Description
A quick and comforting weeknight dinner featuring fluffy, homemade spaetzle dumplings tossed in butter and sharp cheddar cheese, topped with sweet, jammy caramelized onions.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup (120ml) whole milk
- 4 tbsp (56g) unsalted butter, divided
- 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 1.5 cups (170g) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt, divided
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Caramelize the onions: Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add sliced onions and a pinch of salt. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until translucent. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for another 5-10 minutes until deep golden brown and jammy. Set aside.
- Make the dough: In a large bowl, whisk 3 eggs until frothy. Add milk and 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Gradually whisk in flour, 1 teaspoon salt, garlic powder, and black pepper until a thick but pourable batter forms.
- Boil water: Fill a large pot with 4-6 quarts of water and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring to a vigorous rolling boil.
- Form and cook spaetzle: Hold a large-hole colander over the boiling water. Pour small amounts of dough into the colander and push through with a spatula or hand to form dumplings. Cook for 2-3 minutes until they float to the top.
- Finish: Remove spaetzle with a slotted spoon and toss immediately with remaining melted butter. Mix in half the cheese. Serve topped with caramelized onions and remaining cheese.
- Optional: For a casserole style, layer spaetzle, cheese, and onions in a baking dish and broil for 2 minutes until bubbly.
Notes
Do not crowd the colander to avoid flat sheets. Ensure dough is pourable but thick. Use block cheese shredded at home for best melting. Do not freeze the spaetzle as they become mushy; however, caramelized onions freeze well for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: German
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 6
- Sodium: 650
- Fat: 22
- Saturated Fat: 12
- Carbohydrates: 42
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 18
Keywords: spaetzle, cheesy spaetzle, caramelized onions, german dumplings, weeknight dinner, easy recipe, comfort food, side dish