Trimmed-down Sweet Noodle Kugel

Close up of candle wax melting channukah. Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights
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This is one of my favorite foods from childhood. We’d eat sweet noodle kugel only a couple times a year on one Jewish holiday or another, but the sweet, creamy dish made with pasta is a dish I always looked forward to eating.

When I started making kugel for my own family, I started tweaking the recipe to reduce the amount of calories, saturated fat and added sugars. In fact, over the years, I’ve adjusted the recipe several times — yet the results are still delicious and fill the kitchen with an aroma of cinnamon. Plus, my children now look forward to enjoying sweet noodle kugel as much as I do!

My Recipe Tweaks

All I did with this sweet noodle kugel recipe is tackle the obvious areas for nutritional improvement. I trimmed the amount of sugar, traded in full-fat dairy for non-fat and low-fat options and served more moderate portions. Plus, using non-fat Greek yogurt instead of sour cream boosts the protein content.


Trimmed-down Sweet Noodle Kugel Trimmed-down Sweet Noodle Kugel -

Recipe by Jill Weisenberger, MS, RDN, CDE, FAND, CHWC

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces egg noodles, dry
  • 6 large eggs, beaten
  • 1½ cups non-fat Greek yogurt
  • 16 ounces low-fat cottage cheese
  • 2½ cups non-fat milk
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple packed in natural juices (do not drain)
  • ½ cup raisins
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 ounces (about 2 cups) whole-grain wheat or corn flake cereal, crushed
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Prepare egg noodles according to package directions, omitting salt.
  3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese, milk, sugar, canola oil, pineapple, raisins, salt and vanilla.
  4. Add prepared noodles and mix well.
  5. Pour into a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
  6. Mix the crushed cereal and cinnamon together. Cover the top of the casserole with the cereal mixture.
  7. Bake 90 minutes or until the center of the kugel is set. Makes 20 servings.
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Jill Weisenberger
Jill Weisenberger, MS, RDN, CDE, CHWC, FAND, is a writer, nutrition consultant and speaker with a private practice in Newport News, VA, and is the author of four books, including the bestselling Diabetes Weight Loss – Week by Week and her newest title, Prediabetes: A Complete Guide. Follow her on social media and learn more at jillweisenberger.com.