Yinzerella’s Lazy Pierogie Casserole

pierogie todayIt’s going to snow here today. I don’t know how much, but snow is in the forecast. And when snow is in the forecast, there is nothing better to eat than a big, stick-to-your ribs, comfort food casserole. And when it comes to comfort foods, two of the best are pierogis and lasagna.

There are a lot of pierogi casserole/lasagna recipes out of there, but they are typically just potato and cheddar. But me, the Pittsburgh girl that I am, I like all of the pierogi. And I love a combo platter. So I decided to make my own version that combines the classic potato-cheese with the cottage cheese pierogi and the sauerkraut pierogi; as well as have that sauteed-in-onion and butter flavor.

OK, now this recipe might not be that lazy because there are a lot of steps to this recipe (duh, it’s a lasagna), but it’s definitely less work than if you were to make your own dough and filling.

Yinzerella’s Lazy Pierogi Casserole

  • 1 bag of mashed potatoes, prepared (4 – 4.7 oz bag makes about 2 cups)
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • lasagna noodles (I used 10 noodles)
  • 4 slices bacon (turkey or pork)
  • 1 cup drained sauerkraut
  • 2 tbsp butter/margarine
  • 1 Vidalia onion, sliced
  • 1 cup cottage cheese
  • 1 egg
  • garlic powder
  • black pepper
  • paprika

 Cook noodles per box instructions and drain (I have found that to get lasagna noodles that don’t disintegrate, under-cook them and remove them from the water using tongs instead of just dumping the pot into the colander).

lasagna noodles

Mix cottage cheese, sauerkraut, egg, and black pepper. Set aside.

pierogie casserole

Cook bacon. Remove bacon from pan. Add butter to pan. Cook the sliced onions in butter and bacon grease until soft. Set aside.

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Crumble the bacon into bits.

Combine the prepared mashed potatoes with the cheese, bacon bits, and garlic powder.

pierogie casserole

And, yes, I did add bacon to the potato-cheese mixture. I know that would probably upset some pierogi purists, but what can I say? I am sometimes a bit of a rebel.

Layer the casserole: noodles, sauerkraut/cottage cheese mix, noodles, potato-cheese mixture, noodles, and then top with the onions. Sprinkle the top of the casserole with paprika.

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pierogie casserole

Bake casserole in 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes or until edges start to get crunchy.

TA-DA!

Pierogie Casserole

This casserole was delightful. Absolutely delightful. And it totally tasted like pierogis that were sauteed with onion (the crispy edges are key!).

I highly recommend this the next time you need a little comforting by way of bacon, potatoes, and cheese. Or if you’re an expat Yinzer and looking for a little slice of home.

wtae
Is Don Cannon still alive?

Speaking of yinzers and all things Pittsburgh…I heard a rumor that WTAE’s own Sally Wiggin is a secret Patriots fan. Seriously. She’s rooting for the Pats on the down-low.

WTF, Sally? You host a show called “Black & Gold Primetime.” Black and gold, Sally! Black. And. Gold.

I get it–you’re not originally from Pittsburgh, so it’s not like they need to be your #1 team, but the Patriots? THE PATRIOTS?

This is especially disgusting in light of yet another Pats cheating scandal. I don’t care how traditionally handsome Brady is, he’s a stupidhead with a stupid face. And Bill Bellicheat and his Flashdance sweatshirts can suck my deflated balls.

 

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13 thoughts on “Yinzerella’s Lazy Pierogie Casserole

  1. Yeah, I live in a pierogi-free zone (Omaha) now. I don’t know how the schools raise money if they don’t have “Pierogi-Day”, but fresh ones just aren’t available here. I make them sometimes, but I really like the idea of your casserole. The lazy-pierogi in Chicago was broad egg noodles, cottage cheese and potato all mixed together like mac and cheese. It was OK but yours looks fantastic.

    Yeah, he is a stupid head with a stupid face, and the few seconds I caught of the press conference on the radio made me glad I didn’t have to look AND listen to him. Liar liar pants on fire, etc. etc.

  2. Love it! I have never heard of this casserole – guess it didn’t make it to the Midwest years ago, but sounds like an extravaganza and absolutely delicious! Thanks for sharing it!

  3. Wow–as many Polish people as there are in St. Louis (and also in my neck of the woods in St. Louis County), I can’t believe I’m just NOW noticing all of the Polish food that’s been around me forever! (Or the fact that there’s a company that specializes in Polish food two streets over from my house! Where have I been for the past 37 years?!)

  4. Yay… a new post, and it’s got Pierogie’s! I may have to try this, as making Pierogie’s from scratch is quite a chore! Na zdrowie!

  5. Love the pierogi casserole – I might need to make that! My husband’s people are Polish and I make him a Pierogi-like dish called Poor Man’s Pierogies. Chop and cook up a pound of bacon, drain the fat, then add in a few chopped up onions, saute that all together until the onions are cooked, then add in a large jar of drained sauerkraut, season with salt, pepper and sweet paprika, and let it cook for a while. Separately, cook up a big bag of egg noodles, drain it, and toss it with some butter. Mix the whole thing together and enjoy! Tastes just like sauerkraut/bacon pierogi.

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