Time: 25 minutes

Music Selection: The Flyer Song – Tim Toupet

We love trying unconventional breakfasts and this is not something my husband or I grew up eating… however, my kids LOVE it and it is super fast, simple and healthy (dairy, vegetables, grain and you can add protein if you put a runny egg on it). There is no way to have a grumpy day after hearing the Flyer Song – even my 17 and 19 YO sons smile when it is played, even though they are trying hard to be grumpy for waking up early!

The Flyer Song (Fliegerlied): 

Released in 2008, a cover of The Flyer Song by Tim Toupet has cemented it in German Oktoberfest lore even though it’s a children’s song about animals. The full name of the song is actually “Today Is Such A Beautiful Day”, but because of the crazy dance involved the nickname “Flyer Song” has stuck.

You’ll do a lot of singing “La La La La La” & “Schwimm, Schwimm, Schwimm”, it’s the dance that really makes the Fyler Song fun. If you don’t know the words, just pay attention to the motions the kids are doing and follow along.  The song has you flying like a plane, then acting strong like a tiger, being tall like a giraffe, hopping like a kangaroo, and of course swimming. 

If interested in the English translation to the song – 

Aviator Song –

I like lying in the grass and looking up into the sky. Don’t all these clouds look funny? And an aviator flies past. Then I wave up to him “Hello aviator! “And if you’re there, too then I have the time of my life.  And I fly, fly, fly like an aviator. I’m so strong, strong, strong like a tiger. And so big, big, big like a giraffe. So tall, oh, oh, oh. And I jump, jump, jump again and again. And I swim, swim, swim over to you. And I take, take, take you by the hand, cause I like you. And I say “Today is such a beautiful day. La-la-la-la-la. Today is such a beautiful day. La-la-la-la-la. Today is such a beautiful day!”

Ingredients:

12 oz dry (or 3- 4 cups fresh) spaetzle

large pot of water (8-10 cups)

3 cups shred cheese (swiss) – although, we often use what we have in the fridge and really like adding a bit of blue cheese to one of the layers!

2 large onions, sliced thinly

¼ cup butter

Salt/pepper

Optional: 1 cup diced ham, crispy diced bacon or diced cooked leftover chicken

Breakfast version: 1 soft poached egg per person (poach for 9 – 10 minutes)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 deg F.

In large pot, boil 8 cups salted water.  Add spaetzle and cook for 16 minutes (or according to package). Drain.

In the meantime, in large frying pan, fry the onions until they are caramelized in the butter.

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In large casserole dish, butter the sides and put half of the spaetzle. Then top with ½ of the cheese and ½ of the onions. Layer on the remaining spaetzle, cheese and onions.

Tip: I like to pour a little melted butter on top at this point. AND if you want to add some protein to this dish – add some chopped ham, crispy diced bacon or diced cooked chicken at this point in one of the layers!

Place in oven and heat thoroughly – a good 20 minutes. If making this for breakfast, this is a great time to poach or fry a few runny eggs (at least one per person).

For supper, we like this as a side dish with a saucy meat, like our mushroom marsala pork tenderloin, wrapped asparagus and caprese salad!

Breakfast Tip: Make an extra large (double) helping of the spaetzle for supper and then a day or two later, make the breakfast version! For breakfast, we love heating up a big bowl of leftover onion and cheese spaetzle, and topping it with a soft poached egg – it is so delicious when the yolk mixes into the noodles!