Think if this like German mac and cheese, using spätzle dumplings instead of macaroni. You can add cooked, shredded meat if you want, usually light meats, or skip it. Mushrooms are a great choice for vegetarians.
Preheat the oven to 400°F, and grease a casserole dish or ramekins.
Caramelize the onions. Heat the butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat and sauté the onions until they begin to brown on the edges. Then turn the heat to low, cover the pan, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes. Toward the end of this time, stir in the thyme and honey. When the onions are pretty and brown, turn off the heat and set aside.
You can make the spätzle while the onions are cooking. Mix all the spätzle ingredients together into a batter that should be a bit thicker than pancake batter. Bring to a boil a large pot of water and salt it well.
To make the spätzle, use a spätzle hopper—easy to get on Amazon.com for less than $20—or use a colander with wide holes. Add the batter to the hopper or the colander, hold it over the simmering water, and drip the batter into the water (if you’re using a colander, a rubber spatula will help move the batter through the holes). You’ll be making lots of little dumplings. Let them boil on the surface for a minute or two, then scoop the dumplings out with a slotted spoon and arrange them on a baking sheet to cool. Coat them with a little butter or oil to keep them from sticking together.
Make the dish by layering some spätzle, then pheasant meat, then caramelized onions, then a bit of the chopped herbs, then cheese into the casserole dish or ramekins. Shoot for at least two layers—three is better—and be sure that shredded cheese is on top.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cheese melts and begins to brown.
Notes
Once made, kasespatzle reheats well. Put portions in an ovenproof container, cover and reheat at 350°F for about 20 minutes.
Keys to Success
If you don't want to use shredded white meat, cooked mushrooms or chopped, crispy bacon or cooked ham are good options.
You can mix the spätzle with the pesto of your choice for added color and flavor. My choice would be arugula pesto or parsley pesto.