My Grandma Doris's Grumbersnitz & Kniffleys (Beef stew with noodles)

My Grandma Doris

This recipe came from my Grandma Doris. Who made the most wonderful food. I was a picky eater when I was a kid, unless we were eating at Grandma Doris's house. I think she could have served me dirt and I would have thought it was delicious.I have actually googled the name and can't find it anywhere. So I don't know the origins of  the name "Grumbersnitz & Kniffleys." What I do know is that it brings back fond memories and is simple and tasty. I love to make it for my Daddy (Grandma Doris is my Daddy's mother). He doesn't get it unless I make it for him and it brings me great joy to do that for him once in a while.

We lost Grandma Doris last year so this is my tribute to her memory. This brings her back to us every time we eat it. Ohhhhh her house always smelled so good. She was the best cook. Plus she always let us kids go bang on her organ she had in a back bedroom, and play pool on the pool table down in the basement. Oh and yard darts (before they were on the "most dangerous" list. Too bad it was lots of fun) oh and horse shoes that were way back behind her huge garden in the back yard. AAAWWWW, don't get me started on what Christmas was like at her house.  So here's to Grandma Doris and her ever lovin Grumbersnitz & Kniffleys.

Do I need to say it? You know I make more than this. This is just the recipe as she gave it to me. 

Grumbersnitz & Kniffleys

2-3 pounds beef (cut up into stew size pieces.)

flour for dredging the beef in.

salt and pepper

1 large onion, diced

2-3 potatoes, cut up into bite size pieces

1 can drained yellow wax beans (this is the only time I have ever used these beans. They look just like green beans but they are yellow.)

2 Boxes good beef stock or more. You want enough to cover the meat by 4-6 inches. Remember you will be adding other stuff to the stew. Plus an extra box or two if the broth boils away. (she never did this. Grandma Doris always used water. I just like the deep flavor it gives. The beef doesn't have to work as hard.)

1 can stewed tomatoes (Grandma Doris always served her home canned stewed tomatoes. Since I don't can, I buy the canned stewed tomatoes at the store. I know shame on me. She also never added them to the stew. She served them on the side and you just added them to your bowl if you wanted them in your stew.)

Kniffleys (recipe follows)

Salt and pepper the beef and dredge it in flour. In stock pot add a little canola oil and sear the beef over a high heat. Do this in batches if need be. After all the beef has been browned add the stock and onions. Cover and turn the heat down to a soft boil and cook till the beef is tender. I always keep extra beef stock on hand. If the stock level gets too low add more stock. 

Once the beef is tender remove it from the stock and  add the potatoes and cook till they are just tender. Start cutting the kniffleys into the broth (how many kniffleys you make is a decision you make based on how many noodles you want. We like lots of kniffleys.) Kniffleys are done when they rise to the surface. Once you have all the kniffleys you want in your stew add back in the beef and the drained yellow wax beans. Test for seasoning for salt and pepper. Cook to heat through. Serve with stewed tomatoes and crusty bread. 

I think Kniffleys are really just a form of Spaetzle. I don't know how they got the name "Kniffleys" but that is what we grew up calling them. So that is what I call them in the recipe. I can remember standing behind my Grandma Doris and watching her cut these into the boiling stew broth. I don't know I thought it was just a great thing to watch them fall into the boiling broth and then pop up all plump and yummy.


My Grandma Doris's Kniffleys


2 Cups all purpose flour
good pinch of salt (if you don't salt these well enough they will be flavorless and also make the stew work hard to have flavor.)
2 eggs
enough water to make it a loose dough. This is hard to describe in writing. I will do my best. The dough has to be thick and sticky yet not like a bread dough. It should be soft and pliable, not dry at all. If you get it too loose it will disintegrate in the broth. Too dry and they can be tough. Sorry this is the best I got.

Put 2 cups flour in a bowl and add a good pinch of salt (sorry I have never measured this. Next time I make this I will measure everything and come back and edit this recipe for you all.) then crack both eggs into the flour. I then go to the sink and turn on the cold water.  I add a little bit and stir (with a fork) like crazy to incorporate the eggs and water. I keep adding water a little at a time till I get a sticky dough that holds together. Then back at at the stew pot I take a small spoon (the small silverware spoon.) and dip it in the hot broth and then scoop the spoon half full of dough and dip it back into the simmering broth. The dough should drop off the spoon and start cooking. I continue this till all the dough is used. Then I decide if it is enough Kniffleys (for us it is never enough kniffleys. Don't be deceived by the top being covered with kniffleys. Stir the stew well to get a better idea of how many kniffleys you really have in the stew.) and then I make another batch using the same method above. I do this till my pot is full of kniffleys. You want to stir the pot after each addition of kniffleys to keep the new kniffleys that sank to the bottom of the pot from sticking till they cook and rise. The stew will not be a deep color as we don't add the stewed tomatoes to the stew instead serving it to those who want to help themselves.

Note: I use the same recipe for dumplings in my chicken and dumplings. I just add Poultry seasoning to the recipe and makes great chicken and dumplings. That recipe will be in a future post.