Noodle Ring

An impressive throw-back recipe that will wow and delight!

1 hour

Serves: 6-8

Medium

A true classic, vintage recipe that looks and tastes like a comforting hug from the past.

This Baked Noodle Ring recipe is a CLASSIC vintage recipe. Just by looks alone you can tell it is a classic. And boy, there is good reason why. While it looks straight out of an episode of Mad Men, it tastes delicious and is a definite comfort food. I’m sure it’s even better now that you can eat it without everyone around you chain smoking.

Grandma’s recipe (below) is only for the noodle ring itself, but when she made it she would always fill it with a white sauce, ham, peas and pearl onions. I, of course, had to try it Grandma’s way first. And it was wonderful. But, I could also see filling the ring with a cheese sauce (Mom’s suggestion) or a red meat sauce or even roasted veggies. You could easily make this meal vegetarian by omitting the ham or trying one of these alternative fillings.

Making the baked noodle ring is pretty straight forward. You’ll want to get your water on the stove starting to heat and then cook the noodles first. While you’re waiting for the water to boil and while the noodles are cooking, you should be able to get the sauce together. Grandma just calls for grated cheese and doesn’t specify what type. We had a great sharp cheddar from a local farm and that was great.

The bake noodle ring cooks for about 45 minutes so that should be plenty of time to make whatever sauce you want for the filling. Really the whole thing could easily come together in under and hour if you’re focused! And looking at the end result, can you believe it’s so quick? Definitely a recipe to pull out when it’s time to impress company.

I sure hope you try making this baked noodle ring. If you do, please tell us what you did for the filling and what you thought in the comments. And be sure to share a picture of your end result on Instagram and tag me (@bdhbakes).

Steps:

Preheat the Oven to 350º
Cook Noodles
Get a pot of water boiling on the stove and cook your egg noodles according to the package directions but just shy of the full cooking time. Since you'll be baking the noodles in sauce later, you don't need to cook them the full amount. You want them still very al dente.
Prep Your Pan
While you're waiting for your water to boil and noodles to cook, butter a bundt pan or spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
Make the Sauce
Add your three eggs, 1/2 cup milk, Worchestersire sauce and Ketchup to a medium bowl. Whisk well to combine. Set aside.
Grate Cheese
Grate your cup of cheese. Set aside.
Drain Noodles
Once the noodles have completed cooking, quickly drain them.
Combine Noodles, Sauce and Cheese
Pour Into Bundt Pan and Bake
Pour your noodles in the sauce with cheese into your prepped bundt pan and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.
Start Making the Bechamel Sauce
When there is about 20-30 minutes left in the noodle bake time, you can start to make the sauce. Begin by melting the butter over low heat.
Add Flour and Seasoning
Once the butter is melted, add about 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/8 teaspoon of pepper (or more to taste of each) and the flour. Whisk to fully combine and raise the heat to medium. Cook, whisking all the time, until the mixture begins to really thicken and bubble.
Add Milk
Add the remaining 2 Cups of milk in a slow, steady stream whisking constantly. Continue cooking and stirring constantly until the sauce begins to boil. Allow to boil for 1 minute or until nice and thick. Remove from heat.
Add Ham and Peas
With the sauce fully cooked and off the heat, add your ham, peas and onions and stir to combine. Return the sauce (preferably to a new burner) and keep warm over very low heat. Stir frequently! Continue keeping warm and stirring until noodles are finished baking.
Remove Noodles from Oven and Assemble.
Once the noodles have completed cooking, take them out of the oven and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Then, invert the bundt pan onto your serving dish. Fill the center with your sauce and serve.