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Cheese Spaetzle Recipe (Käsespätzle)

February 23, 2018 by Helene Dsouza 10 Comments

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Helene Dsouza
Cheesy goodness at it's best! Quick skillet spaetzle with cheese and caramelized onions.
Total Time: 15 minutes
4.86 from 7 votes
Jump to Recipe
strings of cheese on spaetzle
Cheese Spaetzle Recipe - Austrian Käsespätzle

Comfort food at large! Cheese Spaetzle noodles are easy to prepare if you have spätzle noodles at home.

Prepare this dinner meal in one pan within minutes!

cheesy spaetzle noodles in a pan close up

What are Cheese Spätzle?

Cheese Spaetzle are Spätzle noodles prepared with caramelized onions, covered with cheese and served in a pan.

Käsespätzle is the German word which just means cheese spaetzle.

Spätzle noodles are also called German pasta, even though they are very Austrian too.

In fact, this standalone dish in a frying pan is a traditional food dish in Austria, South Tyrol (Italy), Bavaria and Swabia (Germany).

The Swiss call them Knöpfli, but cheese spaetzle are not a thing there.

Traditionally cheesy Spätzle were prepared in a large skillet because that same skillet was placed in the center of the table and everyone would dig in with their spoons.

People have been making them in casserole dishes too in modern times.

No matter which vessel you choose, your german mac and cheese can be ready in a few steps.

bird's eyes view of cheese spätzle in a skillet

How to make Kaesespaetzle?

You can get ready-made spaetzle from Aldi or you can use frozen homemade spaetzle.

Here are 3 basic steps outlined to get you going. The recipe card with all the details is at the bottom of this post.

Step 1

Sautee and caramelize onion slices in butter until they are brown and crisp.

Take onion out of the pan.

Step 2

Fry spaetzle noodles in pan with butter until they get golden.

Season with salt and black pepper.

Step 3

Spread caramelized onions and grated cheese over the spaetzle in the pan.

Keep over heat and cover pan so that the cheese melts or place into oven if you use a cast iron pan.

Serve hot with chopped fresh parsley as a garnish.

spaetzle cooked in pan with caramelized onions and melted cheese

Variations

You can add other ingredients to your egg noodles too! Here are some idea:

  • bacon – cut small and fried crisp with the onion
  • bell pepper
  • sweet or smokey paprika powder
  • spinach – chopped, sauteed and mixed into the noodles
  • wild garlic (aka ransoms weed) – just like the spinach
  • use lard instead of butter

Choice of Cheese

The cheese is everything in this dish!

The cheese defines the flavor and makes it taste WOW.

You want a flavorful cheese, something like a strong Cheddar, Emmenthal, or even Gruyere or Raclette cheese.

Traditionally, a smelly mountain cheese is used. Something well seasoned, full-bodied, and with a sharp taste.

More cheesy recipes from the region

  • Cheese Bread Dumplings
  • Beer Cheese Soup

Dear Reader, did you try the Recipe?

Please feel free to share with us your knowledge and point of view further below in the comment section!

Cheese Spaetzle pin
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strings of cheese on spaetzle

Cheese Spaetzle Recipe

Cheesy goodness at it's best! Quick skillet spaetzle with cheese and caramelized onions.
4.86 from 7 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Austrian, German
Keyword: cheese spaetzle, käseapätzle
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 1 serving
Calories: 1193kcal
Recipe by: Helene Dsouza

Ingredients

  • 1 small Onion
  • 2 Tablespoons Butter
  • 7 ounce Spaetzle Noodles cooked
  • Salt to taste
  • Black Pepper to aste
  • ½ cup Cheese grated
  • Parsley or chives fresh chopped
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • Cut onion into slices or rings.
  • Heat up a pan and melt 1 tbs butter. Fry onion golden and crispy. Take out onion fro slices/rings the pan and keep aside
  • Bring skillet back to the heat and melt the remaining 1 tbs butter. Add cooked spaetzle noodles to the pan (make sure they are not wet!) and fry noodles on all sides.
  • Season with salt and black pepper. Spread crispy onion over the noodles in the pan.
  • Sprinkle grated cheese over noodles.
  • Keep the skillet over slow heat, cover with a lid and let the cheese melt OR if it's an oven-friendly skillet (check info that came with your skillet) keep in the oven under the grill.
  • Serve hot, garnished with some fresh parsley or green chopped chives.

Notes

Pick a flavorful Cheese such as a full-bodied Cheddar, Emmenthal, Gruyere, Beer Cheese, Alpine Cheese or add a few assorted kinds of cheese in one pan.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Cheese Spaetzle Recipe
Amount Per Serving (529 g)
Calories 1193 Calories from Fat 405
% Daily Value*
Fat 45g69%
Saturated Fat 27g135%
Cholesterol 120mg40%
Sodium 566mg24%
Potassium 600mg17%
Carbohydrates 155g52%
Fiber 8g32%
Sugar 9g10%
Protein 41g82%
Vitamin A 1266IU25%
Vitamin C 5mg6%
Calcium 465mg47%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Comments

  1. Sarah Sunshine says

    August 4, 2020 at 10:12 pm

    5 stars
    I cooked Spaetzle noodles I found at Aldi’s and just followed the recipe. Easy and delicious!

    Reply
    • Helene Dsouza says

      August 4, 2020 at 11:06 pm

      Awesome! Glad to read that you enjoyed them. 🙂

      Reply
  2. A_Boleyn says

    March 5, 2018 at 5:16 pm

    I have a single serving container of spaetzle in the freezer which I was going to serve with some duck breast but this is an even tastier version. (Or maybe I’ll just make another batch of spaetzle and have both.)

    I’m concerned about burning the onions while caramelizing them. What heat setting should I should on my cast iron frying pan?

    Reply
    • Helene Dsouza says

      March 6, 2018 at 12:21 pm

      I think you can safely fry the onion crispy with a cast iron frying pan. Just add enough butter or olive oil (butter tastes better in this dish but it’s easier to do it with oil). In case just fry the onion until translucent but of course, it tastes all the way better when the onions are crispy golden fried. I usually always fry on low heat on gas, because I don’t like to burn onions too much. Some people like my grandmother in Austria would burn the onions dark because that’s how they would cook and they enjoyed it that way. But those times during and after the war were different too.

      Reply
      • A_Boleyn says

        March 8, 2018 at 1:57 am

        I made the dish the same day I posted this. It was delicious. I went with 2 tbsp of butter in total but should probably have cut back a bit since I didn’t have a lot of spaetzle/nokedli. I used old yellow cheddar.

        Reply
        • Helene Dsouza says

          March 8, 2018 at 12:21 pm

          Thanks for your feedback, much appreciated! Happy to read that you enjoyed it. Next time you could try the cheese spaetzle with a different cheese. The dish changes character with the cheese used and so it reinvents itself all the time again. That’s why I love this simple meal, because it can taste differently each time just because of another cheese. 🙂

          Reply
  3. Amanda says

    February 28, 2018 at 6:21 pm

    5 stars
    I’ve never made spaetzle, but have always wanted to try it! This looks phenomenal!

    Reply
  4. Rebecca Hubbell says

    February 24, 2018 at 9:14 pm

    5 stars
    I had Spaetzle for the first time when I was in Austria in December and I’m so glad I found this recipe so I can make it at home! So yummy!

    Reply
    • Helene Dsouza says

      February 26, 2018 at 11:18 am

      Oh then you know the good stuff in life. 🙂

      Reply
  5. Jessica says

    February 24, 2018 at 8:49 pm

    5 stars
    I’ve never made spaetzle, but I’ve always wanted to try. I think you just gave me the confidence I needed!

    Reply

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