Holidays (2024)

FAQs

What holiday is kugel made for? ›

Perfect for Rosh Hashana or the break fast meal on Yom Kippur. This noodle kugel was tested so many times I lost count…and then I've made it so many times since I've also lost count! It's dense but not heavy, made with sour cream, cottage cheese, eggs, egg noodles, raisins, and eggs.

Kugels are a mainstay of festive meals in Ashkenazi Jewish homes, particularly on the Jewish Sabbath and other Jewish holidays or at a tish. Some Hasidic Jews believe that eating kugel on the Jewish Sabbath brings special spiritual blessings, particularly if that kugel was served on the table of a Hasidic Rebbe.

To store the kugel, you can either cover up the whole casserole or slice and wrap it up in individual pieces. It'll keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. You can also freeze slices of kugel for up to 3 months, wrapped tightly in aluminum foil and stored in a gallon sized freezer bags.

The most iconic Jewish influence on the region's menu is “Kugel.” This is a casserole (sometimes called baked pudding) made of potatoes or egg noodles. The dish is a part of a number of regional cuisines in Poland but one of the most beloved recipes comes from the Holy Cross region.

And then I read in The Jewish Kitchen: Recipes and Stories from Around the World of a Hasidic rabbi, Pinchas of Koretz (in Galicia), who claimed that lokshen kugel itself symbolizes Jewish unity, since the noodles are all tangled together and are really inseparable, just like the unified Jewish people.

German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): nickname for a rotund person, from Middle High German kugel(e), German Kugel 'ball, orb'. The term also denoted a hooded cloak or round-topped mountain, and in some cases the surname may have arisen from either of these senses.

kugel in American English

(ˈkugəl ) noun. a crusty baked pudding made as of potatoes or noodles. Word origin. Yiddish kugl < MHG kugel, ball.

The name of the dish comes from the Yiddish word kugel meaning 'sphere, globe, ball'; thus the Yiddish name likely originated as a reference to the round balls of dough that were placed in the center of the cholent, a traditional Shabbat stew, to cook alongside it and absorb its flavors for its later use as a side dish ...

Kugel is traditionally served as a side dish alongside something meaty like brisket or roast chicken. In this case it would normally be served warm, but it can also be refrigerated and eaten cold the next day. Sweeter versions can also be eaten hot or cold, and taste great with fresh cream or vanilla ice cream.

While kugel is best fresh from the oven, you can freeze it, wrapped well, then reheat ovenight.

Can you reheat kugel? ›

This kugel can be baked up to two days before serving; reheat it in a 300 F oven for 15 minutes or so. You also can make the kugel and refrigerate it unbaked for up to a day, then bake it just before serving.

You usually bake a kugel uncovered at medium heat like 325 or 350 to allow the custard to set slowly and stay creamy, higher heat can make it split or dry out.

Whether pronounced kugel (by Poles and Lithuanians), koogle (by Germans), or keegal (by Galitzianers), this dish ranks high in the pantheon of Jewish foods.

This kosher recipe for dairy-free (pareve) potato kugel made with potatoes, onions, and eggs is a classic. It can be eaten with a meat or dairy meal. Potato kugel is a staple Shabbat and holiday dish in Eastern European (Ashkenazi) Jewish cooking. It's sometimes called potato pudding, as kugel is Yiddish for pudding.

Rice kugels were invented in the 16th century thanks to Ottoman influences, and the popular Polish potato kugel showed up in the nineteenth century. Since the kugel was born out of need for a warm dish on Shabbat, when cooking is forbidden, it was prepared overnight in a communal oven.

During the Passover holiday, noodles and sweets take a back seat to dairy-free and flour-free potato kugels, which are served alongside other holiday classics like brisket, roast chicken and matzo ball soup.

It commonly makes an appearance on the dinner table during Shavuot (along with bourekas), when it's traditional to consume dairy foods, and Shabbat because it's said that kugel resembles the manna that fell from heaven. It's the perfect side dish for a Hanukkah latke party, adding some richness to the meal.

Even though kugel is a baked dish, there are multiple reasons for its inclusion on the table on just about every Jewish holiday you can think of. Not only is it often present during Hanukkah celebrations, it is often served on the High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, and is a staple for Shabbat meals.

One of many styles of kugel, a baked pudding or casserole in the Ashkenazi Jewish tradition, sweet noodle kugel is typically the one seen most often on the table during weekly Shabbat or holidays like Rosh Hashanah or Shavuot.