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 tsp Salt
- 2 tsp 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 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp 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.