Matzo, Onion, and Mushroom Kugel

Well, Passover is almost over.  But if you're like me, you still have several pounds of matzo (not called "the bread of affliction" for nothing) left over.  You can either feed it to your local wildlife or make it into a much more palatable side dish that goes well with chicken or brisket, or as a starchy centerpiece to a vegetarian meal.

"Kugel" is a Yiddish word referring to a sweet or savory dish, and is basically a baked pudding.  Most of the time, noodles or potatoes form the basis for the recipe, but since this is for Passover, noodles are pretty much out.  This recipe, which has served me well for two years in a row, is a slight modification from one of my favorite cookbooks, Marlena Spieler's Jewish Cooking.

You'll need:

1lb. Passover matzo

4 medium yellow onions, diced

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 1/2 cups mushroom broth (I like Pacific Natural Foods)

3 eggs

2 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. black pepper

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

Break up 1 lb. matzo in bite-size pieces and place them on a cookie sheet. Toast in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until they start to turn golden. Shake often the pan often to get even toasting.

Meanwhile, sauté the onions in a saucepan with olive oil until golden and translucent, about 5 minutes.

Combine matzo, onions, and warm mushroom broth in an ovenproof dish. Mix well. Add lightly beaten eggs, season, and mix again.

Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the matzo is golden brown and crunchy on top and liquid begins to bubble at the sides.

This makes about 12 servings as a side dish (though I stretched it to something like 15 at last year's seder) and takes only about 35 minutes, including baking.  Even my father, famously adverse to vegetables, will eat this.

However:

Rizi Bizi demonstrates her general ennui toward this dish.  She prefers brisket, and who can blame her?

Happy eating!