Monday, January 3, 2011

Bavarian Casserole - Schinkenknodel


Can you say Schinkenknodel? Someday I will tackle the Czech/German language, but right now I'm satisfied just to cook a little casserole with Bavarian influence. Not too long ago you would need to make your own spaetzle which is a Bavarian noodle (knodel). With all the international markets sprouting up it's nice to get the variety I never had as a child. It was always a real treat to have Grandma come over with a pot of red cabbage and sauerkraut to accompany a roast pork and dumplings! Yum. I am very fortunate to have a beautifully handwritten red cabbage recipe from Grandma that I cherish.


When I went to the International market I picked up a bag of spaetzle. I knew I would be preparing a Czech style casserole, eventually. If you've never tried spaetzle, I urge you to give it a try. It cooks very quickly like couscous or pasta and you can create different flavors to suit your style. I chose deli ham, mushrooms and onions for a base because that's what was in the refrigerator at the time. The results were surprisingly good! Great Czech comfort food and made with love and memories!


Ingredients:


1 1/2 c sliced mushrooms

1/2 c onions, chopped

1/2 tsp garlic powder or fresh can be used

1 T oil

1 c cubed deli ham (1/2 inch thick)

2 tsp spicy brown mustard

1/2 tsp caraway seeds

2 T water

1 cup chopped spinach (for health)

1/4 c heavy cream or half and half

1/2 c goat cheese or Gouda might be more authentic

8 oz dry spaetzle noodles


Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cook spaetzle according to directions. Meanwhile in a large skillet saute onions, mushrooms with garlic in the oil. Then add the ham, mustard, caraway seeds and water and simmer for about a minute. Add the cream and spinach. Mix well. Add the spaetzle and cheese of choice while blending the flavors. Prepare a 1qt - 2 qt baking dish. (using butter or spray) Pour mixture into the casserole pan and bake for 15 - 20 minutes, covered and 5 more minutes uncovered.

2 comments:

  1. We have two Czech restaurants in Athens and we visit one of them which is closer very often. We love Czech cuisine. This one looks very promising.

    ReplyDelete
  2. My mom was Czech, my Dad was German, so I still make the spaetzle by hand, scraping dough off a small board into boiling water. The packaged ones are just not the same.

    ReplyDelete