As someone who counts both dumplings and mac and cheese in her top five favorite foods of all time, cheesy spaetzle could make me die of happiness. Spätzle are chewy little German egg dumplings that will crush any noodle in the quest for the best mac and cheese noodle.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 50 min |
| Active: | 20 min |
| Yield: | 6 to 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 3 cups (384 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup (240 grams) whole milk
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Freshly chopped chives, for garnish as desired
- Sauce, recipe follows
- 1 cup crispy fried onions, for garnish
- 1/4 cup (67 grams) unsalted butter
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 6 tablespoon (48 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups (600 grams) whole milk
- 8 oz (225 grams) Gruyère cheese, shredded
- 1/3 cup freshly chopped chives
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, nutmeg, a few turns of pepper and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs and milk. Stir the egg mixture into the dry mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Working in batches, use a rubber spatula to press the batter through a large slotted spoon or spätzle maker and boil for 2 to 3 minutes, until the spätzle float to the top. If you find the batter is too thick to press through the slotted spoon, hold the slotted spoon closer to the surface of the boiling water so that the steam softens it a bit. Transfer the spätzle to a strainer, toss in a bit of olive oil so they don’t all stick together, and set aside while you make the sauce.
- Transfer the spaetzle directly into the cheese sauce. Top with more chives and crispy fried onions and loads of black pepper and serve. Enjoy!
- To make the sauce: melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Cook onion with a pinch of salt until soft and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add a few turns of black pepper and the paprika. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add milk a third at a time, stirring continuously and allow to thicken after each addition. Add cheese and stir until melted. Add chives and stir. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 894 |
| Total Fat | 65 g |
| Saturated Fat | 19 g |
| Carbohydrates | 57 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 6 g |
| Protein | 22 g |
| Cholesterol | 153 mg |
| Sodium | 698 mg |
Reviews
Super yummy. Make sure your spaetzle is ready to go when you make your cheese sauce so you can mix it in right away without the cheese seizing. The spaetzle itself is delicious, even without the cheese.
This was really good even better the next day. I didn’t use the recommended amount of nutmeg, I’m not a fan. I used 1/4 tsp instead. Perfect!
I made this tonight and my family loved it!
My mom made this for Christmas after I saw it on Molly’s instagram. It was super tasty – would love to figure out if there was a way to get more of a melted cheese vibe in there.
I made this for the first time for my in laws who are in town for Christmas! I made with the chicken schnitzel and oh my cheesy goodness. Absolutely the perfect addition to the meal. The Gruyère was the perfect cheese it gave the greatest nutty flavor and I’m so glad I made this. I will definitely remake this.