Šunkafleky Chronicles

Posted in : Cooking With the Krejci's, Mom's Home Cooking on by : Julie B Wilson Tags: , , , , , ,

Featured Recipe: Baked Spam and Noodles

The Krejci Casserole Controversy of 1961

Every family has that epic food fail, right? Well, I've got more than one, and this one is a classic family tale complete with a recipe! Back when my mom and dad tied the knot, my dad dropped the bombshell that he despised Šunkafleky. (The best part of leaving home is bidding farewell to culinary dislikes, right?) No problem for my mom, a Southern cooking aficionado who had no clue what Šunkafleky even was. Instead, she whipped up a killer ham and noodle casserole

Picture this: Dad walks in, takes a bite, and declares, "That's Šunkafleky! I don't like Šunkafleky!" Mom fires back, "That's not Šunkafleky - That's ham casserole!" Cue the legendary family debate.

For those uninitiated, Šunkafleky is a traditional ham and noodle dish featuring eggs, cheese, and sour cream. It transforms into a casserole that's a symphony of eggy, creamy, and cheesy goodness.

Yes, indeed, Šunkafleky translates to Ham and Noodle Casserole! Epic food fails make for legendary family stories. What about you? Do you have a culinary tale that's become a family legend?

Throw Back Thursday Recipe Reading



What is Šunkafleky?

First I had to figure out how to spell it, that was tough because Grandma spoke Czech, German, and a Slavic language that is no longer used.

This is what I found on Google…

The German word  for 'Ham' is Schinken, phonetically pronounced Sheenk-uun
The Czech word  for 'Ham' is also Schinken, but phonetically pronounced Sheenk-en

"Flecky" a bit harder, this is what I most commonly found with Google...

Schinken Fléckerl sheenk-uun fleck-ah-rool [roll the r]Fleckerl being Viennese German for 'Small Spot'
"Ham Small Spot"
On a side note... Fleckerl is also a dance step most commonly found in the Viennese Waltz

Schinken Fleckerln - sheenk-uun fleck-hell
Fleckerln -  being  German for  'Patches'
"Ham & Patches"

Überbackene Schinken Fleckerl - oober-bah-ken sheenk-uun fleck-ah-rool
Überbackene being German for 'Gratinated'
Gratinated -  grat·​i·​nate | \ ˈgratᵊnˌāt \-ed/-ing/-s (we know as Au Gratin)
To cook with a covering of buttered crumbs or grated cheese until a crust or crisp surface forms.
"Gratinated Ham & Patches"

Schinken Nudeln - sheenk-uun new-den
Nudeln - being  German for   'Noodles'
"Ham & Noodles"

Zapečené Flíčky se Šunkou - zap-eh-cheenee fleetch-key se shoon-cow
Zapečené being  Czech for 'Baked'
 "Baked spots with ham"

I found it In Grandmas Book under "Noodles with Ham"
Flíčky s Uzeninou - fleetch-key es oozen-nieneo
Flíčky being  Czech for   'Spots', Uzeninou is Check for 'sausage'
"Spots with Sausage"

Still not finding the exact word Shoonk-ee-fleky I tried Pintrest… FOUND IT!! YAY!
Šunkofleky - shoonk-o-fleky being  Czech for 'Ham spots'
Šunkafleky - shoonk-uh-fleky being  Slavic for 'Ham spots'



Bohemian-American Cook Book

Automatic Printing Company
Omaha, Nebraska
4th Edition 1947

Woman's Day Encyclopedia of Cooking

Volumes 1 - 12
Fawectt Publications Inc 1961

Cooking With Casseroles

Second Printing January 1959

No matter how you pronounce it,  Šunkafleky is a traditional  ham and noodle dish. It's typically made with eggs, cheese, and sour cream. It forms a casserole that's a little eggy, a little creamy, and a little cheesy. In these dishes the spots refer to square-shaped pasta. YUP, Šunkafleky is Ham and Noodle Casserole! Not be confused with Spotted dick, which is a traditional British baked pudding,  made with suet and dried fruit, traditionally served with custard. Available art a grocery store near you.

Baked SPAM and Noodles

I found it in my 1981 Hormel Meals in Minutes, using spam for the ham! I dressed it up to cover the mid century blandness and tested this one out on my husband and he liked it!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Course: Hotdish, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: 1981, Hormel Meat Meals in Minutes, hotdish, retrorecipe, spam, vintage
Servings: 4 Servings
Author: Julie B Wilson

Equipment

  • 1 1 1/2-quart casserole

Ingredients

Pantry

  • 12 ounces (1 can) SPAM Diced
  • 8 ounces broad egg noodles

Dairy

  • 2 tbsp butter or margarine softened
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup milk

Baking & Spices

  • 1/8 tsp pepper
  • 1 TBSP Garlic rub

Instructions

  • Break up noodles slightly. Cook according to package directions; drain.
  • I added some Pampered Chef Garlic rub to the butter, melted it together to spice up the notoriously bland flavor of the mid century.
  • Combine hot noodles, SPAM, and butter in greased 1 1/2-quart casserole; stir to melt butter and mix well.
  • Beat together milk, egg, and pepper; pour evenly over top.
  • Bake in 375°F oven 40 minutes.


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