This crispy, rich casserole is derived from traditional Jewish culture and a hint of Southern. Commonly served on Jewish holidays, lokshen kugel—Yiddish for noodles and casserole—contains sugar, cream, jam, cinnamon, and raisins, which allows the dish to take on a sweeter, creamier flavor than most savory noodle casseroles.
According to Rachel Gordin Barnett and Lyssa Kligman Harvey’s cookbook, Kugels and Collards: Stories of Food, Family, and Tradition in Jewish South Carolina (University of South Carolina Press, 2023), the recipe’s Southern feel is credited to the cornflake topping, which Jewish home cooks started to use as the availability of convenience foods like cereal became widespread back in the early 20th century. Try this delicious and easy-to-make dish with your friends and family for the perfect cool-weather comfort meal.
recipe 
yields
Serves 6 to 8
8 ounces wide egg noodles
1 cup sour cream
6 tablespoons butter
½ cup sugar
3 ounces cream cheese
3 eggs
Raisins (optional)
1 cup milk
1 cup apricot jam
1 teaspoon salt
2½ cups crushed corn flakes
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
For the kugel
For the topping
steps
Make the kugel:
- Boil and drain noodles. Add butter and sour cream. In a mixing bowl, cream sugar and cream cheese together. Add to mixture.
- Beat eggs and add to mixture. Add raisins, if desired. Slowly, add milk, apricot jam, and salt. Mix together.
- Transfer mixture into 9×13-inch buttered Pyrex pan.
Make the topping:
- Mix topping ingredients together and sprinkle over kugel.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Serve. Dish freezes well.
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Recipe By
Excerpted from Kugels and Collards: Stories of Food, Family, and Tradition in Jewish South Carolina by Rachel Gordin Barnett and Lyssa Kligman Harvey. (University of South Carolina Press). Copyright © 2023.
