Spaetzle With Kielbasa and Caramelized Onions Recipe (2024)

I agree that the spätzle proportions are a bit off. My old reliable recipe calls for 2 cups flour, 1 cup milk and 4 eggs. I add 1tsp dry mustard, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp nutmeg and 2 TBL chopped parsley. Let the mixture stand for at least 30 minutes for more tender dumplings.
I have a non-stick perforated pizza pan with 1/4 inch holes. It fits flat
on top of the pot and I push portions of the batter/dough through with a plastic dough scraper, cutting off the length of the dumplings as I want. Easy.

Next time I will skip making the spaetzle from scratch and just use the pre-made kind. It was seriously the most stupid cooking experience I have ever had and I am a pretty good cook. Using a colander was a massive mess, the dough was super gooey, I was swearing at my dog, boo.

This is a great recipe for a gloomy, wet, wintry day. I used Gruyere cheese rather than Emmentaler because I like Gruyere better. I made the "spaetzle" by dropping bits of dough into the water (I do not have a spaetzle maker or an appropriate colander), which worked well, even though it is not the traditional method.

Dropping bits of dough into water is the "traditional" way. We have a spaetzle board that we put the "dough" on and cut pieces with a knife into boiling water. This is the method of my great-grandmother Gram Biedenboch!

I agree the liquid to flour ratio for the dough was too dry and I ended up adding more milk. I tried the colander method with poor results. The dough was too thick and sticky and made a massive mess, and in the end I resorted to breaking of pieces of dough and dropping it in by hand. Despite the mess and the colander aggravation, I thought the end product was delicious.

I don't know what I did wrong - followed the spätzle instructions exactly but the dough was way too thick/dry to push through the spätzle maker and made a big sticky mess. Remade with only 2 cups of flour and a whole cup of milk - better but still too thick to pour. Ended up having to push it through with a spoon. Probably should have just used a colander.

Actually, they aren't dumplings but pasta. Depending on the area in the South of Germany they can be made with water or milk. 100g (pasta) flour +1 egg per person plus salt and water/milk as required. I also add nutmeg. An alternative is to replace some of the liquid with finely chopped parsley or spinach to make green pasta. Perfect for a creamy mushroom sauce. In Germany they are often 'scratched' with a knife off a wooden board with a sloping end. Spaetzle means little sparrows

Used egg noodles, premade, and cooked al dente. Because I like my veggies, I added some blanched kale. Tasty dish, not overly dry. Wonder if kale helped? Definitely a comfort food!!! Yes, more onions!!

Not only are the spaetzle recipe proportions off, but even with adjustments I found the result of this recipe to be salty, dry, and disappointing overall. Would not make again.

I love Melissa Clark! But this is a bad recipe. Onions did not caramelize properly. Burnt and bitter. The batter is dry and needs more moisture. More milk, more eggs. This can also all be done in a cast iron skillet. I dunno. I feel like somebody's nephew drove on this one. Still a big fan, but this required a lot of on-the-fly fixes.

I skipped homemade for store bought Spaetzle and use Gruyère and a bit of Gorgonzola, was decadent and AWESOME. Will add a bit more onion next time.

Spaetzle recipe isn’t right. Not enough wet for dry

6/14/23- used white casserole dish. Very rich dinner but very warming.

This is the Old World version of Macaroni and Cheese with Hot Dogs. I love spaetzle, but making it can be a messy task. I served this with Swiss Chard. The two go well together for a full meal.

Really delicious with a lot of changes. I cooked 1lb dried spaetzle to al dente instead of making my own. Double the onions and add more vegetables. I added 1/2 cup frozen peas and two sliced zucchini. I mixed 6oz Emmentaler with 4oz gruyère. More gruyère is better. Add a TON of salt to taste. I probably ended up adding at least 1TBSP kosher salt, but it was awesome at the end—especially the crispy cheese parts on top. Serve with more greens like a kale salad!

If I make again, will use premade spaetzle. Thank goodness for these notes. Added an additional egg and a bunch more milk. Original dough as written in recipe was thick and stiff like cookie dough. Would not pass through colander. Even with adjustments, pressing dough through colander resulted in tiny spaetzle and took forever. My arm is cramped. Despite this and the total mess, the end product was quite delicious. We ate an hour later than usual. Quite a process and experience.

I did a deconstructed version using egg noodles and skipping the casserole/cheese part. Worked out great!

Making spaetzle seems messy and time consuming. Found some premade at the grocery today. Now this will be an easy meal.

I agree with others who have said the “old fashioned” way of making spaetzle works just fine. They may be slightly puffier than using a spaetzle maker, but if you drop a half teaspoon or so into the boiling water, you’ll be good! Difference between this and fluffy dumplings is no baking soda. On the rare occasions I make spaetzle, I don’t need to buy yet another gadget. Great recipe.

My German mother made spaetzle frequently when I was growing up. I made it for my kids. I’ve never heard of a spaetzle maker! Put flour in a bowl. Add a beaten egg or two. Add enough milk to make a thick dough. In my experience, it never resembles a “thicker” pancake batter. It’s not dry but thick enough to use a teaspoon to drop a little at a time into boiling salted water, dipping the spoon into the water to keep it clean. When the spaetzle rises to the top, it’s done. Easy!

Spaetzle, or as it's known in Hungary, nokedli, is the most ridiculously easy thing to make. Two cups of flour, two eggs, a half teaspoon of salt and three quarter cup of water. Stir it into a batter and if you don't have a device you can do it painstakingly with spoons while your forearms seize, or you can even use a potato ricer with the larger holes. Force them into boiling salted water and remove them with a spider or slotted spoon as soon as they float.

Delicious. Use a spaetzle maker and save yourself a ton of hurt. Didn’t have the cheese at our store so I used fontina and washed down with a black beer. A perfect dinner for post-hiking.

I used the spätzle recipe that Randy (top helpful commenter) provided, and added a few generous glugs of chicken broth to the casserole mixture. This turned out wonderfully and everyone loved it. It’s a tasty dish, no matter how you arrive at the spätzle (homemade, using the recipe here or from elsewhere, or store-bought). The whole is greater than the parts.

I had to add an additional 1/4-1/2 more cups of milk to thin out the spaetzel. Even then it still was not “slightly thicker pancake batter consistency.” This made it difficult to get tiny pieces like what are seen in the photo. Regardless this recipe is TASTY! It’s very rich so be warned. I wish the recipe would have called for some fresh herb like flat leaf parsley or chives or some sort of acid to cut through the richness. I would make this recipe again, it is a great winter dish!