Caramelized Onion And Cabbage Kugel

Caramelized onion and cabbage noodle kugel is a comforting, rich, and savory side dish that goes perfectly with roasted, grilled, or barbecue meats.

With the Jewish high holidays around the corner, I fondly remember my girlfriend, Susan, and her delicious Yom Kippur dinners. She only cooked three times a year, and even then only made a dish or two, but they were spectacular. Her brisket and kugels, both savory and sweet, were always eagerly anticipated. This is a take on her savory kugel – made with much love.

What Is Kugel?

Kugel is a baked casserole of potatoes or noodles in either a sweet or savory custard. It is a traditional Ashkenazi Jewish dish for most Jewish holidays. Potato kugel is typically served for Passover when noodles aren’t permitted. Noodle kugels are more popular for the Yom Kippur or Rosh Hashanah. Plus, this is one of those dishes every Jewish family has their own recipe that has been passed down for generations.

Kugel became popular for Sabbath or the holidays because it could be made in advance, reheated, or served at room temperature. 

The first kugel was savory and made with bread. Eventually, the bread was replaced with noodles. Over time, eggs, cottage cheese, cream cheese, or cream were added to make a custard casserole.

What Ingredients Are Needed?

• Onions – I like using a Vidalia or sweet onion.
• Coleslaw mix – this makes the recipe very easy. You could grate cabbage very finely, but the slaw mix is the way to go. Why make it more difficult?
• Olive oil – use the everyday stuff.
• Butter
• Salt and pepper
• Egg noodles – Use medium or large noodles. You want the airy texture. Small noodles tend to get too dense.
• Sour cream – full fat tastes the best, but if you want to cut calories, you could use low-fat. Avoid the fat-free sour cream. It lacks flavor and looks lumpy in the casserole.
• Onion and chive cream cheese – you could also use plain or herbed. This adds a lot of flavor to the dish.
• Parmesan cheese – for flavor.
• Eggs

Steps To Make This Recipe

1. Caramelize the onions, cabbage, salt, and pepper until dark golden brown and very soft.
2. Boil the noodles until al dente and drain well.
3. Combine the noodles and cabbage.
4. Stir in the sour cream, cream cheese, and eggs.
5. Bake until golden brown on top.
6. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tips For A Perfect Outcome

• Begin the recipe with room-temperature eggs and cream cheese. They’ll be easier to incorporate at room temperature.
• Slice the onions and/or cabbage as thinly as possible. I’ve found the most effective way to get paper-thin slices is with a mandoline slicer, but a food processor also does a pretty nice job.
• Take the time to really caramelize the onions and cabbage. This adds an enormous amount of flavor. It should take no less than 45 minutes. Cook them low and slowly, and move the mixture around for even caramelization.
• Don’t overcook the noodles. They should still have a little ‘bite’ to them, meaning the noodles should feel firm when bitten, not hard, chalky, or crunchy. If the noodles are overcooked at the start, they will fall apart and turn mushy, making the kugel too dense and heavy.
• Cool the noodles before adding the wet ingredients. You don’t want the eggs to scramble from the heat of the noodles.
• Be sure that the ‘wet’ ingredients are fully incorporated. Mix the sour cream, cream cheese, and eggs in a medium mixing bowl before adding to the cabbage and onions.

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More Recipes To Consider

• Israeli Salad
• Classic Matzoh Ball Soup
• Meat Kreplach
• Copycat Kenny Rogers Roasted Chicken
• Roasted Beef Tenderloin
• Roasted Salmon And Lentils
• Perfect Oven Roasted Beef Brisket

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