Recipes for the Swiss family kitchen
Everyday recipes with honest amounts, substitutes for the ingredients you are missing, and answers to the questions that actually come up while cooking. Save any of them to your own recipe collection — together with everything else you find: from any recipe site, your cookbook, or Cookidoo.
Bircher Muesli — the Original with Grated Apple
Make Bircher muesli like the original: soak oats overnight, grate apple with the skin, yoghurt and nuts. 10 minutes in the evening, ready in the morning.
Swiss Käseschnitte — Baked Cheese Toast with a Fried Egg in 25 Minutes
Käseschnitte like in a mountain hut: bread soaked in white wine, baked under cheese, fried egg on top. The simplest Swiss supper, in 25 minutes.
Bündner Barley Soup — Creamy Like the Ski Hut's, in One Pot
Make Bündner barley soup at home: pearl barley, Bündnerfleisch, bacon and root vegetables in one pot. Creamy without flour, freezes perfectly, 70 minutes.
Bündner Pizokel with Bacon and Cabbage — in 40 Minutes
Make Pizokel at home: Graubünden's spätzle from flour, egg and milk, scraped off a board and tossed with bacon, cabbage and mountain cheese.
Homemade Spätzli and Chnöpfli — Dough in 5 Minutes
Homemade Spätzli with four ingredients: flour, eggs, milk, salt. With a press or off the board, the right dough that does not stick, and the trick for freezing.
Creamy Swiss Mashed Potatoes — No Lumps, No Packet
Homemade Swiss mashed potatoes: floury potatoes, hot milk, butter, nutmeg. Why a food mill beats a blender and how to get creamy rather than gluey.
Swiss Hacktätschli — Juicy Meat Patties with Onion Gravy in 30 Minutes
Homemade Swiss meat patties: minced meat with soaked bread, egg and onion, fried in clarified butter, with a quick onion gravy.
Juicy Swiss Meatloaf — the Sunday Dinner That Leaves Sandwich Leftovers
Homemade meatloaf: 800 g minced meat, soaked bread, egg, onion, oven-baked with gravy. Juicy thanks to bread and bacon, in 75 minutes. With filling variations.
Swiss Wurst-Käse-Salat — the Pub Original in 15 Minutes
Make Swiss sausage and cheese salad: Cervelat, Gruyère, onions, gherkins and a dressing of vinegar, oil and mustard.
Swiss-Style Potato Salad — with Stock, No Mayonnaise
Make potato salad the Swiss way: warm potatoes steeped in hot stock with vinegar and onion. Creamy without mayonnaise, in 40 minutes. With a mayo variation.
Swiss Fotzelschnitten — Stale Bread, Egg and Cinnamon Sugar in 15 Minutes
Make Swiss Fotzelschnitten: stale bread soaked in milk and egg, fried golden in butter, with cinnamon sugar and apple sauce.
Suure Mocke — Bernese Sour Beef Roast, Marinated Three Days
Make Suure Mocke: beef roast marinated three days in red wine and vinegar, then braised for 2.5 hours. Gingerbread in the sauce, mash alongside.
Swiss Beef Stew (Rindsvoressen) — Tender on Its Own in the Oven
Make Swiss beef stew: cubed beef seared, then braised in red wine and stock for 2 hours in the oven until it falls apart.
Pork Roast with Gravy — Juicy, with Core Temperature Instead of Guesswork
Homemade pork roast: pork neck seared, cooked at 160 °C with vegetables and stock, core temperature 68 °C. With gravy from the pan juices. Sunday dinner for 6.
Swiss Vegetable Tart (Gemüsewähe) with Leek — the Friday Classic
Make a Swiss vegetable tart with shop-bought pastry, leek, carrot and a custard of egg, milk and cream. As leek, spinach or cheese tart — one recipe.
Creamy Polenta — Ticino Style, No Lumps, No Constant Stirring
Homemade polenta, creamy like in Ticino: coarse cornmeal in milk and stock, with butter and Parmesan. No lumps, no 40 minutes of stirring.
Swiss Caramelköpfli — the Crème Caramel That Sets in a Water Bath
Make Swiss crème caramel: caramelise sugar, a custard of milk, eggs and vanilla, set in a water bath at 150 °C for 40 minutes.
Homemade Apple Sauce — No Sugar, in 20 Minutes
Make apple sauce from 1 kg apples, lemon and cinnamon, no sugar. In 20 minutes, with tips on varieties, storage and freezing.
Bratwurst with Onion Gravy — the Swiss Pub Sauce in 20 Minutes
Bratwurst with onion gravy like the pub's: veal bratwurst in the pan, with onions slowly browned and reduced with stock and red wine into a gravy.
Kohlrabi in Cream Sauce — the Vegetable Children Eat, in 25 Minutes
Kohlrabi in cream sauce: kohlrabi batons simmered in stock and bound with cream and nutmeg. The mild side dish children like too, in 25 minutes.
Swiss Chard Gratin (Krautstiel) — Baked Under Cheese in 40 Minutes
Make a Swiss chard gratin: stalks and leaves cooked separately, baked under béchamel and Gruyère. The summer vegetable dish, in 40 minutes.
Swiss Beetroot Salad (Randensalat) — with Cooked Beetroot, Apple and Horseradish
Make Swiss beetroot salad from cooked beetroot, apple, onion and a dressing with horseradish and caraway. In 15 minutes, keeps three days.
Swiss Carrot Salad (Rüeblisalat) — Finely Grated with Lemon, in 10 Minutes
Make Swiss carrot salad: finely grated carrots, a dressing of lemon juice, oil, mustard and a little honey. The salad every child eats, in 10 minutes.
Cucumber Salad with Cream and Dill — Crisp Instead of Watery
Make cucumber salad with a cream and dill dressing: slice the cucumber thinly, salt it, let stand 15 minutes, squeeze. The trick against the puddle.
Couscous Salad — with Vegetables, Feta and Mint, in 20 Minutes
Make couscous salad: couscous steeped in hot stock, with cucumber, tomatoes, pepper, feta and mint, lemon dressing.
Lentil Salad with Feta — Warm or Cold, Keeps Three Days
Make lentil salad with green lentils, carrot, feta, spring onions and a mustard-balsamic dressing. High in protein, cheap, in 30 minutes.
Roasted Vegetables with Potatoes — Crisp on One Tray, in 45 Minutes
Roasted vegetables with potatoes on one tray: potatoes, carrots, peppers, courgette and onions with olive oil and rosemary at 220 °C.
Ratatouille — Each Vegetable Fried Separately, That Is the Trick
Make ratatouille with aubergine, courgette, pepper and tomatoes. Why the vegetables are fried separately so they do not turn to mush.
Spaghetti Carbonara — No Cream, No Scrambled Egg, in 20 Minutes
Spaghetti carbonara like in Rome: egg yolk, pecorino, bacon, pepper, no cream. With the trick that keeps the egg creamy instead of scrambling. 20 minutes.
Spaghetti Bolognese — the Sauce That Gets to Simmer for an Hour
Homemade spaghetti bolognese: seared mince, carrot, celery, onion, tomatoes, milk and an hour of time. Why milk belongs in it and how to keep it thick.
Homemade Tomato Sauce — from a Tin, Better Than Shop-Bought
Make tomato sauce from tinned tomatoes, onion, garlic, olive oil and 30 minutes. Why it turns sour and what fixes it.
Spaghetti Aglio e Olio — Four Ingredients, 15 Minutes, No Shopping
Spaghetti aglio e olio: garlic slowly in olive oil, chilli, parsley, pasta water. Why the garlic must not brown and how the sauce turns creamy.
Penne all'Arrabbiata — Spicy, from the Store Cupboard, in 25 Minutes
Make penne all'arrabbiata: garlic, chilli and tinned tomatoes in olive oil, cooked 20 minutes, tossed with penne.
Mac and Cheese — Macaroni in Cheese Sauce, Creamy from the Pan
Homemade mac and cheese: macaroni in a cheese sauce of béchamel, Gruyère and cheddar, in 25 minutes from the pan or baked.
Pasta Bake with Ham and Vegetables — the Leftovers Gratin
Make a pasta bake: cooked pasta, ham, peas, broccoli and a custard of egg, milk and cream, baked under cheese. For leftovers and make-ahead, in 45 minutes.
Basic Risotto — Creamy in 30 Minutes, with a Saffron Variation
Make risotto at home: carnaroli rice, onion, white wine, hot stock a ladle at a time, butter and Parmesan. Why it does not go creamy and how to fix it.
Creamy Potato Gratin — with Cream, Milk and Gruyère, No Parboiling
Homemade potato gratin: thin potato slices in cream and milk with garlic and nutmeg, baked under Gruyère. Why the potatoes stay hard and how to make them soft.
Roast Potatoes with Rosemary — Crisp Outside, Soft Inside
Homemade roast potatoes: potato wedges with olive oil, rosemary and salt at 220 °C, 40 minutes. With the parboiling trick for the crispiest crust.
Egg Fried Rice — from Leftover Rice, in 15 Minutes
Egg fried rice with peas, spring onions and soy sauce, in 15 minutes. Why it only works with cold day-old rice and how to keep it from going mushy.
Chicken Nasi Goreng — with a Fried Egg and Kecap Manis, in 25 Minutes
Make nasi goreng at home: fried rice with chicken, kecap manis, sambal, spring onions and a fried egg on top. From leftover rice in 25 minutes.
Goulash — with as Much Onion as Beef, Braised for 2 Hours
Homemade goulash: stewing beef, onions, paprika, caraway, marjoram, 2 hours in the oven. Why the onions are the sauce and no flour is needed. Better on day two.
Chili con Carne — for the Whole Family, with the Heat on the Table
Make chili con carne with mince, kidney beans, sweetcorn, tomatoes and cumin. Cooked mild, heat added at the table — so children and adults both eat it.
Mince and Rice Skillet — Everything in One Pan, in 30 Minutes
Mince and rice skillet with peppers, sweetcorn, tomatoes and cheese: the rice cooks right in the pan. One pot, 30 minutes, no washing up.
Mince and Potato Bake — Shepherd's Pie the Swiss Way
Mince bake with mashed potato: mince with carrot, peas and tomato sauce, covered with mash and baked under cheese.
Oven-Roasted Chicken Thighs — Crispy Skin, Juicy, No Turning
Oven chicken thighs with paprika, garlic and lemon, 200 °C for 45 minutes. Why the skin crisps — pat dry and never cover — and why thighs never dry out.
Crispy Oven-Baked Chicken Wings — No Deep-Frying, with BBQ Glaze
Crispy chicken wings in the oven: dry-seasoned with baking powder and salt, 220 °C for 45 minutes, then glazed.
Chili sin Carne — with Lentils and Beans, Filling Without Meat
Homemade chili sin carne with red lentils, kidney beans, sweetcorn, pepper and smoked paprika. Vegan, cheap, in 40 minutes from the store cupboard.
Shakshuka — Eggs in Tomato Sauce, One Pan, 25 Minutes
Homemade shakshuka: peppers, onions, cumin and tinned tomatoes cooked into a sauce, eggs cracked in and poached under a lid.
Gazpacho — Cold Tomato Soup for Hot Days, No Cooking
Homemade gazpacho: ripe tomatoes, cucumber, pepper, bread, olive oil and sherry vinegar in a blender, chilled 2 hours.
Homemade Hummus — Creamy Like the Restaurant's, in 10 Minutes
Make hummus from tinned chickpeas, tahini, lemon and garlic. The trick for creamy hummus: iced water and long blending. In 10 minutes, keeps five days.
Tzatziki — Thick and Creamy, Because the Cucumber Gets Squeezed
Make tzatziki from Greek yoghurt, grated cucumber, garlic, olive oil and dill. Why it turns watery and how to avoid it: salt and squeeze the cucumber.
Homemade Falafel — from Dried Chickpeas, Baked in the Oven
Homemade falafel with soaked raw chickpeas, herbs and cumin, baked instead of fried. Why tinned chickpeas fall apart and how to make them hold.
Red Lentil Dal — Red Lentils, Coconut Milk, 25 Minutes, One Pot
Make red lentil dal with coconut milk, turmeric, ginger and cumin, in 25 minutes. The tadka trick with spices toasted at the end.
Chickpea and Spinach Curry — from Two Tins, in 25 Minutes
Chickpea curry with coconut milk, tomatoes, spinach and curry powder, in 25 minutes from the store cupboard. Vegan, filling, mild for children.
Creamy Tomato Soup — from a Tin, Better Than the Packet
Homemade tomato soup from tinned tomatoes, onion, carrot, stock and a splash of cream, in 30 minutes. Why it turns sour and how to make it velvety.
Creamy Cauliflower Soup — No Cream, Using the Whole Head
Make cauliflower soup from a whole cauliflower including the stalk, potato, onion and stock, blended. Creamy without cream, in 30 minutes.
Lentil Soup with Wienerli — the Swiss Winter Soup in 40 Minutes
Homemade lentil soup with brown lentils, carrot, celeriac, leek, bacon and Wienerli sausages, finished with vinegar.
Minestrone — the Vegetable Soup That Uses Up Half the Fridge
Homemade minestrone: onion, carrot, celery, potatoes, courgette, beans, tomatoes and pasta in stock, with Parmesan and pesto.
Omelette — French-Style Soft in 3 Minutes, with Cheese and Herbs
Making an omelette properly: 3 eggs, butter, medium heat, constant stirring, then rolled. Creamy inside, no colour outside, in 3 minutes.
Creamy Scrambled Eggs — Low Heat, Butter, No Milk
Making creamy scrambled eggs: eggs with butter over low heat, stirred slowly, off the heat before fully set. No milk, no cream.
Swiss Pancakes (Omeletten) — Thin, Lump-Free, Sweet or Savoury
Homemade Swiss pancakes — Omeletten: flour, milk, eggs, salt, rested 30 minutes, fried thin. With cinnamon sugar and apple sauce, or with cheese and ham.
Fluffy Pancakes — American-Style Thick, with Baking Powder, in 20 Minutes
Homemade pancakes: thick batter with baking powder, not over-mixed, cooked over medium heat, turned when the bubbles pop.
Creamy Porridge — Oatmeal in 10 Minutes, with Milk and Water
Homemade porridge: oats stirred in milk and water for 8 minutes, with salt, cinnamon and honey. The ratio that makes it creamy rather than gluey.
Homemade Pizza Dough — Thin and Crisp, with Time Instead of Yeast
Homemade pizza dough: flour, water, a little yeast, salt, olive oil, and 24 hours in the fridge. Why slow rising tastes better and how to stretch it. For 4.
Rösti Like Grandmother's — Crisp and Golden
Make rösti yourself: with potatoes boiled the day before, plenty of patience and very little turning. That is how it gets crisp outside and soft inside.
Swiss Mince with Macaroni and Apple Sauce — in 25 Minutes
Ghackets mit Hörnli: Switzerland's favourite children's dinner in 25 minutes. Served with apple sauce as tradition demands — cheap, simple and always a hit.
Pumpkin Soup — Creamy, Warming and Ready in 30 Minutes
Creamy pumpkin soup from one pot: with butternut or Hokkaido, a little ginger and cream. Ready in 30 minutes and ideal for freezing.
Spicy Beef and Potato Skillet — All in One Pan
Spicy beef and potato skillet with paprika, chilli and cumin: crisp potatoes, well-seasoned mince, 30 minutes and just one pan.
Red Lentil Curry with Vegetables — 25 Minutes, One Pan
Red lentil curry with coconut milk and vegetables: ready in 25 minutes, vegan, cheap and kid-friendly. Nearly every ingredient lives in your cupboard.
Älplermagronen — the Swiss Classic in 30 Minutes
Älplermagronen with potatoes, cream and mountain cheese: the Swiss classic in one pan, ready in 30 minutes. Served with apple sauce, as it should be.
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