Recipe: Matzo Kugel, Creamy Apple-Matzo Kugel, Mushroom Leek Matzo Kugel

Matzo (Matzah) Kugels come in both sweet or savory versions and there are many recipes for each kind. You did not specify what kind you were looking for. I am including a few. You can google many more recipes if these are not what you are looking for.

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MATZO KUGEL
Source: Recipezaar / LizP
Makes 6 servings

"My grandmother was known for being an amazing lady. She was also known for her Matzo Kugel and her Noodle Kugel. No matter the occasion, Passover, Rosh HaShana, Yom Kippur, or even Thanksgiving, this is what she was always asked to bring. It does not need to be a Jewish Holiday to enjoy this savory stuffing like casserole--nor do you need to be Jewish. This is so delicious year round and very, very easy."

1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup celery, finely diced
6 tablespoons chicken fat (or margarine or butter)
6 matzos, broken in little pieces
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons paprika
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 (10 ounce) can condensed chicken broth
1 1/4 cups hot water

Saute onions and celery in fat until onions are tender. Add to broken Matzo's. Combine remaining ingredients and add to matzo mixture. It will be a bit runny. Pour into well greased 1 1/2-quart baking dish and bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes until firm.

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Creamy Matzo-Apple Kugel
Source: The Second Avenue Deli Cookbook by Sharon Lebewohl and Rena Bulkin, Villard, 1999
Makes 6 servings

"This sweet and creamy kugel makes an impressive centerpiece for a Passover brunch. You can also serve it for dessert."

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
4 McIntosh apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 3/4-inch slices, 1/4-inch thick
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup sliced blanched almonds
10 squares plain unsalted matzo
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup whipped cream cheese
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
Softened butter for greasing pan
Confectioners' sugar

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet and saute apple slices on high heat, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly browned. Remove to a large bowl with a slotted spoon.

Add 2 teaspoons butter to the skillet, lower heat to medium, and quickly saute raisins and almonds, stirring constantly. Be careful not to burn them. Add to bowl with apples, and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 10-inch square Pyrex baking pan (or similar) with butter (use quite a bit).

Place matzo squares in another large bowl, and run cool water over them to soften. Crumble the matzo, and drain in a colander. Return drained matzo to bowl.

Combine eggs with matzo and stir well. In another bowl, mix sour cream and cream cheese thoroughly. Then add it to the matzo mixture, along with sugar, cinnamon, salt, and fruit-nut mixture. Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Pour mixture into prepare baking pan.

Bake for 50 minutes or until top is a light golden brown. Let cool on counter. Loosen sides with a knife, place a large platter over the baking pan, and carefully turn the kugel out onto the platter. If any pieces stick in the pan, just put them in place. When cooled, sprinkle top with confectioners' sugar (best done through a sieve or sifter).

You can serve this kugel warm (not hot) or at room temperature, but we like it best chilled in the refrigerator with the confectioners' sugar added just prior to serving.

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MUSHROOM LEEK MATZO KUGEl (meat or pareve)
Source: Eileen Goltz / OUKosher.org

5 tablespoons oil
additional oil for preparing baking dish
2 medium onions, diced
11 medium leeks, white and some light green part only, sliced
4 lbs. mushrooms cut in large chunks
4 medium red bell peppers, seeded and diced in 3/4-inch chunks
4 cups matzo farfel
3 to 4 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth, warmed
5 large eggs plus 1 large egg white
salt and ground black pepper (to taste)

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a (9x13-inch) baking dish.

In a saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion and leek. Cover; reduce heat to low, and cook until for 15-20 minutes stirring occasionally. At some point, you may want to continue cooking with the cover off. The point is to cook the leek/onion mixture very, very slowly over low heat until the leeks/onions give off all their moisture and they saute in the oil about 3-4 minutes. Remove the mixture to a large bowl. Do not clean the pan.

Heat 2 more tablespoons of oil in the pan and saute the mushrooms. (Keep cooking until the mushrooms give off their liquid, the liquid evaporates, and the mushrooms are soft) Remove the mushrooms from the pan and add them to the onion mixture. Don't clean the pan.

Using the remaining tablespoon of oil, saute the bell pepper pieces until just starting to soften. Remove them from the heat.

Place the matzo farfel in a bowl. Slowly add the chicken (or vegetable) broth until the farfel is just moistened. Add the cooked vegetables to the matzo and then season with pepper and salt. Mix well. Beat the whole eggs and egg white together. Add the eggs to the farfel vegetable mixture. Transfer the mixture to the prepared casserole.

Bake uncovered for 45-50 minutes or until the top is brown and crisp and the kugel is set. Serve immediately.