Käse Spätzle (German Mac&Cheese)

Käse Spätzle

Some of my favorite places in the world are Germany and Austria.  I love the people, the culture, the landscape, and of course the food!  One of my favorite dishes is Käse Spätzle, which is essentially a German version of Mac&Cheese.  Käse translates to cheese, and Spätzle is a type of noodle.  My favorite Käse Spätzle is at the Karlskirche Christmas Market in Vienna, Austria.  The hot noodles with creamy cheese topped with crispy onions while walking around a Christmas market was simply magical. 

Karlskirche Christmas Market

Käse Spätzle at Karlskirche Christmas Market

Since coming back from Vienna, I have not stopped talking about Käse Spätzle.  When I was given a Spätzle press for a present, I was so excited!  I quickly found a recipe, and it was time to recreate the German dish.  At the grocery store, I bought Emmental cheese.  Emmental is a harder cheese with a similar flavor to Swiss cheese.  Other than Emmental, I had the other ingredients already in my kitchen.  

The dough was quick and easy to make and then sat for 30 minutes.  Once ready, I put the dough into the press and gently squeezed the dough into boiling water.  Literally 30 seconds later, they floated to the top and were done.  After lightly patting the water off, the Spätzle went straight into a pan of caramelized onions and melted butter.  Mix in the cheese and you are done!  Super easy and fast (except for the 30 minutes while the dough sits).  The best part is that it tastes exactly as it is supposed to!  Guten Appetit! 

Plain Spätzle out of the water

Spätzle, Onions, Butter, and Cheese

Homemade Käse Spätzle

Here is the recipe I used for 4 people. 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 eggs
3/8 cup 2% milk
3 tablespoons butter (I would say 2-3)
1 onion, sliced (small)
1 1/2 cups shredded Emmentaler cheese (I thought 1 cup was plenty)

Directions:

Sift together flour, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Beat eggs in a medium bowl. Alternately mix in milk and the flour mixture until smooth. Let stand for 30 minutes.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Press batter through a spätzle press into the water. You may also use a potato ricer, colander, or a cheese grater. When the spätzle has floated to the top of the water, remove it to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Mix in 1 cup of the cheese.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, and cook until golden. Stir in spätzle and remaining cheese until well blended. Remove from heat, and serve immediately.

Source: https://ilikegermany.com/german-food/spaetzle/