Ok OK it just may be German mac and cheese but the truth o f the matter is that Käse Spätzle is easy to make and has a distinct flavor that will bring back memories of your trip to Bavaria.

Generally considered a Swabian (a linguistic and historic region and people in southern Germany) dish the cheese and egg dumpling/noodle meal can be found in most south German restaurants or cafes.  Some of the best I have ever had can be found in Tübingen Germany in Baden-Wurtemberg at a local restaurant,  the WurstKüche. In any case, when your sitting in a South German restaurant and nothing on the menu looks particularly appetizing (this will happen) you can be rest assured that cheese and noodles will be available and who could mess that up? To see just how simple this dish is to make and start your craving for a trip to Schwabia follow this easy recipe.

What you will need:

2 cups flour

2 eggs

3/4 cup milk

1-2 cups swiss or emmentaler cheese

1 large onion

salt and pepper to taste

How it all goes together:

Grate the cheese and set aside.  Chop the onion into small pieces and caramelize in a skillet with butter or oil.  If you prefer the onions to be a bit crunchy when they are finished toss them around until they are well done.

Start a pot of boiling water like you would for boiling spaghetti noodles.  While you are waiting for that to boil start making the dough.

Combine your eggs milk and flour and mix together.  You should end up with a pancake type batter that has a bit more consistency than normal.  Now, not everyone has a spätzle press so you may have to be a bit innovative here.  Since you are reading this I will assume you don’t own your own spätzle maker.  Most recipes suggest you push the dough through a slotted spoon or anything with holes in it to get that noodle appearance.  This, to be honest, doesn’t work all that well and you will just end up drizzling the mixture into the boiling water anyways.  With that in mind, save time and dishes by slowly pouring the batter into the water in  a thin ribbon type layer, from a spoon for example.  Do  your best to make noodle type sizes and shapes so it cooks evenly.

Once the mixture rises to the top of the water (2-3 minutes) scoop it out with a slotted spoon and place in a skillet.  Add a good amount of grated cheese and cook on medium heat until the cheese is melted and mixed in well.  Place the Käse spätzle on a plate and top with some of the cooked onions.  Add salt and pepper to taste, pour yourself a chilled Hefeweizen and enjoy.

Guten Apetite!

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