A recipe for Bryndzové Halušky (Slovak Potato Dumplings with Cheese)! Small potato dumplings are coated in a creamy sheep cheese and served with crisp bacon.
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Bryndzové Halušky is one of Slovakia’s most famous dishes. Halušky, little pasta dumplings made from grated potatoes and flour, are coated in a special cheese called Bryndza and topped with bacon.
If that wasn’t hearty enough, the fat rendered from the bacon is also drizzled over the top for good measure. It is quite the comfort food. To complete the meal, serve the Bryndzové Halušky with Žinčica- a drink made from the leftover sheep’s milk whey of the Bryndza.
Notable Ingredients
Bryndza is a type of sheep milk cheese popular in Slovakia. If you are in the area, it is best to get it fresh from raw sheep’s milk for the maximum health benefits. It is a lot more difficult to locate here in the United States, so I blended together sheep feta with a bit of sour cream and butter until smooth. You can also use cottage cheese to make halušky s tvarohom.
A few tips
The potatoes need to be finely grated to mix easily with the flour to create small dumplings. I used the small-holed side of a cheese grater. I added an egg to the dough to help bring it together. Some recipes I came across include an egg while others don’t.
I tossed the dumplings in the cheese to coat each piece, but others also serve the Bryndzové Halušky with the sauce poured over the top as desired to control the amount.
I used my spätzle maker (Haluškáreň in Slovakia) to push the dough into the water. If you don’t have a spätzle/halušky maker, you can also use a colander with large hole and push the dough through with a wooden spoon or spatula. A reader on another blog also mentioned using the backside of a large-holed flat cheese grater.
Test a little dough in the water before pushing the rest in. If it falls apart, mix in a little more flour. If the dough is too dry, add a little water a splash at a time.
Looking for more pasta dumpling recipes?
Try my:
- Kasnocken (Austrian Dumplings with Cheese and Onions)
- Spinach Spätzli with Sage and Speck
- Kniddelen (Luxembourgish Dumplings)
Bryndzové Halušky (Slovak Potato Dumplings with Cheese) Recipe
Adapted from Emperor’s Crumbs
Bryndzové Halušky (Slovak Potato Dumplings with Cheese)
Ingredients
- 2 cups (200 grams) peeled and finely grated potatoes do not squeeze out moisture
- 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 8 ounces (227 grams) thick-cut bacon cut into small cubes
- 8 ounces (227 grams) bryndza or 6 ounces (170 grams) sheep feta, 1/3 cup (75 grams) sour cream, and 2 tablespoons (30 grams) unsalted butter blended together until smooth
- 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) reserved cooking water
- Fresh parsley or chives for garnish, optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the grated potatoes, flour, salt, and egg to form a thick, loose dough. It should be wet enough to push through the large holes of a colander, but still keep its shape in the boiling water. If too dry, add a splash of water at a time to reach desired consistency. If too wet to hold its shape, mix in a little more flour.
- Place a large pan over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until the fat has rendered and the bacon is lightly crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove the bacon with grease from the pan and carefully set aside in a medium bowl.
- While the bacon is cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Reduce to a lightly rolling boil, around medium high heat.
- Use a spatula or wooden spoon to transfer some of the dough to the halušky maker or a colander with large holes. Scrape the dough into the boiling water in batches. Stir the bottom lightly to unstick any dumplings. Once the dumplings float to the surface, after about 2 minutes, remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl and repeat with remaining dough.
- Remove 1/4 cup of the still hot cooking water to the empty pan. Add the cheese, stirring to melt into a creamy sauce. Add to the cooked halušky, tossing to coat.
- Serve immediately topped with the cooked bacon and drizzle a little of the rendered bacon fat over the top. If desired, add a sprinkling of chopped parsley or chives.
Jana
Hi, I am from the Czech republic (next to Slovakia) and I like reading your blog. I am very pleased, that you tried this amazing traditional food. And it is very nice to see diacritics (Š, Ž, É) in an english text. Thank you and have a nice day.
Tara
Thank you so much for your kind words Jana!
Tracy | Baking Mischief
This is basically all of my favorite things in one dish! It sounds amazing, like pure comfort food. Definitely Pinning to try!
Platter Talk
Sounds delicious! I love all things like this and the cheese places it over the top!
Giselle Rochford
I’ve never heard of this before but it definitely sounds interesting. I also really love the idea behind your blog. I love trying different cuisines but I’m not much of a traveller so I’ll just live vicariously through your recipes lol
Emily
I’ve never seen a dish like this before, very unique and looks delicious!
Lisa Mortensen
Hello, I was excited to find your recipe because everyone I know calls these types of dumplings Spaetzel as the Germans do, but in my family they always have called them Halusky. My family does not put potato in them though, they just make them with flour, eggs, salt, and water. It is interesting to me that others call cabbage and noodles Halusky, or even call stuffed cabbage Halusky. I wonder how the names got so confused.
Tara
Hi Lisa! I spent my early childhood years in Germany, so Spätzle is my ultimate comfort food. It has been so fun finding all the variations throughout central/eastern Europe. Adding potato was definitely new for me. I need to look more into the names of the dishes and see how they evolved. I have heard of the Halušky cabbage and noodles, but haven’t made it myself yet. Adding it to the list 🙂
Briana
I made this dish this evening and it was delicious. I used my potato masher because I don’t have a halušky maker and it turned out well. Thank you for the recipe.
Tara
Thanks Briana! So glad you enjoyed it!
Ann Doneley
First tried this dish in Slovakia when we were there for a family wedding at Kosice. It was just wonderful. My sister-in-law occasionally makes it as a special treat for the family in Brisbane, Australia. This recipe looks really good, so I’m going to try it as well. Many thanks
Tara
Such wonderful memories! Hope you love it Ann!
Erika
I’m loving these potato dumplings. Such a great use of potatoes too! So delicious!
Jamie
I love anything with potatoes and cheese so this is going to be a hit with my family! Thank you for introducing new recipes to my family. Looks incredible!
Lauren
This gives me gnocchi vibes. I absolutely can’t wait to try it!
Bintu | Budget Delicious
This sounds like such a hearty and delicious dish and one that my whole family would find very fulfilling!
Michelle
Delicious! I love the bacon on it, and it’s so cheesy and creamy