Mock Pierogi Recipes

LAZY MAN'S PIEROGI

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Stir in onions, and cook until translucent. In a separate pan, saute the mushrooms in butter.
• In a large bowl, combine pasta, bacon, onion, mushrooms, sauerkraut and condensed soup. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into a 9x13 inch baking dish.
• Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes.

LAZY PIEROGI

Steps:

• Place the sauerkraut and onion in a large skillet over medium-low heat with enough water to cover. Simmer 1 hour, or until most of the water has cooked off.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add rotini and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
• In a medium skillet over medium heat, saute the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of the butter for about 5 minutes.
• Stir the remaining butter, cooked pasta, and cream of mushroom soup into the sauerkraut mixture. Cook and stir 15 minutes, or until heated through.

PIEROGI WITH FARMERS CHEESE (VARENIKI RECIPE)

Steps:

• Mix sugar, farmers cheese and egg, until it's fully mixed in. Set it aside.
• Whisk eggs together with sour cream, lukewarm water and milk until you get an even texture.
• To the liquid ingredients, add in flour, sugar and salt. Knead the dough by hand or a stand-up mixer until it's no longer sticky.
• Roll out the dough on a well floured surface. Using a cup, stamp out circles. Flour the cup to make it easier to cut circles.
• One by one fill your circles with filling, placing the filling in the center.
• Fold over the edges and tighten them up with your fingers, making sure it's firm enough for your filling not to fall out.
• Bring a pot of water up to boil. Add 10-20 pierogi, cook until they float up to the top. Drain and top with melted unsalted butter. Optionally, serve with sour cream, jam or sugar.Tip: If freezing the pierogi, use a floured cooking sheet or cutting board. Once the pierogi are fully frozen, move them to a ziplock bag.

PIEROGI CASSEROLE

Steps:

• In a skillet, saute onion in butter until tender; set aside. In a bowl, combine cottage cheese, egg and onion salt. In another bowl, combine potatoes, 2/3 cup cheddar cheese, salt and pepper. Place 3 noodles in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Top with cottage cheese mixture and 3 more noodles. Top with potato mixture, remaining noodles and sauteed onion. Top with remaining 1/3 cup cheese. Cover and bake at 350° until heated through, 25-30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

COMFORT PIEROGI CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Cook noodles as directed on package to al dente.
• Saute onions in 1 stick of butter (may use more if desired).
• Butter 13x9 inch pan with remaining 1/2 stick butter.
• Mix sauteed onions with mashed potatoes.
• Layer noodles, then potatoes, then cheese, and repeat, ending with cheese.
• Cover with foil and bake in a 350° oven for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted.

MOCK PIEROGI

Steps:

• Boil potatoes until tender. Drain and add cheese and butter. Mash until smooth like thick mashed potatoes. Season with salt and pepper as desired. Add a little milk if needed.
• Lightly flour a cookie sheet.
• Using one wonton skin, put one teaspoon of filling into center. Use water to wet two sides of the skin.
• Fold over and seal lightly with a fork; place on cookie sheet.
• Repeat until all the wonton skins are used. Place half of the won tons, in a single layer and not touching, into the freezer.
• Simmer the half cup of butter and onion over low heat until onions are translucent.
• Boil pierogi for about three minutes; drain. Serve with the fried onions.
• Place the frozen pierogi in an air tight bag. To use, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook them for about 7 minutes. Serve with a fresh batch of fried onions.

FREEZER-FRIENDLY LAZY PIEROGIES

Steps:

• Arrange 5 lasagna noodles in a lightly greased 13"x9" pan, set aside.
• Combine potatoes, eggs, cheese, and seasonings. Spread half of the potato mixture over lasagna.
• Cover with another 5 lasagna noodles; spread with remaining potato mixture.
• Top with remaining lasagna noodles, set aside.
• Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Saute onion in butter until tender. Pour onion mixture over lasagna.
• To freeze - cover unbaked casserole tightly with aluminum foil and freeze.
• To serve - thaw overnight in refrigerator. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

PIEROGI PASTA SHELLS

Steps:

• Cook pasta shells according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water. Place mashed potatoes in a large microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave on high for 4 minutes, stirring once. Add the minced onion, onion powder and garlic powder. Stir in 2 cups of cheese until blended., Stuff into shells. Place in two greased 13x9-in. baking dishes. Sprinkle with green onions and remaining cheese. Cover and bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 minutes longer or until heated through.

GREAT-GRAMMA'S LAZY PIEROGI

Steps:

• 1. Boil and set aside pasta.
• 2. In large frying pan cook bacon, set aside. Crumble. Same pan toss in butter melt, and saute mushrooms and onion till softened, turn pan to med, toss drained kraut in pan cook for 5 minutes to marry flavors. Add soup and bacon stir well.
• 3. Add cooked Pasta to pan stir well. Transfer to low setting crockpot and let the flavors come together for hour. Longer sits the better the flavor. Serve as main dish or side with keilbasa or protien of choice.