German Spaetzle With Cheese Recipes

SPäTZLE

Steps:

• Measure the flour in a large bowl.
• Add eggs, salt and nutmeg.
• Start stirring while slowly adding the milk and water. You can stir with a wooden spoon or an electric mixer. Make sure there are no lumps.
• In a large cooking pot bring about 3 l water to a boil.
• Set up a strainer on top of a bowl.
• Place the Spätzle-Presse on top of the pot and fill with the first portion of dough.
• Slowly press the Spätzle-Presse down but not all at once! Just press it enough to have some dough get into the water and wait a few seconds until it falls of from the Spätzle-Presse on it's own. One can also lift the Spätzle-Presse up and down for more control. Press down further, repeat until the portion is completely in the boiling water.
• You may want to turn down the heat a little bit but make sure it is still boiling.
• After about 3 minutes all the Spätzle will be floating on the surface of the water - time to take them out with a skimmer and move them to a strainer. If you want to keep the Spätzle warm for later, use a pot with hot but not boiling water to keep them warm and separated until they are about to be served. Then proceed with the strainer.
• Continue until the entire dough has turned into delicious Spätzle.
• In a pan heat the butter and let it brown a little bit, then add the Spätzle and turn them in the butter before serving.
• If you don't plan to make Käsespätzle, eat Spätzle as aside with a roast or fried saussages, accompanied by Sauerkraut and a gravy.
• Käsespätzle
• While the Spätzle are made, put the bacon into a large pan and let fry at medium heat. Do not discard the fat, you will need it.
• Peel the onion and cut it into rings.
• Remove the bacon from the pan but leave the fat in the pan.
• Draw some of the fat and add it to the Spätzle - makes it taste even better!
• Add the onions to the pan with the remaining fat and fry until softened and light brown.
• Preheat to oven to 375°F.
• Meanwhile crush or cut the bacon into small pieces.
• In a bowl or directly in the casserole mix the Spätzle with the bacon and the shredded cheese. Mix!
• Fill it into a casserole or iron pan and add the cream. The cream should just cover the bottom up to about 1/3 of the Spätzle height. I recommend to add some salt to the cream before adding it because cream covers the salt taste of dishes.
• Place in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until you can see some cream bubbles coming up.
• Stir the casserole and change the oven to "Broil". Let broil for a few minutes and serve hot!
• Käsespätzle is served with fried onions ...
• and a green salad.
• Enjoy while hot!

GERMAN SPAETZLE WITH CHEESE

Steps:

• •Preheat oven to 325°F.
• •Heat butter (or oil) in skillet and sautee onions until tender, about 5 minutes.
• •Butter casserole dish. Begin by layering with 1/3 of the spaetzle, season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat, until you have layered 3 times.
• •Top with the sauteed onions.
• •Bake, uncovered, about 20 - 30 minutes, or until bubbly and slightly browned on top.

ALLGäUER CHEESE SPAETZLE (ALLGäUER KäSSPATZEN)

Steps:

• Make the spaetzle dough about thirty minutes to an hour before cooking; the dough needs time to rest.
• To make spaetzle dough: In a large bowl whisk the eggs, salt and water together. Gradually add flour, beating well. Let rest, then beat again. Let rest, then beat. You want a batter that is shiny and elastic and a little runny, but slightly stiff. (For instance, it should be thicker than pancake batter, but runnier than mashed potatoes. More like pudding, sort of. You'll get the hang of it, and it doesn't have to be !00% perfect.).
• About 40 minutes before serving: Preheat oven to 325°F Also, put a big pot of water over high heat; this needs to come to a boil.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until onions are dark caramel colored, about 30 minutes. The trick is to stir the onions enough to keep them from burning, but not so often as to interrupt the browing process.
• While onions are slowly cooking, make the spaetzle. When the water is boiling, place the spaetzle maker across the top of the pot, add dough to the metal cup of the machine, and starting sliding the cup back and forth across grater-like flat part of the machine. Gravity will pull the slightly runny dough through the holes at the bottom of the cup, and eventually little drops of dangling dough will fall into the water. These are the spaetzle. Continue sliding the cup until all the dough has emptied. Let the spaetzle cook for a few moments. When the batch is floating on the surface, scoop them out with a slotted spoon, place in a baking dish, and set aside. Repeat the process until all the dough is used.
• (Note: if you don't have a spaetzle maker, roll out small amounts of the dough on a cutting board until about 1/4-inch thick. Then use a knife to cut into pieces about 1/4-inch wide by 1-inch long -- about the size of elbow macaroni, were it straight. Scrape the pieces into the boiling water.).
• When all the spaetzle is made and in the baking dish, add the grated cheeses and use a wooden spoon to stir and distribute cheese evenly throughout the spaetzle. Sprinkle onion over top.
• Place in oven for 5 to 10 minute, just enough to melt cheese and reheat some of the early spatzen that may have cooled down.

KAESE SPAETZLE

Steps:

• Sift together flour, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Beat eggs in a medium bowl. Alternately mix in milk and the flour mixture until smooth. Let stand for 30 minutes.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Press batter through a spaetzle press into the water. You may also use a potato ricer, colander, or a cheese grater. When the spaetzle has floated to the top of the water, remove it to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Mix in 1 cup of the cheese.
• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, and cook until golden. Stir in spaetzle and remaining cheese until well blended. Remove from heat, and serve immediately.

GERMAN SPAETZLE DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Mix together flour, salt, white pepper, and nutmeg. Beat eggs well, and add alternately with the milk to the dry ingredients. Mix until smooth.
• Press dough through spaetzle maker, or a large holed sieve or metal grater.
• Drop a few at a time into simmering liquid. Cook 5 to 8 minutes. Drain well.
• Saute cooked spaetzle in butter or margarine. Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley on top, and serve.