Champignon Spaetzle

Spaetzle (pronounced "shpets-la")is a German tradition especially in Bavaria and is so versatile you could really make a million recipes with it. It consists of tiny boiled dumplings and can be comparable to pasta. It's typically served with mushrooms and mushroom sauce. My mother in law who is German made sure I knew how to make this when I got married years ago and I'm glad she did!

I created this recipe tonight on a whim and my son said, "Mom this is the best dinner ever!" It hits the spot for sure. I chose the maple syrup breakfast sausages to add a delicious sweetness to the creamy, cheesy, Alfredo, mushroom and onion flavor. This is a family favorite!!

Champignon Spaetzle

Champignon Sauce

• 12 maple syrup flavored breakfast sausages
• 2 cups slices mushrooms
• 1 stick butter
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup flour
• 3 cups milk
• 2 Tbsp sour cream
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• fresh ground pepper

Spaetzle

• 3 cups flour
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 quart cold water

Stir spaetzle ingredients together. Make it to the consistency of pancake batter. Bring large pot of water to a boil. Place a strainer with large holes over the pot and pour batter through. Batter should create little droplets as it falls into boiling water. The batter droplets will sink and then rise to the surface when they are ready. Once they float to surface drain water and rinse in a strainer. Set aside.

In a large frying pan brown sausages on medium high in 1/2 stick of butter. Set sausages aside. Add mushrooms and onions to sausage grease and saute until brown. Add flour 2 Tbsp at a time to mushrooms and quickly stir. Add remaining butter and the rest of flour to get a paste. Add milk one cup at a time and stir. You may add more flour to thicken. Add sour cream, cheese, onion powder, salt and pepper. When sauce is thick and bubbly pour over spaetzle and top with sausages and green onions. Enjoy!