Passover Recipes: Vegetable Kugel, Matzah Lasagna, Oven-Baked Matzah Brie

We are in the Leil HaSeder home stretch, so I thought we could use one last Pesach recipe post. I’m breaking with tradition and posting this on Thursday, since I figure most of us need all the time we can get (maybe I’m just projecting, though?!).

Anyway, today I’m sharing not one, but THREE, recipes – which are the three that were most asked for in my Pesach Meal Plan post.

That said, there were a number of you who posted things that I definitely want the recipe for… so please share the goods! I’m especially curious about the slush/sorbet posted by TP in Houston, Nancy’s petit four 8-layer cake, Lisa’s apricot soup nut chicken (so intrigued!), and Barbie’s individual cheese cakes (love the idea of a dairy seder – will run that by DH for next year!).

*Disclaimer: These are all “throw it together and hope” recipes. I don’t have anything written down, so consider these more guidelines. The matzah lasagna and veggie kugel I’ve at least made before, but the oven-baked matzah brie is a total experiment. Don’t say I didn’t warn ya!

Matzah Lasagna

(Warning: Gebrochts ahead!)

Ingredients:

  • 1 – 2 containers cottage cheese
  • 2 cups grated mozzarella
  • 1/2 cup parmesan, if you’ve got it
  • spinach or broccoli, chopped – optional
  • 1/2 chopped onion – optional
  • 2 fresh garlic cloves, minced – optional
  • 2-3 cups of tomato sauce (I buy jarred on Pesach, but if you want to make your own, go for it!)
  • 1 lb matzah – which acts like those no-bake noodles (sort of) in this recipe

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Saute onion until translucent, then add minced garlic and continuing stirring until fragrant. Remove to a mixing bowl. In the same pan, saute spinach or broccoli (really, any veggie would work). When slightly tender, remove to mixing bowl.

3. Add cottage cheese and 1 cup of mozzarella plus all but 2-3 T of Parmesan and mix well.

4. Ladle some tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 (or other size – doesn’t really  matter) Pyrex / disposable tin /whatever you’ve got. Lay down a single layer of matzah – break along those perforated lines that never perforate as best you can.

5. Spread on a layer of the cheese mixture – about 1/2-inch thick.

6. Ladle more tomato sauce over the cheese mixture. Repeat until you have three layers or you have used up all your cheese mixture.

7. Finish with a layer of a sauce – matzah – sauce again and then sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Cover tightly and bake until done (how’s that for helpful?). Cheese will be all oozy and bubbly. I remove the tinfoil for the last 10 minutes or so of cooking to brown the top a bit.

By the way, if you want a much more detailed and mouth-watering take on lasange-type recipes with matzah, a KOAB reader, Danielle, sent me this great piece on stuffed matzah pies from NPR. I’m especially intrigued by the leek and asparagus version!

Vegetable Kugel

(Sorry for the less than pro-quality picture.)

This is really a throw-it-together recipe. Here is a loose outline of what I do, but this is a very forgiving dish, so whatever you do will probably be fine!

Ingredients:

  • potatoes, sweet potatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, onion, carrot
  • eggs
  • oil
  • matzah meal
  • salt, pepper or chicken soup mix powder

Instructions:

I use a food processor to very thinly slice all my veggies. If you don’t have a processor, you might want to get a mandoline – or a very steady hand. These should be thin slices!

For one pan/tin-worth of kugel, I probably use 5 cups of sliced veggies, 1/3 – 1/2 cup of matzah meal and 2-3 eggs. Mix it all with your hands in a mixing bowl and then add 2ish T of oil. Season with salt and pepper – or I know some people prefer to just use a bit of pareve chicken soup mix.

Spray a pan/tin with vegetable spray or a mist of oil and then pour in the vegetables. My kugels are about 1 1/2-inches thick, probably. I bake at 350 until … it’s done. Should be firm and stuck together, basically.

I made these over Rosh Hashana and they froze beautifully – I pulled out a pan over Sukkot and it was equally good. These also reheated well both on the plata and in the oven.

Oven-Baked Matzah Brie

(Warning: More gebrochts. Sorry!)

This one is a TOTAL experiment. As I mentioned, we are having a house full of guests for the chag. My friend Aliza had a great idea to make oven-baked matzah brie, so I wouldn’t be standing at the stove for an hour every morning. I have no idea how this will turn out, but I’m hoping it’ll be kind of like oven-baked french toast. (Well, as much like french toast as matzah brie can be.)

Here’s my basic plan: I will soak the matzah in milk, infused with either vanilla or cinnamon (I like my MB sweet, DH likes it savory – so I’m sure he will hate this recipe. Sorry, hon!). Then when the matzah is good and soft, I’ll mix up some eggs and fold the broken, soaked matzah into that. Then I’ll probably spray a baking dish with vegetable spray – or shmear some butter on the dish (maybe that… butter makes everything better) – and pour in the matzah brie mixture.

If I’m organized enough to make it the night before, I will just cover with tinfoil and refrigerate. I’m guessing it’ll need about 45 minutes in a 375° oven. I plan to take it out half-way and sprinkle generously with cinnamon & sugar.

Well, that’s it for me! Now I hope that you will all share something… a signature recipe, a new throw-it-together-and-hope concoction you are trying this year… Anything that you are making for the seder or otherwise, please add it into the comments section for this big up Recipe Exchange Mish Mosh!

Looking for more Passover Recipes? Check them out here.

Comments

  1. I made potato leek soup

    5 large potatoes
    two leeks

    peel and wash the potatoes. chop into pieces. wash the grit from the leeks and chop. throw both into 8 cups of boiling water. when everything is cooked and soft. blend. add salt and pepper to taste.

    I also made carrot beet soup:
    8 med carrots, peeled and chopped
    3 med beets, peeled and chopped.
    6 cups of water
    1 inch of ginger peeled and finely chopped.
    1 onion chopped

    throw the beets into the water for about 10-15 min since they take longer to cook. then throw in remainder of ingredients. when all is cooked and soft. blend. salt and pepper to taste.

    these are throw together kind of dishes, my own concoctions. I think they’re edible. 🙂

    Chag Sameach

  2. I am very much looking forward to that matzah brie!

  3. My favorite Passover breakfast is to take a piece of matzah, spread it with butter and then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Microwave it for between 30 seconds and a minute and then eat. It’s also quite quick if you’re hungry (or need to get out the door).

  4. That veggie kugel sounds great. I’ll give that a shot this year, I think. Thanks for the recipe!

  5. Here’s the Petit Fours recipe
    (spoiler alert: gebrochts!)

    1/4 lb (1 stick) butter, softened (use unsalted)
    1 cup superfine sugar (*see note)
    8 whole pieces egg matzot
    sweet white wine KLP

    frosting:
    4 ounces dark chocolate, melted (btw, you can carefully do this in a microwave)
    1 c sour cream or plain yogurt
    pinch cinnamon
    grated chocolate or slivered almonds for garnish

    Directions:
    Cream butter and sugar together until light colored and fluffy – use a hand mixer or upright.
    Dip the matza into the sweet wine one at a time. Allow to steep for 30 seconds. Do not oversoak or they will become soggy! Place one matza on a flat serving plate. Spread the surface evenly with a layer of the buttercream, approximately 1 to 1-1/2 Tblsp. Repeat, until the eigth matza is on top. Press lightly.
    Combine the frosting ingredients together (except garnish), and spread the chocolate frosting over the top and sides of the matza cake.
    Cover with foil, avoiding contact with cake surface, and refrigerate for 24 hours.
    Cut into 20 pieces. Garnish each piece with grated chocolate or almonds.
    *Note: to make superfine sugar: whirl granulated sugar in blender or food processor for a few seconds.

    • Your recipe looks yummy. It does requires a matzah ashira alert. Many people who do eat gebrockts are careful to avoid matzah ashira on Pesach. According to Yosef Karo (Sephardic author of the Shulchan Aruch), matza ashira is acceptable on Pesach. Moshe Isserles (Ashkenazi author of the Mappah, the gloss on the Shulchan Aruch) say that the Ashkenazic custom is that only children and the infirmed may eat matza ashira.

  6. Well, that veggie kugel is certainly easy enough! Thanks Mara – I will definitely make it this year! We now have 4 extras – 3 brothers aged 11-19 and another adult coming to our second seder – so this will be a great addition to the menu!

  7. TP in Houston says

    Hi Mara! Thanks for sharing 🙂
    Fruit slush:
    1 pineapple cut into chunks
    3 cups OJ
    1 cup lemon juice
    3/4 cup water
    3/4 cup sugar
    ——————–
    Blend pineapple
    Add remaining ingredients and blend
    Freeze
    Remove from freezer and blend again till smooth
    Refreeze 🙂
    >> I use 1/2 volume pineapple and 1/2 mango, I think any fruit pretty much works well in this recipe.
    Sorbet ( delicious esp for berries lovers)
    2 large bags ( or about 3-4 small bags) mixed frozen berries (I use walmart brand)
    2 eggs
    1 1/2 cup sugar
    2 drops lemon juice
    Puree all ingredients and freeze

    —-> In both recipes I add a couple Tbsp wine, alcohol helps keep the sorbet smooth and not too hard.

    Chag Kasher vesameach! thanks for this wonderful blog

  8. Look-forward to seeing how the Oven-Baked Matzah Brie comes out and I will surly be trying the butter with sprinkle cinnamon sugar so thanks Mara and Jacqueline 🙂

    Daniela

  9. Thanks so much for sharing!!

  10. INDIVIDUAL CHEESE CAKES

    1 container whipped cream cheese
    1 container sour cream
    3/4 c. sugar
    3/4 c. farmer cheese
    2 large eggs
    1 teaspoon vanilla
    1 cup milk

    Preheat oven to 350 F
    Prepare a muffin tin with liners
    Prepare cheesecake mixture – combine the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, farmer cheese, eggs, vanilla and milk
    Pour Mixture into individual muffin liners

    You can add choc. chips on top of each before baking

    Bake 40-45 minutes

  11. The recipes look fantastic! Thanks to all – esp the cheesecake diva! – and Chag Pesach Sameach!

  12. TP in Houston says

    OY VAAAY!!!
    GUT MOED MARA!!! I REALLY hope no one else made the recipe but the SORBET with mixed fruits needs a CUP OF OIL!!!!!! I TOTALLY forgot!!!! PLEASE anyone who tried the recipe be moichel me!!!!

  13. michelle brodman says

    your veggie kugel sounds very good, what i do for a veggie kugel is just shred the veggie and then mix it all very well with eggs, oil, and spices. iam going to try your way for a change and slice the veggies thin!

  14. How did the baked matzah brei come out? I’m having guests for brunch during the week and thought of trying the same thing — maybe even mixing in haroset-like ingredients (apples, walnuts, cinnamon, etc.).

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