
Every week we’ll post a recipe that we both made. This week’s recipe was Pierogi Casserole. Printable recipe can be found at the bottom of this post. The recipe was submitted by reader Jamie.
Robyn’s Take:
Jamie reports that she got the original recipe for this casserole from a cookbook her mother’s law office (in Canada) puts out every few years, but that she’s changed the original recipe a lot. When she submitted this recipe, I was all about trying it. Because guess who’s never actually HAD pierogies? That’s right, as far as I can recall, I’ve never had a single pierogi. I mean, Nance can apparently make them in her SLEEP, and I’ve visited her like 3,000 times, but has she ever actually made them for me? NO, SHE HAS NOT.
Why you hate me, Nance?
Anyway, when I actually got around to making the pierogi casserole, I was a little overwhelmed with all the different layers, but once I actually started doing it, it came together easily, and worked out like it was supposed to. Pretty much what it is, is a mashed potato/bacon/onion/cheese lasagna.
Your ingredients:
Lasagna noodles (the ones you have to boil, not the oven-ready ones!), flavored instant potatoes, cut-up bacon, diced onion, minced garlic, shredded cheddar, cottage cheese, one egg, dried chives, green onions, and a package of Kraft dinner cheese powder.
Now, I don’t know if Kraft sells their cheese powder in a packet by itself, but I certainly couldn’t find that anywhere in the store, so I bought a box of Kraft Mac & Cheese, and just used the powder from the box.
First thing, boil your lasagna noodles.
While that’s going on, fry the bacon, garlic, and yellow onion over medium heat until the onion is cooked through (about 8 – 10 minutes).
And also, make your instant mashed potatoes.
In another bowl, mix the egg and dried chives into the cottage cheese.
When the lasagna noodles are done, drain them. I didn’t get a picture of it, but once they were drained, I set each noodle down, flat, on parchment paper on the counter, so that the noodles wouldn’t stick together.
And when the bacon, garlic and onion are done cooking, add HALF of the mixture to the instant mashed potatoes, along with the powdered cheese.
So, to sum up: before you start putting your casserole together, you have:
ONE bowl with cottage cheese/egg/chives mixed together.
ONE bowl with instant mashed potatoes/powdered cheese/half the bacon/onion/garlic mixture, mixed together.
Cooked lasagna noodles.
Half the bacon/onion/garlic mixture still in the pan.
And a packet of cheese over on the counter, minding its own business.
Grease a 9×13 pan (I used Pam), and cover the bottom with a layer of lasagna noodles.
Spread 1/2 of the potato mixture on top of that.
On top of that, another layer of noodles. Then the entire bowl of cottage cheese mixture on top of THAT, and the shredded cheddar on top of the cottage cheese.
Another layer of noodles, the rest of the potatoes, and the last layer of noodles on top of that. Top the noodles with the rest of the bacon/garlic/onion mixture, and then sprinkle the chopped green onions on top of it all.
Chef Tony says “This very complicated, lady.”
What it looked like before it went into the oven.
And after it came out.
I let it cool for 15 minutes, and then we ate.
(Note: I didn’t have any sour cream on hand, but I think it would have only enhanced the experience.)
The verdict? It was good! Jamie referred to it as comfort food, and it very much was. Fred didn’t enjoy it as much as I did, but he ate it a couple of times, so he certainly didn’t HATE it.
The things I would do differently: I’d probably cut the lasagna noodles into smaller pieces because getting the pieces out of the pan was a pan. Also, next time I’ll use the herb and butter instant potatoes that Jamie suggested, because I got the roasted garlic ones, and HOLY MOTHER OF GOD, all the vampires in a 30-mile radius turned and fled en masse. That was some garlicky-ass shit, right there. I mean, I love garlic, but I don’t love smelling it coming out of my pores for two days afterward, thanks.
In summation: two thumbs up from me, one and a half thumbs up from Fred, definitely comfort food, and I recommend it. Thanks for the submission, Jamie!
“Once again, Chef Tony not get to eat ANY of it. Y’all are some onion-eating motherfuckers.”
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Nance’s Take:
Truth Game: I discussed this recipe with Robyn last week. If by discussed you mean that I sent Robyn an email asking her if she actually followed this recipe. She replied that she had followed the recipe and I told her that was a good thing because I wasn’t going to. Translation: I didn’t want to listen to the family bitch.
My happy ass knows some shit about pierogies. I grew up eating and making pierogies so I can’t be playing when it comes to these things. We take our pierogies as seriously as we take our football team and yunz know how we are about our Steelers!
We have on very rare occasions made up a pierogi casserole/lasagna, but the truth is, it’s not even close to eating real pierogies. It is, however, a great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes. Our recipe is very simple. Noodles, mashed potatoes, cheese. Bake.
My God, this babydoll is getting old! But I can still count on her to be in the middle of the kitchen floor when I have some cooking to do!
I had good intentions when I started – that’s why I got the big pasta pot out. I took a picture before I noticed that I didn’t have much water in it.
Turns out that it didn’t really matter since I only had a few lasagna noodles in my house. Sigh.
I decided to use a bread pan in place of a casserole dish since I only had 5 motherfucking lasagna noodles.
I sprayed the shit out of that bread pan with cooking spray because I didn’t want to clean up a mess. Then I threw one cooked noodle in there and slapped some potatoes in it.
Spread the mashed potatoes all over the noodle and sprinkle with way too much cheese.
Keep repeating until you hit the top.
I baked it until my need to eat transcended my need to make it look good.
I know this looks horrid and let me tell you why…
I willingly poured melted butter all over this shit because I lost my damn mind. The reason for the butter was because real pierogies are boiled and then fried in butter and onions. I didn’t want to mess with onions, but I thought I would try just throwing some butter in there. Don’t do that. If you want to fry some onions in butter and layer them on top of the noodles go ahead. Just don’t be a dumbass like me.
Between the melted butter and the greasy cheddar cheese this was probably the grossest thing I ever ate. Don’t do that. EVER.
You can barely see it, but even Sadie was giving me the side-eye.
Since I half-assed this recipe I promise that Shirley and I will take a day to make real pierogies and I’ll post it on DCEP. This way everyone can know the joy that is stuffing your piehole with our family’s version of soul food.
- 12 lasagna noodles (don't use oven-ready)
- 2 packs of flavored instant potatoes
- 8 slices of bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 T minced garlic
- 1 pkg of Kraft dinner cheese powder (I used the packet of cheese from a box of Kraft Mac & Cheese)
- 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 c. cottage cheese
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp dried chives
- 4 green onions, sliced
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9x13" baking dish with cooking spray.
- Boil the lasagna noodles according to directions on the box. Drain and set aside.
- Over medium heat, fry bacon, garlic and onion until the onion is transparent, about 8 - 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl, make both packages of instant mashed potatoes. Mix in powdered cheese and half of the bacon/onion/garlic mixture.
- In a medium bowl, mix 1 egg and chives with the cottage cheese.
- Place a layer of noodles in the bottom of the baking dish.
- Top with ½ of the potato mixture.
- Add another layer of noodles.
- Spread with all of the cottage cheese mixture, and sprinkle with shredded cheddar.
- Add another layer of noodles.
- Top with the rest of the potato mixture.
- Add the last layer of noodles.
- Sprinkle the rest of the garlic/onion/bacon layer across the top, and top that with the sliced green onions.
- Cover with tin foil.
- Bake for 25 minutes, then uncover and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
- Let cool for 10 - 15 minutes before serving.
- Serve with sour cream, if desired.
Also, we need a haluski post!
Yes, PUHLEEZEEE!!!!!
Annette, you already know how to make haluski, don’t even try it. 😉
Nance, I never even heard of haluski until you and Robyn spoke of it. I swear.Maybe my relatives and friends’ relatives are from another part of Poland? I’d like to try it. I’ve never tasted it.
It’s only fried cabbage, onions and noodles (in butter, of course). I’ll try and make it this weekend so it can be an entry.
Dude. There is no way I’m going to find cheap cabbage this time of year and Shirley has a SHIT-FIT if it’s more than 45 cents a head. LOL
I’ll try. Actually that sounds pretty good. 😉
Halushki! Halushki! Halushki! Woot Woot! 🙂
Haluski is the shits! 😉
Chef Tony has killed me dead. DEAD, I tell you.
Call it a case of Monday Morning, or a lack of caffeine, or just a plain reading comprehension problem, but I kept reading through the recipe for the time when actual pierogi would appear. Did my brain assume that the lasagna noodles were to be used as a makeshift pierogi casing? Yes. Did I assume that actual pierogi would be layered into some sort of casserole? Yes. Am I an idiot for not realizing that a casserole fashioned out of layers of pierogi would more simply be called a dish of pierogi? Yup.
I has a sad… and a craving for real pierogi with every kind of filling. And since I don’t have time to drive to Hamtramck (our ethnically Polish area of metro Detroit), I will anxiously await the real pierogi post.
Thank goodness Chef Tony and Sadie were here to cheer me up 😉
Weird fact: I cannot stand any other pierogi except cheese/potatoes and I don’t understand why because I LOVE sauerkraut so those should be my favorites. My life=confusion.
We call them perogies here, but they’re the exact same thing I believe! I love Sadie (as you know) and her muzzle and my Rafi’s are looking exactly the same.
I think there are a zillion different spellings for it, Cathy – I went with what Nance said I should use. 🙂
Way to throw me under the bus, Robyn.
On Wikipedia there are 3,532 different ways to spell it. As long as they are little dumplings full of goodness, who gives a shit, right?
PS: I knew you’d appreciate seeing Sadiekins. 😀
Exactly!! Potatoe potato!! Just load em up with sour cream and bacon and we’re good to go!!
Man, you just made me hungry for loaded baked potatoes and now I think I’m going to have to make that a thing…dinner tomorrow night is gonna be a heart attack. 😉
I’ve never MADE perogies from scratch but I LOVE them and eat them quite often. My friend has a similar, simpler recipe-no garlic, no meat. I love that too. I agree,Nance, this is Polish soul food!!! I can buy fresh ones at a local Polish deli but I’ll even eat the frozen ones. Perogies and sour cream is food of the gods.
I bought fresh “gourmet” ones one time – Holy hell, they sucked so bad. We actually like Mrs. T’s if we don’t have any homemade ones around.
I like the classic potato and cheese and I think Mrs. T’s are very good. We like their four cheese ones too. My parents made them once with fresh deer meat (they live next door to a hunter’s lodge in the pineland boonies). I wouldn’t go try them because ewww meat perogies. My husband likes the sour kraut ones too. A friend with a half Polish husband(I’m half too-my dad is 100%) likes the fruit ones for breakfast with powdered sugar. I tried them-meh. I’m with you-potato and cheese are the best.
I love Mrs. T’s-I bowl them up and have them with a bit of sour cream, so good! I would love to try homemade ones though…
Clearly I need to actually look for pierogies at the grocery store and give them a try, because y’all are making them sound goooooood.
Ummm, what if you left the powdered cheese out? Or is there a real cheese substitute? I am a total Cheese Ho (I’ve had to be stopped from throwing myself into the cheese display in many a fine food market) and the artifical powdered stuff gives me the willies, just thinking about it. (And I’m also too frugal to buy a box of mac and cheese just to get it.) Otherwise everything in this yells YUMM to me!
And tell the truth – how long did the hat actually stay on Chef Tony’s head?? 🙂
I think I’d probably just substitute more shredded cheddar for the powdered cheese – maybe 1/4 – 1/2 cup? I don’t think the powdered cheese added a lot to the taste, but it’s entirely possible that it was drowned out by the garlic!
That hat stayed on Chef Tony’s head for longer than you’d think. I’m starting to think he has no feeling on top of his head, because he never seems to much notice that that there’s anything there when we hat him up!
It’s all the padding in his head from the marshmallow fluff – he can’t feel a thing!
I’m right there with you and the cheese love. I don’t even want to discuss how much hot pepper cheese I’ve eaten in the last week alone. My poor body. And the box of mac and cheese flips me out because I can’t believe how expensive they are now. I used to pay 33 cents for them and I’m not that old (YET).
Yummmm pepper cheese… I went to a Christmas party Saturday and hovered farrrr too long over the gouda and Brie! 🙂
I’ve wanted to try making baked brie for years now. Maybe this is the year I’ll actually do it!
Oh it is so easy!! I make them all the time, really all you need is a sheet of puff pastry and something sweet (jam, etc) and maybe nuts to put on top of the brie before you wrap it. My favorite is a Paula Deen recipe, where you put the brie round on the pastry sheet and gather the top and tie it with kitchen twine. It looks like a pretty package! If they haven’t totally banished her from The Food Network’s website, you should find the recipe there.
Yay yay yay yay! I haven’t even read past the title yet – but I’m excited for this one!! I’ve been wanting to try any sort of pierogi recipe. yay! All right – now to actually go read the recipe and see if (a) I’d like it, and (b) if either of y’all liked it! 🙂
OMG, you said Kraft Dinner. How Canadian of you!
It came from a Canadian cookbook initially, I was just going along with that! 🙂
I’m from Indiana and we always called it Kraft Dinner
I’ve never called it Kraft Dinner. I didn’t know that was a Canadian thing. 🙂
We even shorten it to KD!!
You guys are weird. We just called it Mac n Cheese.
Seconding the Kraft Dinner from Indiana. Mac n Cheese = Kraft.
let that be a lesson to you….follow the directions, success. screw around and gross out everyone 🙂
I know, right? But do you think I’m going to learn my lesson? NEVER. That would be too un-Nance like. 😀
As an honorary Polack our pierogi are mashed potatoes, sauerkraut and bacon. No cheese and they are fried in bacon grease. Holy heart attack but a Christmas tradition. Excuse me while I swallow back my drool.
OMG, that sounds FABULOUS. I may have to mix some things up when I make my next batch. I love how you added “fried in bacon grease” – YUMMMMMmmmm.
I had zero idea that pierogi ever contain sauerkraut! I always thought they just had potatoes in them. The things I don’t know! (I blame Nance for my pierogi ignorance.)
Oh man. Now I needs to go to the grocery store for chives, instant mashed taters, and cottage cheese. RIGHT the hecks now! Oy vey this looks (and sounds) good. (I have this urge to add some ham also just cause.)
Dooooo iiiiitttt (the ham, I mean!)
I didn’t bother telling Robyn, but damn, hers looks great and I may have to try this recipe out for reals. Except for the onions/chives whatever on top. I hate chives. Blech.
That’s green onions on the top, and those things are annoying, ’cause they’re such a pain to cut.
Kraft does indeed sell that orange powdered cheese in a can, similar to the parmesan cheese in a can. But damn, it’s hard to find! They market it for popcorn, but I love it in my scrambled eggs, and I always add extra to the Kraft Mac and Cheese mix when I make it for my grandkids. When I do find it, I buy like 5 or 6 cans at a time. I can only imagine what the checker must be thinking!
Barb, what do you suppose it’s made of? And now I’m going to be on a freaking hunt for that stuff now that you said you like it on scrambled eggs.
I do know that they sell Chef Boy R Dee Pizza Sauce separately (which I love)…but it’s hard to find too. Grocery shopping is going to turn into a scavenger hunt for me now. Thanks!
Psst… I googled “Kraft cheese powder” and came up with loads of places to purchase online (including by the pound at Amazon). One site is selling a FIVE POUND BAG (?!) for a mere $30. FIVE POUNDS of cheese powder! Could one use five pounds of cheese powder before it goes bad? Does cheese powder go bad?
I’m thinking that cheese powder is very much like bottled bacon bits – they never go bad because they have nothing real in them. 🙂 (Knowing this does not stop me from eating both readily…)
I don’t think I would eat this, because I have a phobia of hot (and cold) cottage cheese. (CURDS.) I will eat the hell out of some Mrs. T pierogis though. Potato and cheese with sour cream on the side.
Always wanted to try Pierogis but had no idea what to do with them, how best to serve them, if frozen ones are any good, blah, blah, blah. I will try Mrs. T’s first and get the cheese and potato style. Thanks so much for teaching me about pierogis everybody. I guess I have been missing out.
I remember pegorii’s at the church festivals growing up. I don’t know that my Grandma made them,but my Grandpa was Polish so maybe she did. I just love hearing about food that is a part of me!! Your family looks like they had a great time!
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