Try this matzo kugel recipe for the Passover / Pesach festival. The following matzo kugel recipe is but one of many types of matzo kugel recipes created by Ashkenazi Jews (Jews whose ancestors came from Central and/or Eastern Europe).

Matzo Kugel can be spelled many ways: matzoh kugel, matza kugel, matzah kugel, motza kugel, as well as: matzo kugal, matzoh kugal, matza kugal, matzah kugal, and motza kugal. The word "kugel" (alternate spelling: "kugal") comes from the Yiddish word "kugl" which in turn comes from the Middle High German word "kugel", meaning "ball" (Middle High German is the German of the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries). However, in Jewish culinary terms, "kugel" refers to a baked "pudding" - usually of potatoes and/or noodles - that is usually served as a side dish. Like the many variations of spelling matzo kugel, there are many matzah kugel recipe varieties based on the traditional matzo kugel recipe for the Passover / Pesach festival.

Parve, according to Jewish dietary laws, means the recipe has no milk or meat ingredients and as a result, it is considered to be "neutral", meaning it therefore can be eaten with either a meat, poultry or dairy meal. "Parve" (Hebrew) or "Pareve" (Yiddish) means "neutral".)

Matzo Kugel is the usual adaptation for Lokshen Kugel ("noodle pudding" in Yiddish) when it comes to the Passover / Pesach festival. Lokshen Kugel contains noodles which are usually made from grains that are prohibited during the Passover festival. So matzo kugel serves as the adapted replacement for lokshen kugel.

Additional suggestions for enhancing the following matzo kugel recipe have ranged from arranging red cherries, pecans, or chopped walnuts on the bottom layer of pineapple; allowing the kugel to cool for 10 minutes and then - using oven mitts - flip the matzo kugel onto a slightly larger serving platter.

Note that if you see bubbling juices after the matzo kugel is removed from the oven, don't be concerned. The bubbling juices will be absorbed by the matzo kugel when it is left standing.

Matzo Kugel Recipe (Parve)

For the Matzo Kugel recipe:

(15 servings, Preparation time: 25 minutes, Cooking time: 1 hour)

1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 (20-ounce or 591.46-milliliter) can unsweetened pineapple slices or chunks, 1/2 cup pineapple juice reserved
8 matzos, broken in 1 1/2-inch-by-2-inch (or 3.81-centimeter-by-5.08-centimeter) pieces
3/4 cup raisins
4 eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup Sabra or Kahlua liqueur (optional)
1 teaspoon cinnamon

For the topping: (optional)

1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped walnuts or almond slivers
1 tablespoon margarine, cut into pieces

Instructions for the Matzo Kugel recipe:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius or Centigrade).
  2. Melt margarine and pour into a 9-by-13-inch (22.5 cm x 32.5 cm) baking pan, preferably glass. Spread, making sure all sides are greased. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over bottom. Arrange pineapple slices to cover the bottom.
  3. In a bowl, cover matzo pieces with warm water to soften. Soak for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain, squeezing out liquid completely.
  4. In a bowl, cover raisins with hot water. Soak for 3 to 4 minutes to plump. Drain.
  5. In large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, oil, reserved pineapple juice, liqueur and cinnamon. Mix matzo and raisins into egg mixture. Pour matzo mixture over pineapples in baking pan.
  6. For optional topping: In a bowl, mix sugar, cinnamon and nuts together and sprinkle over kugel. Dot with margarine.
  7. Bake for 1 hour, testing at 45 minutes if using a glass pan to see if bottom is getting too dark. If so, move pan to higher rack in oven and bake 15 minutes longer. Let matzo kugel rest 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Information Per Serving: Calories: 343 (percent of calories from fat: 42); Protein: 4 grams; Carbohydrates: 45 grams; Fiber: 1 gram; 16 grams Fat: 16 grams; Cholesterol: 50 milligrams; Sodium: 101 milligrams.


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