I have never, before this meal, eaten a pierogie.
I don't know why... I just don't think we ever had them growing up, which means they weren't something I actively sought out in my own cooking.
That will change, though, because this Cooking Light meal was too good to leave as a one-hit wonder. It's been popping up throughout my food blog world, and for good reason. This was barely enough for all four of us, though; next time I will double.
Cheesy Bacon Pierogie Bake
barely adapted from Cooking Light
- 1 (16-ounce) package frozen potato and onion pierogies (such as Mrs. T's)
- Cooking spray
- 3 slices turkey bacon, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/3 cup (3 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
- 1/2 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup thinly diagonally sliced green onions
- 1 tomato, seeded and diced
1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Arrange the pierogies in an 11 x 7-inch glass baking dish coated with cooking spray. Cook bacon in a saucepan over medium heat until crisp; remove from pan. Set aside.
3. Add garlic to drippings in pan, and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add 1/3 cup cream cheese to pan, and cook for 1 minute or until cream cheese begins to melt, stirring frequently. Gradually add chicken broth to pan, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Pour the cream cheese mixture evenly over pierogies. Top evenly with 1/2 cup cheddar cheese. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until bubbly and thoroughly heated. Remove from oven, and sprinkle with bacon, green onions, tomato, and pepper.
Yum! There are so many ways to eat pierogies. My favorite way to cook them at home is sauteing them in a large pan with butter, oil, onions and bell peppers. I have also baked them like you did, but in a shallow pan (I like my pierogies to get a little crispy), diced tomatoes, and whatever veggies I have on hand. After baking, a sprinkle of Parmigiano goes a long way.
ReplyDeleteIf you want something to splurge on. Try deep frying them until golden brown and dipping in soup cream! Those are to die for!
Great job with these!
I wasn't introduced to pierogis until I married into a Polish family. I love them - so yummy. I'm definitely printing this because I know any combination of pierogis and bacon will be a hit with Mike!
ReplyDeleteWe love pierogies around here, I always have them in my freezer. Your dish came out so pretty (unlike mine, where I took the pictures after serving. Oops). What kind of dish is that? Is it a Pampered Chef?
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