Apple-Pineapple Noodle Kugel

What's your feeling about sweet and savory in the same meal? 

Do you enjoy the mix of flavors, 

or never the twain of salty and sweet shall meet? 

Me? I'm a fan of combining the two. 

I love syrup with my turkey bacon or sausage; 

fruit and cheese in my tossed green salad, 

chocolate-covered pretzels, 

 cranberry sauce with turkey…

…and I love a sweet noodle kugel with my beef or poultry entree. 

What's a kugel, you ask?

If you aren't familiar with noodle kugel, 

it's a staple of Jewish cooking, also known as noodle pudding.  
 The Yiddish word for noodles is lokshen...
 My father-in-law used to sing this song (to the tune of Did You Ever See A Lassie):

"Oh, the bubby cooked lokshen, cooked lokshen, cooked lokshen.
"Oh, the bubby cooked lokshen, cooked lokshen, all day."

Just be glad you can't actually hear me singing that as I write this.
 

Kugel can be eaten any time, but it's traditionally served as a side dish on Rosh Hashana -- the Jewish new year -- or when breaking the fast after Yom Kippur.
There are many varieties of kugel -- some with cream cheese, or sour cream, or different kinds of fruit. 
It's kinda sorta like a bread pudding,
except that no one eats bread pudding with their brisket.
I wonder why not, actually; it is bread, after all.
But I digress.  
 

The first lesson in making a kugel is learning how to pronounce it.

Say it like this:  

KUH-gul: "Kuh" sounds like the 'oo' good; 

"gul" sounds like 'gle' in 'angle.' 

 Emphasis on the "KUH." 
It's not KOO-gul. Got it?  

 

 On Monday, we are invited to my BFF's for the second night of Rosh Hashana.

A friend of mine gave me her recipe for Apple-Pineapple Kugel.

She's been making it for years, but I don't know who to credit the recipe to. 

If anyone knows, please let me know.

Even though my friend told me this is always a big hit when she makes it,

 I had to give the kugel a test run last night.

I didn't want to taste it for the first time when I brought it to my friend's.

I mean, what if?

 I admit I'm a bit of a canned fruit snob, and was a little concerned. 
I got over that real fast once I tasted it.
The apple pie filling is really key to the consistency and flavor.
It was delish!!!
It is so creamy, that I can swear there is sour cream in it, but no!
Even though it can serve about 20 people, 
I could have sat down with a fork 
and polished the whole thing off right then and there.
Okay, that's gross, maybe not all of it, but definitely half.  

  The recipe is super-easy...if it wasn't, I wouldn't be making it.

Here are a few tips:
 

Cut each pineapple chunk into four pieces. 

The apples in the pie filling should be cut to a similar size.

Don't sweat over this - it really doesn't matter too much.
Make sure you add all of the gooey filling, along with the apples.

 The kugel can be made in advance.

You can freeze it, or keep in the fridge for a couple of days. 

To reheat, take it out of the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature,  
cover with foil, and then reheat for 30 minutes at 350°.

Kugel can also be reheated in the microwave.

It's best to do this by cutting it into serving portions and heating on a plate, 
rather than reheating it in the baking dish.

It's easiest to cut kugel into neat pieces after it's been in the fridge.  

Noodle kugel is best served warm out of the oven,

but it's also good at room temp, or even cold...
in the middle of the night, or for breakfast...which, er, I have never done. 
Nope, not me.    

Okay, I think you're ready!

Apple and Pineapple Kugel

12 oz. wide egg noodles (I used No-Yolk)  

1 1/2 sticks butter, melted (I used unsalted)

1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup sugar

4 eggs

1  21-oz. can apple pie filling

1 20 oz. can pineapple chunks in heavy syrup, drained 

cinnamon 

Preheat oven to 350°.
Cook noodles according to package directions.
Cut each pineapple chunk into four pieces.

Cut the apples in the pie filling to a similar size as the pineapple pieces (the apples in the filling tend to be large slices).

Mix together eggs, butter, sugar and vanilla.

Add egg mixture to noodles.

Add apples and pineapple to noodles mixture. 

Put noodles into 13 X 9 baking dish.

Sprinkle top with cinnamon.
Bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes. Top should be lightly browned.

   

I hope I've convinced you to consider adding noodle pudding  
to your ethnic repertoire of foods. 

 What, you don't eat Italian, Mexican, Greek and Indian food? 

So what's wrong with a little Jewish home cooking? 

Wishing those who celebrate a Happy and Healthy New Year!

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