Cheese Spätzle (Käsespätzle)
Käsespätzle Say it: KAY-zeh-SHPETS-leh
Käsespätzle is Swabia’s comfort-food classic: soft egg noodles layered with melted mountain cheese and topped with buttery roasted onions. It is eaten across Baden-Württemberg and Allgäu as a hearty main, especially on cool days and at family tables. The Spätzle are tender with a slight chew, the cheese salty and nutty, and the onions sweet and crisp. Unlike macaroni cheese, it uses fresh egg noodles and aged alpine-style cheese, giving it a distinctly German character.
Cheese Spätzle (Käsespätzle)
Käsespätzle
Pronounced KAY-zeh-SHPETS-leh
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 1 hr
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free.
Allergens: contains gluten, milk, egg. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
For the Spätzle
For the cheese and onions
Method
In a large bowl, whisk the flour with 1 tsp of the salt. Add the eggs and water, then beat with a wooden spoon or dough hook until smooth, thick, and sticky, 3–5 minutes. Rest for 10 minutes.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle boil. Butter a warmed serving dish with 1 tbsp of the butter. Press half the batter through a Spätzle press or colander into the water. Cook until the dumplings float and feel just firm, 1–2 minutes. Lift out with a slotted spoon into the buttered dish and toss with the remaining 1 tbsp butter. Repeat with the remaining batter.
While the Spätzle cook, melt the 3 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions and the remaining 1/4 tsp salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until deep golden and crisp at the edges, 15–20 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Layer half the hot Spätzle in the buttered dish, then scatter over half the Emmentaler and half the Bergkäse. Season with pepper. Repeat with the remaining Spätzle and cheeses.
Cover the dish and let stand for 3–5 minutes, until the cheese is glossy and melted. If needed, set the covered dish over a pan of simmering water for a few minutes.
Top with the roasted onions and their butter. Serve immediately.
Regional variant: Allgäuer Käsespätzle
In the Allgäu, cooks often layer the Spätzle and cheese in a buttered baking dish, pour 1/2 cup (120 ml) hot heavy cream over the top, and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 15–20 minutes until bubbling. They use mountain cheese (Bergkäse) and Emmentaler and finish with the same roasted onions.
Cook's notes
- Beat the batter until it is sticky and just pulls away from the bowl; too loose and the Spätzle will fall apart, too stiff and they will be heavy.
- Work in batches and keep the water at a gentle boil, not a rolling boil, so the Spätzle stay intact.
- Use hot Spätzle and a warm dish so the cheese melts without baking; if the dish cools, cover it and set it briefly over simmering water.
Serve with
A crisp green salad or a glass of dry apple cider; in Swabia, a simple lettuce salad with vinaigrette is traditional.
Make ahead and storage
Best served fresh. Leftovers keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days; reheat gently in a buttered skillet.
