Christian Uetz, a philosophical poet, Swiss author and gourmet, has shared his secret recipe with me. It is his favourite dish from his childhood: cheese spaetzle with apple sauce, made to his mother’s recipe.
The trick is easily explained and makes all the difference: some of the Gruyère isn’t sprinkled on top, but mixed into the dough. This means the spätzle are full of flavour from the inside out, rather than just having a layer of cheese on top. Serve with fried onions, in a buttered dish, baked in the oven for twenty minutes – and a spoonful of apple sauce on the side to balance the sweetness against the salty cheese.
In Switzerland, Käsespätzle are also known as Chäsknöpfli or Chässpätzli, depending on the region. They were first mentioned in the 18th century, and in Swabia culture they are still regarded as comfort food to this day. And quite rightly so.
Ingredients for cheese spaetzle
The exact quantities of the ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the end of the article.
- Wheat flour – Type 405, sifted to ensure a lump-free dough
- Eggs – large organic eggs; they give the dough colour and help it bind together
- Water and milk – in equal parts; milk makes the dough more tender than water alone
- Salt – for the dough and plenty for the cooking water
- Gruyère – grated; some goes into the dough, and the majority is used for the topping
- Onions – fried in butter until crispy; they’re just as much a part of it as the cheese
- Butter – for frying the onions and greasing the dish
- Apple sauce – to serve, just as Christian Uetz learnt from his mother
How to make cheese spaetzle – step by step
It’s best to follow this sequence: make the dough first, then use the resting time to get a pot of water on and fry the onions. After that, it all goes very quickly.
Prepare the dough
Sift the flour into a bowl and make a well in the centre. Whisk the milk, water, eggs and salt together well until the batter is smooth and forms bubbles. Then leave to rest for 15 minutes.
Stir in the Gruyère
After the resting time, stir the grated Gruyère into the dough. That’s the secret from Christian Uetz’s mother’s recipe: the cheese in the dough gives the spaetzle a savoury flavour right through to the centre.
Roast the onions
Cut the onions into rings or strips and fry them slowly in butter until crispy. Keep them warm. Don’t worry if the onions turn really dark – this will give them a nutty flavour later on.
Spaetzle into the water
Bring a generous amount of water to the boil and season generously with salt. Have a bowl of cold water and a slotted spoon to hand. Pass the dough in batches through a spaetzle grater, spaetzle board or spaetzle press directly into the boiling water. As soon as the spätzle float to the surface, lift them out with the slotted spoon and transfer them to the cold water to stop them cooking further.
I use a spaetzle mould that sits directly on top of the saucepan. I’ve linked to mine on the recipe card. In my opinion, that’s the quickest and tidiest way to do it.
Layer and bake
Preheat the oven to 180 °C (top and bottom heat). Remove the spaetzle from the cold water and drain well. Place in a buttered dish, sprinkle with the remaining Gruyère and the onions, and bake for 15–20 minutes until the top is golden brown.
Serving
Serve straight away, with some apple sauce on the side. Simply divine.
Tips & Variations
It’s worth not skimping on the cheese. Gruyère adds flavour and melts well without becoming stringy. If you prefer a stronger flavour, mix in some Appenzeller; if you prefer a milder one, use some Emmental. Mountain cheese works well too.
Spaetzle are easy to prepare in advance. Once cooked, drain them in cold water, cover them and keep them in a cool place until you’re ready to bake them – they’ll keep for up to a day. This takes all the stress out of cooking for guests.
You can also do it without a spaetzle grater: spread the dough onto a wet chopping board and scrape it into the water in thin strips using a knife or a dough scraper. It takes longer, but the result is irregular and rustic – just as it used to be made.
Storage
Room temperature: Straight from the oven to the table. If left to stand, the cheese will set and the spaetzle will become chewy.
Fridge: Leftovers will keep for 2 days if stored in an airtight container. To reheat, add a knob of butter and heat in a frying pan, or cover and reheat in the oven at 160 °C to prevent them from drying out.
Freezer: Blanched, unbaked spaetzle can be frozen for up to 3 months. Freeze in flat portions and use while still frozen.
FAQ on cheese spaetzle
Gruyère forms the basis of this recipe – full-flavoured, melts well and not too fatty. Appenzeller makes it stronger, Emmental milder. It’s important to grate the cheese fresh; pre-grated cheese often contains anti-caking agents and doesn’t melt as well.
During the resting time, the flour swells and the gluten relaxes. This makes the dough more supple and much easier to scrape into the water. Without resting, it tears and the spaetzle turn out uneven.
Yes. After the cold water, drain well, cover and refrigerate for up to a day. Only layer and bake them just before serving.
That’s how Christian Uetz learnt it from his mother, and it makes sense: the sweetness and tartness of the apple sauce provide a contrast to the salty cheese and butter. If you prefer it savoury, serve a green salad alongside.
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Recipe Card
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Cheese Spaetzle with Gruyère
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Sift the flour into a bowl and make a well in the centre. Whisk milk, water, eggs and salt together until the dough is smooth and forms bubbles. Rest for 15 minutes.
- After resting, stir the 100 g of grated Gruyère into the dough.
- Slice the onions into rings and fry slowly in butter until deep golden and crisp. Keep warm.
- Bring plenty of water to the boil and salt it well. Have a bowl of cold water and a slotted spoon ready. Push the dough into the boiling water in batches using a spaetzle grater, board or press. As soon as the spaetzle float, lift them into the cold water.
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C / 350 °F. Drain the spaetzle well and layer them in a buttered dish with the remaining Gruyère and the onions. Bake for 15–20 minutes until golden on top.
- Serve immediately with apple sauce on the side.
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