This is my Fastest, Easiest and Best Gluten Free Noodle Kugel. I have made a LOT of Noodle Kugel over the years. Don't get me wrong, all of them have been delicious in their own right. But using gluten free noodles gets tricky. Trying to pre-cook them just the right amount so that they don't get mushy once you bake them, is one challenge. Having the right amount of creamy filling so the noodles don't absorb it all, can be a struggle too. Well, this recipe is a total win-win. You don't have to sacrifice any of the deliciousness, creaminess, noodle texture or topping and it takes much less effort and time to put together. How is this possible? Keep reading!
Blender Filling & Uncooked Noodles
The filling couldn't be easier. All of the ingredients go into the blender at once and you blend. That is it! Combine the filling with uncooked Gluten Free Barilla Elbow noodles. Pour it into the greased casserole dish. It will look a bit watery, but that is okay. The noodles will soak up all of the creamy goodness from the filling mixture.
Make Ahead
I usually make this recipe the night before and keep it in the fridge overnight. The noodles absorb a lot of the filling when it rests overnight, which is normal and to be expected. I take it out of the fridge about an hour before baking it to keep the dish from going from cold to hot (which can crack the dish).
The topping can be made a day ahead as well. All of the dry ingredients go into a small bowl at once. Mix it well with a spoon so that it is evenly combined, then drizzle in the melted butter a little at a time until it becomes crumbly and resembles damp sand. Then I usually stored it in the fridge in a ziplock bag. The topping goes on just before it goes into the oven. If you put the topping on the night before, it could get mushy… don't want that!
A Note About the Noodles
The only type of pasta I have used for this recipe is the Barilla Gluten Free Elbows (which are Kosher, but not certified Kosher for Passover), so if you try something else, let me know how it works out. I use the same noodles for my Ridonculous Mac and Cheese and have made both recipes multiple times and it rocks every time. So I can only speak for the success of this brand and variety.
More Gluten Free Recipes for the Jewish Holidays
Fastest, Easiest and Best Gluten Free Noodle Kugel
Ingredients
- 1 12oz box Barilla Gluten Free Elbows - uncooked!!!
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup whole milk - *optional for softer noodles (2021 update)
- 2 cups sour cream - full fat
- 2 cups cottage cheese
- 1 8oz container cream cheese
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 stick butter - melted
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
topping
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup Gluten Free Flour Blend with xanthan gum (sub gf matzo meal for Passover) - I use Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Flour
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ cup butter - melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9 x 13 pan with butter.
- In your blender or food processor add all ingredients except the pasta.
- In a large bowl, pour the blended mixture over the uncooked pasta. Mix until combined well.
- Pour mixture into your greased pan. The mixture will look pretty loose and watery, that's how it is supposed to be! The noodles soak up a lot of it.
- You can make this a day ahead and store covered in the fridge. Do not put the topping on yet, if you are storing it overnight or the topping will get soggy. Overnight, the noodles will absorb a lot of the creamy mixture. That is okay! It turns out perfectly this way:-)
- When ready to bake, evenly spread topping mixture on top. Bake for 45-60 minutes. It will be browned and puffed up a bit when it is done. Check part way through baking and cover it with aluminum foil if it is getting too browned.
Topping
- In a small bowl, mix sugar, flour, salt and cinnamon.
- Slowly add butter a little at a time, mixing to combine. Once it starts to look like damp sand and forms pea size crumbles it is good to go. You may not need all of the butter or you may need a little more, depending on the brand of gluten free flour you use.
Terry Winston says
will make this for sure..can I use the cottage cheese that comes in the plastic tub or dry farmers cottage cheese?
Shay says
Hi Terry! I would use regular cottage cheese in the tub, the pasta needs the moisture. Enjoy!!!
Lara says
I’m going to make this for Rosh Hashanah this year! For the 2021 update about adding a cup of milk for softer noodles- what would you recommend? Adding a cup or leaving it out? I’ll probably make it the day before! Thank you 🙂
Shay says
Sorry for the delayed reply Lara, I didn't get this post as I usually do. I hope you enjoyed the Kugel. I usually add the extra cup of milk.
Patti says
Does this work with rice noodles?
Shay says
Hi Patti! The Barilla gluten free pasta I recommend in the recipe is made with a combination of corn and rice. Every variety and brand of rice noodle cooks up differently so it is very hard for me to tell what other types work well. I have used Tinkyada brand with great success, but I partially boiled the pasta before adding it to the sauce. So to answer your question- yes! you can use rice noodles, but I can't guarantee that every brand and variety will turn out as I would expect with this recipe. I hope that helps. Best, Shay
Patricia Tanenbaum says
I am looking forward to making this recipe but I am dairy free and bought some dairy free sour cream and cream cheese.
What are the amounts of each for the dairy, I will also use the gluten free pasta, thanks,Trish
Shay says
Hi Patricia! Making it dairy free shouldn't be an issue at all using DF cream cheese and sour cream, just make sure that you are using the equivalent amounts for the dairy. Meaning- there's a total of 5 cups of sour cream, cottage cheese and cream cheese. I am about to update the recipe to add another 1 cup of milk for added creaminess... In short- Make sure to use 5-6 cups of any combination of dairy free sour cream & cream cheese. You can also use a dairy free creamer like So Delicious vanilla flavor to complete the 5-6 cups. Once blended, this become the liquid that the GF pasta will absorb. Super delicious! I have a batch in my fridge right now that I am baking tonight! Let me know how it goes! -Shay
Andi says
This was absolutely delicious. The only change I made was to add some golden raisins. My dinner guests were impressed and everyone wanted a second piece!
Shay says
Hi Andi! Thank you so much for the great review and for taking the time to comment. I love that you added golden raisins!