Lazy Pierogi Casserole

This twist on the classic recipe has all of the flavours of the original, without all the time consuming effort.  It was found in the book The Canadian Cookbook by Jennifer Ogle.  This recipe caught my eye since my family always loved Grandma P's cabbage rolls, but the recipe didn't get made nearly often enough.  When Twin A found a recipe for Lazy Cabbage Roll Casserole, she became a hero.  (Twin A should post this delicious recipe soon!)

This Lazy Pierogi Casserole will become one of those favorites too.  One of my earliest kitchen memories involves my Mom and my Grandma P turning our kitchen into a pierogi making factory with this crazy pierogi cutting contraption that looked like a giant cookie cutter.  Mom insists that they didn't make them that often, but it sure stuck out in my mind.

I took the Canadian Culinary Kitchen  Cookbook Series out of the library.  This series is interesting since it gives background info about each of the original recipes and how they became part of our Canadian Food landscape.  As you can see, I've flagged many recipes to try...  ambitious I know, we will see how many get made before they need to be returned to the library.

Lazy Pierogi Casserole

1/2 cup melted butter + 1/4 cup for brushing top
2 cups dry cottage cheese
1 cup ricotta
8 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, boiled and mashed (use 8 cups of leftover mashed potatoes if you want)
generous dash each of salt, pepper + paprika
9 to 12 lasagna noodles, cooked (to make 3 layers)
8 medium onions, sliced and caramelized
1 cup grated aged cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Mix together 1/2 cup butter, cottage cheese, ricotta and mashed potatoes.  Season well with sea salt, pepper and paprika.

Butter a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish.  Place a layer of noodles in dish, followed by a third of the onions then a third of potatoes.  Repeat layers, ending with potatoes.

Brush top with remaining butter and sprinkle Cheddar evenly over top.  Bake for 35 to 45 minutes.

Love,
Twin B
xoxoxoxo