Käsespätzle — Alpine Cheese Spätzle
The Alps' answer to mac and cheese: tender homemade egg-noodle spätzle layered with melting mountain cheese and crowned with a heap of deeply caramelised onions. Rich, savoury and irresistibly comforting — a one-pan classic of southern Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Whisk a thick batter of flour, eggs and a little milk or water, then press it through a spätzle maker (or colander) into boiling salted water; the noodles are done when they float. Meanwhile slowly fry sliced onions until deep golden and sweet. Layer the drained spätzle with plenty of grated mountain cheese so it melts, then top with the caramelised onions and serve at once.
- Beat the batter until elastic and bubbly, and rest it — that gives tender spätzle.
- Caramelise the onions slowly and deeply; they're not a garnish but a key flavour.
- Layer hot spätzle and cheese so it melts into strands — toss as little as possible.
Equipment
- Spätzle maker or colander
- Large pot
- Frying pan
- Oven dish (optional)
Ingrediënten
Spätzle
- 300 g plain (all-purpose) flour
- 4 eggs
- 100 ml milk or water
- 1 tsp salt, pinch of nutmeg
To finish
- 200 g mountain cheese, grated, Emmental, Bergkäse, Gruyère
- 2 large onions, thinly sliced
- 40 g butter
- Chopped chives, to serve
Bereiding
- STAP01
Whisk the flour, eggs, milk, salt and nutmeg vigorously into a thick, smooth, elastic batter that drops slowly from the spoon. Rest 10 minutes.
- STAP02
Meanwhile, fry the sliced onions in butter over medium-low heat, stirring often, until deep golden and sweet, 15–20 minutes. Set aside.
- STAP03
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Press the batter through a spätzle maker (or colander) into the water in batches; when the little noodles float, lift them out with a slotted spoon.
- STAP04
In a warm dish or the pot, layer the hot spätzle with the grated cheese, finishing with cheese, so it melts between the noodles. (Or bake briefly to melt.)
- STAP05
Pile the caramelised onions over the top, scatter with chives, and serve immediately while the cheese is molten and stringy.
Make ahead
Make the spätzle and caramelise the onions ahead; refrigerate separately. Reheat the spätzle in a buttered pan, layer with cheese to melt, and top with the onions to serve.
Storage
Best fresh and hot. Leftovers keep 2 days refrigerated and reheat in a buttered pan (they crisp up nicely). Plain cooked spätzle freeze well — freeze before adding cheese, then finish fresh.
Variations
Baked (überbacken)
Layer in a dish and bake until bubbling and golden, gratin-style.
Allgäuer style
Use a blend of Emmental and a stronger Bergkäse for a more pungent, authentic Allgäu flavour.
From-scratch shapes
No spätzle maker? Scrape the batter off a wet board into the water (Schaben), or use a colander with large holes.
Serve with
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition values are estimates based on the metric measurements. Adjust as needed.
Veelgestelde vragen
What is spätzle?
Spätzle are soft, irregular egg noodles or tiny dumplings from southern Germany, Austria and Switzerland. A loose batter of flour and eggs is pressed into boiling water, where it sets into tender, squiggly noodles. Käsespätzle layers them with cheese and onions.
Do I need a spätzle maker?
No. A spätzle press is easiest, but a colander or potato ricer with large holes works, or you can scrape thin strips of batter off a wet board into the water (the traditional Schaben method). Any way that gets small dollops of batter into boiling water works.
What cheese is best for Käsespätzle?
A good melting Alpine cheese: Emmental, Bergkäse, Gruyère or a blend. A stronger mountain cheese adds depth; mix it with a milder melter for stringiness. Grate it so it melts evenly through the hot noodles.
Why is my spätzle batter not working?
The batter should be thick but droppable — beat it well until elastic and bubbly so the noodles are tender, not dense. If it's too runny the spätzle dissolve; too thick and they're heavy. Adjust with a little flour or milk and rest it before cooking.
Is Käsespätzle vegetarian?
Yes — it's a classic vegetarian comfort dish of egg noodles, cheese and onions, with no meat. Check that your cheese is made with vegetarian rennet if that matters to you. It's often served as a main, or as a side to roast meats.
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