Cookin' & Cussin'

Spatzela Casserole

Now this is definitely a casserole I grew up eating! – one of very few, tee hee.

I know ya’ll know all about my southern roots, but I’m not sure how much I’ve talked about WHERE I was born. Because this story might send ya’ll into some damn cultural whiplash.

My dad was Army so I was the quintessential military brat – luckily we didn’t move “all over” and he was able to take posts at the VERY MANY VAST options of bases all around us when we got orders to move to Hampton, Virginia.

ANYWAY.

I was born in Eschenbach, Germany. A very small town in Bavaria, Germany. We moved when I was 4 but the memories I have were glorious. I remember lots of friendly faces, lots of sunshine, and a really large field full of tall grass & flowers behind our base-housing. Which I have now learned has since been completely torn down.

Bitteschon — you’re welcome

you’re welcome for intruducing you to this goodness!

I also remember – THE FOOD.

My GOD, the food. One of our neighbors was a German woman who married an American Army officer – she acted as a nanny of sorts. She & my mother became the best of friends and she is my Godmother.

She made terrific German food & always shared the recipes with my mom. And now, they are MINE!

And thank the Lord too, because this deliciousness definitely needs to be shared with the world! ((as I scream from my littlest blog platform))

During the summer months, I always remembered Jagerschnitzel with mushroom gravy and plain noodles – my personal fav. And then CASSEROLES with the same noodles in the winter.

If ya’ll are German-food-virgins then hot damn! You’ve come to the right place! I’ve always believed that Schnitzel & Spatzela are the best entry-points for german-food-beginners. The food is recognizable (pounded thin & friend pork cutlet) and sofy, slightly chewy egg noodles (spatzela) and often served with a thinner, dark gravy (mushroom gravy) so all that sounds YUMMY, ja?

Maria & Garry

Well my Spatzela Casserole is damn good, but no mushrooms to speak of – this is more of a German-style “Kitchen Sink” casserole, if you will. A slight, peppery-white sauce loaded with 3 types of cheese all smothering the Spatzela egg noodles, ham cubes, sweet onions & peas and then baked to perfection! Sounds not far from perfect for these chilly January nights, right? Well, put on your Lederhosen & Let’s Get To It!

I love pasta. Everyone knows this. I’m sure 99% of my readers also love pasta. The fact that there’s a GERMAN pasta out there & it actually doesn’t make me feel so full that I want to die? Sign me UP!

This casserole will please the likes of toddlers, picky teens & grumpy old men – yup, I said it. Maria (our German neighbor) has a grumpy husband (not really, all in good fun) who was always funnily-grumpy to me as a little girl. I called him “Rotten Potatoes” because that man could eat potatoes like no other & he was always just harrumping all over the place – but when it came time for dinner, that man was happy as can be.

So I’m writing this blog entry in honor of Maria & Garry – they are still very much with us, but I don’t hardly get to see them or speak to them as much these days, but I’m sure this blog entry & my love of her home country as well as her home cookin, would make her proud :) This is one of my nearest & dearest ultimate comfort foods that isn’t in my “Southern” category, but I’m more than happy to share this darling piece of my childhood with you.

Ingredients

• 17.6 Oz bag of German Spatzela Egg Noodles

• 1 large Ham Steak, cut into cubes (maybe 12 - 14 Oz)

• 1 large bag, 12 Oz Frozen Sweet Peas

• 1 medium sweet Vidalia onion, diced

• ¾ cup Fat Free Half & Half + ¼ cup more for drizzling over the top

• 6 Oz Shredded Gruyere

• 6 Oz Shredded Gouda

• 6 Oz Shredded Swiss

• 2-3 TBS Pan Searing Flour (Wegmans Brand)

• 1 TSP each of S+P, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder

• ¼ cup Panko Breadcrumbs, for topping

• ½ cup Fried Onions, for topping

Instructions, 1

Firstly, I would get my shit together.

This meal & recipe is BY NO MEANS quick or fast, but in the end, its all in 1 pot and you simply transfer it to whatever baking dish you want to bake it in!

Simple, Simple Simple – but please have all your ingredients gathered so this can be as easy as possible.

Firstly, I would get a pot of water boiling.

While your water is boiling, shred the cheeses.

I have honestly never seen a HUNK of swiss cheese out in a grocery store so I admittedly use bagged, pre-shredded Swiss – but it never hurt nobody or this casserole, so its fine.

But the Gouda & gruyere deserve to be shredded BY HAND – so just do it.

Next dice the ham into small cubes as well as the onion.

The peas will go in last so you can just have them sitting by watching all this activity.

SHIT is your water boiling?! If it is, great! Empty in the noodles package & stir well.

Boil the noodles for 4 minutes LESS than what the time states because they will finish cooking in the oven!

In a LARGE saute pan on medium heat, start to saute the onions & ham together.

Sprinkle in ALL the spices as well as the pan-searing flour and stir well to coat.

I would go ahead & preheat my oven to 350 degrees right about now as well -- *wink*

After about 5 minutes, the onions should be soft & the whole mixture should look a little thick and sticky – GOOD because that’s gonna be your “sauce”

Pour in the ¾ cup of Fat Free Half & Half and stir well to combine.

Instructions, 2

SHIT are your noodles done boiling?!

OK cool – DO NOT DRAIN THEM.

Simply use a slotted pasta scooper & transfer the noodles over into your large saute pan holding your onion & ham.

Stir well & add in the frozen peas.

NOW COMES THE FUN PART.

By the handful, stir in the entire amount of shredded Swiss & Gouda. Your mixture should be SUPER cheesy, yummy and smell divine.

But if its not – is your mixture a little TOO THICK? Is your mixture a little TOO CHEESY? (shit that’s not a thing, but whatever)

Use the remaining ¼ cup of Half & Half to help thin it out.

Use ½ of the amount of Gruyere to stir it in & bring it all together.

Go ahead & give it a lil taste! Add more seasonings if you’d like – it can’t hurt.

Once you are satisfied with the taste & texture of your casserole, transfer into an oven-safe dish.

Now comes ANOTHER fun part.

Mix together the Panko Bread Crumbs, the remaining Gruyere & the Fried Onions together and simply sprinkle over top of the entire casserole.

HOT DAMN I’ll bet that looks sooooo good. A complete meal! Like totally complete – veggies, noodles, protein & cheese – HOLY YUM.

Cover with tin foil & bake at 350 for 25 minutes – then remove tin foil & bake uncovered for an additional 5-10 minutes to brown the fried onions & panko crumbs, as well as melt that top layer of Gruyere – DAS IST GUT!

Serve immediately. In a bowl. On a plate. Or eat it directly out of casserole dish.

I don’t care, just make sure you eat this AT ONCE while its hot & fresh – I guarantee you have had nothing else like it!

Mit Freuden

*with friends*

This casserole dish is certainly large enough to share with friends. In fact, we split this recipe right down the middle & made 2 casseroles – we gave 1 to my neighbor whose husband had a stroke and she was having a hard time making dinners for herself because she was his caregiver until he recently passed in November.

She is Hatian & he was Jamaican – she said she really enjoyed all the DIFFERENT foods I had been making for her while he was sick & declining. I told her I wanted her to be able to enjoy different foods rather than worry about what to make while she was taking care of him. FOOD HEALS Y’ALL.

I have lived my life believing & spreading the word that food brings us together – maybe to teach me is not to take meal time for granted. Whether it’s a quick lunch at home during the workday with someone you love, or making a meal for a neighbor that needs help – food should not be overlooked or minimized.

German people are warm, kind, welcoming & their food also represents that. Large portions meant to be shared, Options to go around the table, Differences to be enjoyed.

I know this is a deeeep ending for me & this post, but that’s just what food does to me. It makes me want to bring people around that I love & share other things that I love with them.

So definitely make this meal for people you love. This meal would ALSO be the perfect make-ahead for a Progressive Dinner – don’t even ask me how I feel about those, I just need a 3rd party who lives close to me to close the gap. I’M OBSESSED WITH THE IDEA OF PROGRESSIVE DINNERS & I WILL NOT STOP.

Anyway.

AUF WIDERSEHEN UND GUTE BESSERUNG!