When it comes to Jewish holidays, dairy dishes usually take a back seat. Brisket, roasts, chicken soup– it’s safe to say our forefathers in the old country weren’t vegetarians.
But on Shavuot, the holiday commemorating receiving the Torah at Sinai, the cheesecakes come out! Many reasons are given to explain the custom to eat dairy food to celebrate Shavuot. Whatever the reasons, the results are the same: epic dairy delicacies galore. If we could only dine on nine, here are the dairy dishes we’d choose for our Shavuot menus.
1. Cheese Blintzes
Cheese blintzes are the sweet-cheese filled crepes of Ashkenazi Jewry. But because Jews are hardy, our “crepes” come in a sturdier variety as well. Somehow still delicate, a blintz is capable of holding a nice amount of sweet and tangy filling. Fill ‘em, fold ‘em, fry ‘em— repeat and eat!
2. Cheesecakes
Cheesecakes may literally take the cake as the most popular Shavuot food on the market. If there is a flavor, it's been made into a cheesecake. And if you’re just not a baker, cheesecake has you covered. There are endless no-bake varieties for the bakerly impaired. This No Bake Cheesecake With Chocolate And Halva proves you can have your cake and eat it too!
There’s even a salmon cheese cake, if you’re brave enough to try!
3. Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting
When else are we eating a true, butter filled carrot cake with cream cheese frosting? A cake with a carrot base is *essentially* like eating a salad, so slice off an extra big piece. For the diet of course.
4. Dairy soup
Ok now that we’ve concentrated on the sweets and treats, we may need something more substantial (less sugary) to start off our dairy meal. This Cream of Potato Zucchini Soup is a far cry from chicken soup. But you won’t be crying while enjoying every drop of this decadent, savory, creamy soup.
5. Classic Cheese Noodle Kugel
It might be the “dairy” holiday but we’re not letting it slide by without a kugel!! There are sweet noodle kugels and savory noodle kugels. Cheese noodle kugels, or lokshen kugel in yiddish, are the best of both worlds.
6. Vegetarian Lasagna
Meat and dairy are a kosher non-starter, but lasagna is essential. So cut the meat, keep the cheese, and voila– a mouth watering vegetarian lasagna is made!
7. Parmesan Crusted Tilapia
Fish, considered neither dairy or meat (aka pareve, or a neutral food), is the natural choice for an elevated protein to include in a dairy-centric meal. Add some parmesan and this tilapia is a healthy, budget friendly, perfectly crunchy addition to a dairy Shavuot meal.
8. Kale Caesar
Keep sprinkling that parmesan over an antioxidant-rich kale caesar salad. This salad is a great balancer during a dairy heavy meal. It’s bright, healthy, and tasty, and pairs perfectly alongside some heavier main dishes.
9. Quiche
Sometimes quiche gets a bad wrap for being a boring brunch filler. But this versatile little dish can be made in advance with a plethora of flavorful combos to relish. This Shavuot, pick a palate and enjoy the versatility of these Top 10 Kosher Quiches, capiche?
