German Buttered Noodles

Pasta was definitely a staple in our house growing up, mainly in the form of macaroni and cheese since it was absolutely one of my brother’s favorite things to eat, but for me, Mom’s German buttered noodles always trumped mac and cheese. Even my Dad, who has never really been a fan of pasta and was usually less than thrilled when spaghetti made it on the dinner menu, was always up for this delightful crispy, buttery dish. My mom grew up eating these at her grandmother’s table, we grew up eating them at hers and now my children (and fiancé!) enjoy eating them at my table. They make a great side for many meals from Sunday pot roast to brats and sauerkraut to Salisbury steak (brown gravy only enhances the tastiness of the noodles!) to just about anything!

German Buttered Noodles

1 12oz package egg noodles

4 slices of bread, cubed into approximately 16 pieces each (any type of bread will work, I normally use plain white)

12 tablespoons salted butter, divided in half

1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

2 teaspoons salt


Boil noodles in salted water until al dente. Drain and rinse in cold water. In a large skillet, melt 6 tablespoons salted butter over medium-to-medium high heat. Add bread cubes, tossing well to coat with melted butter. Sautee bread cubes in butter until well toasted on both sides. Add egg noodles, remaining 6 tablespoons salted butter and stir to coat noodles with butter once melted. Season with salt and fresh cracked black pepper, stirring to combine. Continue cooking over medium-to-medium high heat until butter is almost completely absorbed and noodles have become slightly crisp. Remove from heat and serve.

recipe adapted from my great grandmother’s original recipe

Peanut Sesame Noodles

Growing up I was absolutely NOT a fan of anything that even remotely resembled Asian/Chinese food. My mom and brother, however, loved it and partaking in these type of meals was usually their thing to do together. Every now and then I’d get coerced into joining them, usually leaving the table hungry and completely unsatisfied. Thanks to the delicious homemade eggrolls my mom would make, I had a safe option to order on those few occasions I found myself in one of “those” restaurants (I still LOVE eggrolls!). Rarely would I ever venture past plain white rice and eggrolls and when I did, it was only to go as far as Sweet & Sour Chicken, sauce on the side (that, in my mind, was not eating Chinese food, it was just eating chicken strips – it’s no surprise my son is a picky eater). As I’ve grown, so have my tastes and I now LOVE to eat Asian/Chinese food! I’m starting to cook it more at home, moving past tasty eggrolls and on to more adventurous fares. We love the peanut flavor used in many Asian dishes and when I came across this recipe on epicurious, I knew it was one we would enjoy and we did – it was light and full of flavor.

Peanut Sesame Noodles

Peanut Dressing

½ cup creamy peanut butter (I used reduced fat)

¼ cup soy sauce

1/3 cup warm water

2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

2 medium garlic cloves, chopped

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 ½ tablespoons Asian sesame oil

2 teaspoons honey

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Noodle Salad

8 ounce package of thin rice noodles

5 scallions, thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/8 inch strips

1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/8 inch strips

3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Puree dressing ingredients in a blender until smooth, about 2 minutes, then transfer to a large bowl.

Cook noodles in a 6-8 quart pot of boiling salted water until tender. Drain in a colander, rinsing well under cold water.

Add noodles, scallions, bell peppers and sesame seeds to dressing, tossing to combine. Serve immediately.

recipe adapted from epicurious

*My fiancé preferred the noodles warmer than what the recipe indicated serving them and topped his with grilled chicken. Excellent call on both accounts, it was delicious that way!!