Käsespätzle (German Cheese Spaetzle)
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One of the most beloved of all Swabian dishes, Kasespatzle (German Cheese Spaetzle) is everything great comfort food should be! Chewy homemade Spätzle baked with gooey Swiss cheese and topped with caramelized onions, it’s on my most favorite dishes!
What is Käsespätzle?
Where I’m from in Stuttgart, Germany, Kasespatzle is a classic – a quintessential Swabian comfort food dish. Homemade Spätzle are layered with gobs of shredded Emmentaler and geröstete Zwiebeln (caramelized onions) and then baked in the oven. I guess you could say it’s Germany’s version of mac and cheese.
Käsespätzle (cheese spaetzle) was a favorite dish in our home and we always looked forward to it when my mom would make it. Though Bavarian by birth she spent her later childhood through young adult years in Stuttgart and she’ll freely admit that Swabian cuisine is Germany’s best. And I couldn’t agree more. Here is a thoroughly authentic Kasespatzle recipe just like my mom always made it.
Nothing compares to homemade Spaetzle and I highly recommend making it yourself. Get our recipe for Authentic German Spaetzle.
If you love pasta and cheese and caramelized onions you will definitely LOVE this Kaesespaetzle! Chewy homemade German egg noodles oozing with Swiss cheese and topped with butter caramelized onions…..Comfort food really doesn’t get any better than this German Cheese Spaetzle!
If you’d like to know more about Spaetzle, southern Germany, and how to make the best homemade Spätzle, see my post for homemade German Spaetzle.
Ready to make some Käsespätzle?
Käsespätzle Recipe
Let’s get started!
Melt the butter in a medium-sized heavy stock pot or Dutch oven.
Add the onions and stir occasionally for 20-30 minutes until deeply caramelized. Halfways into it sprinkle with a little salt and sugar to help with the caramelizing.
Get them really nice and brown.
While the onions are cooking make the Spätzle.
Make one batch of my homemade German Spätzle.
Set the Spätzle aside until ready to use (they can be made in advance and refrigerated until ready to use).
Shred the cheese. Käsespätzle is only as good as the quality of Swiss cheese you use. Do yourself a favor and get the good stuff. No, the American Swiss cheese just doesn’t cut it. Get some European-imported Swiss cheese. Emmentaler and Jarlsberg are both good options. I often like to combine it with some strong Gruyere for extra flavor.
The other key: Lots and lots of deeply caramelized onions. Don’t skimp on these. Use two jumbo-sized onions. The more caramelized onions, the better the Käsepätzle will be.
Butter a 9×13 (or slightly smaller) casserole dish. Place a third of the Spätzle in the bottom of dish, followed by a third of the cheese and a third of the caramelized onions. Sprinkle some salt over each layer.
Repeat until you’ve completed all the layers, ending with the cheese and the onions on top.
Bake the Spätzle uncovered at 400 degrees F for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the some of the edges have just started to get crispy.
Serve immediately. A light sprinkling of chopped parsley always adds a bit of color and class.
Enjoy!
For more authentic German dishes, be sure to also try my:
- Sauerbraten
- Rouladen
- Swabian Potato Salad
- Semmelknödel
- Senfbraten (Roast Pork with Mustard Gravy)
- Schnitzel
- Jägerschnitzel
- Maultaschen
- German Potato Soup
- Frikadellen
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Käsespätzle (German Cheese Spaetzle)
Ingredients
- 1 batch Homemade German Spätzle (about 5 cups cooked Spätzle, can use store-bought if preferred), can be made in advance and refrigerated until ready use, then let warm to room temperature before baking.
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 2-3 large onions , chopped (the more caramelized onions the better so I go with at least 3!)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 12 ounces shredded Emmentaler or Jarlsberg (Swiss-like from Norway, mild) (you can also add some Gruyere for extra flavor)
- Salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 9×13 (or a little smaller) casserole dish.
- To make the caramelized onions: Melt the butter in a medium-sized heavy stock pot or Dutch oven. Add the onions and stir occasionally for 20-30 minutes until deeply caramelized. Halfway into it sprinkle with a little salt and sugar to help with the caramelizing. Get the onions nice and brown.
- Layer 1/3 of the Spätzle in the bottom of the dish followed by 1/3 of the cheese and 1/3 of the caramelized onions. Repeat, sprinkling each layer with some salt, ending with cheese and onions on top.
- Bake for 10 minutes or longer until the cheese is melted and the edges are just beginning to get a little crispy.Serve immediately. This makes great leftovers!
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet May 6, 2016
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
Another homerun from the Daring Gourmet! For my birthday dinner I requested German food from my fiancé. Having tried several of your recipes in the past, she knew she couldn’t go wrong coming here for inspiration. This Kasespatzle was AMAZING! You are absolutely right, the onions are what really make it. We had this along with your Senfbraten and I was in heaven. My mother is an amazing cook and even she said it was one of the best meals she’d ever had. Great work!
I’m so happy it was such a hit, Steve, and happy belated birthday! Käsespätzle AND Senfbraten…it sounds like you have a terrific fiancé, congratulations! :)
German Mac and Cheese! I never would have thought to call Käsespätzle like that, but it fits! Funny! :) This is one of my kids’ favorite meals as well, I can never go wrong with Käsespätzle.
oooooh man. All of that cheesy goodness!!
This was prepared by my family when we were visiting the region (20 years ago) and seeing the recipe here brought back the memories of a delicious meal. At dinner I commented that this would be really good for breakfast, and everyone laughed at me, but the next morning there it was, warmed up and sitting next to my plate. I was correct it was delicious for breakfast. I think your baby girl and I are on to something. Thank you for the recipe, it will definite be making an appearance on my table
Those sound like wonderful memories, Jackie. I’m sure making this will be a nice stroll down memory lane for you. And yes, I had some leftovers for breakfast this last time well :)
Solch eine hübsche kleine Dame! She’s adorable. This German Mac-Cheese looks amazing, way better than anything I’ve seen on this side of the pond! You’re right, there’s nothing in the world like homemade spätzle… except maybe German potato dumplings! Can you tell I have a German heritage? I grew up on Apfel Kuchen and Kartoffelsalat. :)
Nein, Chris, ich hatte keine Ahnung! Obwohl “Scheuer” offensichtlich Deutsch ist. Very cool! You’ll have to tell me about your German heritage sometime and which part your family came from!
I haven’t had restaurant or homemade Spätzle before but I need it! Anything with cheese and noodles is right up my alley!
I’ve never been a huge fan of mac & cheese, but THIS!!! This is completely different! I can’t wait to try it!
Ach! Schmecht gut! Meiner Opa kommt aus Stuttgart Sud–Aichtal/Grotzingen. Und ich habe fur drei Jahre im Deutschland gewonnen. Spatzle sind die beste! Und mit Kase–ausgezeichnet! :o)
(yeah, my German is a bit rusty, but I love busting it out every so often–especially to espouse my love of German food!)
Dee Dee, hey das freut mich zu hören! Ich komm auch aus Stuttgart und obwohl meine Mutter gebürtiger Bayerin ist, ist sie auch in Stuttgart aufgewachsen. I’m totally impressed your German is still that good, especially after having lived in Germany only 3 years. So happy to meet a fellow German food lover! :)
I grew up eating very traditional items like spaetzle, leberkas, weisswurst, and my favorite Schwabishe food–what we call “onion pancakes”. They’re thin egg crepes with green onions in them, but then you wrap them around cold cucumber and potato salad. Have you or your mother ever heard of these? We’ve never found anyone else familiar with them, but they were a staple in my grandparent’s house, and still are when my dad gets the motivation to make them. Schmect sehr gut! :o)
Dee Dee, those onion pancakes sound delicious (seriously, I’m going to have to try them!) but no, we’ve never heard of them. I’m pretty certain they must have been your grandparents’ own creation. So treasure it as a culinary family heirloom! :)
No! Divulge this culinary delight to us! 😊
my mother made what we called egg pancakes did not have the onion in them and we wrapped it in cucumber salad loved it.