Cheesy Spaetzle
This cheesy spaetzle dish is my take on käsespätzle, a rich German side dish of tiny dumplings covered in cheese and onions.
Much like mac and cheese, this is the ultimate comfort food and goes great as a side to any German-style main. It works great with Weihnachtsgans or can be eaten on it’s own!
Spaetzle is usually made with a special spaetzle maker, or spätzlebrett, which you can buy in Germany or online, but I’m not a fan of having one-use kitchen gadgets clogging up my cupboards, so I use the holes on a metal colander instead. Metal steam pans or even large-holed cheese graters can work too (although it will be much trickier than using the tool).
- Prep Time40 min
- Cook Time30 min
- Total Time1 hr 10 min
- Yield4 servings as a side, 2 as a main
Ingredients
- 1 cup (150g) all purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon (1g) kosher salt
- 1/2 tablespoon (2g) fresh parsley, finely minced
- 3 large eggs
- 1/4 cup (60ml) milk
- 1 tablespoon (4.5g) + 1 tablespoon (4.5g) butter
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup (60ml) cream
- 3/4 cup (75g) shredded cheese (Swiss, Emmental, Gouda, Mozzarella, Farmer’s cheese, etc.)
- Salt and pepper
- Parsley to garnish
Preparation
Pour the flour into a mixing bowl. Add the salt and parsley and mix well.
In a small bowl, beat the eggs.
Add the milk and eggs to the flour slowly, mixing with a fork or whisk, until it forms a tight batter, or very loose dough, almost like thick pancake batter. Try not to over mix, a few lumps are okay.
Let rest on the counter for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon (4.5g) of the butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the sliced onion and fry until golden, about 10-12 minutes. Set onions aside.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
If using a spaetzle maker, follow directions.
If using a colander like I did, pour one third (and only 1/3! You’ll likely regret putting it all in at once) of the batter into the colander over the pot of boiling water (watch your hands!). Use a rubber spatula to scrape the batter back and forth over the holes.
The batter will fall through the holes into the water forming tiny little dumplings. Work as fast as you can.
Once the batter has been pushed through, use a slotted spoon to transfer the floating cooked dumplings to a bowl, then repeat with the other two thirds of the batter.
Once you’re all done, drain the bowl of spaetzle very well.
Melt the other tablespoon (4.5g) of butter in the skillet over medium heat.
Add the spaetzle and cook them until golden, stirring occasionally, about 5-8 minutes. Add the cream, cheese, cooked onions, and a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook on low stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and emulsified into a sauce with the cream.
Shower with chopped fresh parsley and serve immediately. Enjoy!
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