Easy Sweet Lokshen Kugel is a delicious, classic noodle casserole dish (otherwise known as “noodle pudding”) that is a staple in Jewish Ashkenazi (Eastern European) culture.
This is a very simple dairy “mix and bake” recipe that comes together with minimal effort.
Because it’s dairy, it is traditional to serve it on the holiday of Shavuot.
It also makes a wonderful addition to dairy events and get-togethers.
About this kugel
Think of kugel as a Jewish casserole (although people who speak Yiddish—like my grandmother z”l—often translate the name of the dish into English as “noodle pudding”).
Lokshen kugel is typically made with egg noodles and often found on Ashkenazi Jewish tables, such as at an event with dairy food or for the holiday of Shavuot.
It’s simple to make, refrigerates well, and warms up well (if you want to have it warm—we eat it cold).
This is a “mix and bake” recipe, so it’s the perfect go-to dairy dish for your family and guests and when you need to bring a dish to someone else’s event.
It’s budget-friendly, and it makes a great light cold meal, a quick snack, or a perfect bring-to-school or work lunch to save money!
This dish isn’t only delicious, but it has some nutritional value as well because it’s made not only with noodles but also with cottage cheese, sour cream, and cream cheese!
However, none of the above have particularly long shelf lives, so make sure they are fresh when you make this dish.
To save calories, feel free to use reduced-calorie options!
Keeping pantry essentials in your kitchen
For someone who cooks frequently, whether you just like to cook or have a family or frequent guests, I find it very, very, VERY helpful to make sure that I keep a lot of ingredients in my kitchen to make sure I have them on hand to prepare a variety of dishes at a moment’s notice.
I probably wouldn’t have nearly the amount of items I keep if I lived alone, but my kids have regularly asked for different meals that would normally require advanced shopping or a quick trip to the grocery store.
I have a variety of utensils (including for baking, such as measuring cups for liquid and dry ingredients, spoons, bowls, pans, etc.), as well as seasonings, spices, dried herbs, baking ingredients (such as flour, baking powder, baking soda, etc.), substitutions for milk, pasta, eggs, and a whole lot of other things.
I’m not particularly great at advanced planning for meals, so I can’t even tell you how many sudden trips to the store or times having to borrow from a neighbor (usually, they borrow from me!) this has saved me!
Of course, if you barely cook, you probably just want to keep the bare minimum.
So, what is needed to make Sweet Lokshen Kugel?
Even if you don’t want to keep a pantry full of just-in-case ingredients, these are all you need to have on hand to make this recipe!
egg noodles
sour cream
cottage cheese
cream cheese
white granulated sugar
eggs
butter or margarine
vanilla
cinnamon
Want to try other delicious kugels? Try these!
Broccoli Kugel
Potato Kugel
Cauliflower Kugel
Salt and Pepper Kugel
Jerusalem (Yerushalmi) Kugel
Easy Sweet Lokshen Kugel (Jewish Noodle Casserole)
Delicious and sweet, traditional dairy noodle casserole (noodle pudding)!
Ingredients
- ½ pound of dry egg noodles
- 1 pound sour cream
- 1 pound cottage cheese
- 8 ounces of cream cheese
- ¾ cup of white granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 eggs
- ½ cup butter, melted and cooled
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon + 1 teaspoon more for garnish if desired
Instructions
- Cook the noodles according to the directions on the package and drain completely.
- In a large bowl, mix the sour cream, cottage cheese, sugar, vanilla, eggs, butter, and cinnamon together.
- Add the cooked noodles to the cheese mixture and combine thoroughly.
- Poor the mixture into a lined or greased 9 by 13-inch baking pan sprinkle with cinnamon (optional for garnish).
- Place in an over that has been preheated to 350°F.
- Bake for around 1 ¼ hours or until the top is slightly brown.
- Remove from oven and let cool before serving.