Apricot-Cranberry Noodle Kugel

Ingredients

• 1 package egg noodles , 16 ounce
• 1 container sour cream , 16 ounce
• 1 container whipped cream cheese , 12 ounce
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1.5 cups apricot preserves
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon , or to taste
• 4 cups cinnamon bite-sized cereal , such as Cinnamon Toast Crunch™
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter , softened, or more to taste
• 1 cup sweetened dried cranberries , such as Craisins®

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Liberally butter a deep 8-inch square baking dish.

2. 2

   Fill a large pot with generously salted water and bring to a rapid boil. Cook egg noodles at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, 7 to 9 minutes.

3. 3

   Drain egg noodles and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking. Drain again and mop up any excess moisture with paper towels.

4. 4

   Beat sour cream, cream cheese, eggs, salt, and vanilla with an electric mixer until well combined. Mix in apricot preserves and cinnamon.

5. 5

   Crush cereal in a food processor or by hand until it's broken up enough that it's no longer identifiable as cereal. Mix in softened butter until well distributed.

6. 6

   Place noodles in the prepared baking dish. Pour sour cream mixture over top and stir to combine. Mix in cranberries. Sprinkle crushed cereal mixture evenly over top.

7. 7

   Bake in the preheated oven until the top is browned and crusty, 1 to 1 1/2 hours, checking every so often starting at 45 minutes. If the top looks like it's headed towards burning, stick some foil on the top. At the end, if the top's not crusty enough, put it under the broiler until the butter bubbles a bit and the the color gets nice and rich looking, 1 to 3 minutes.

8. 8

   Remove from the oven and let it sit for 15 minutes before serving.