Pierogi Lasagna

Ok — so this sounds a little whacko but I’m going to try it.  If you don’t know what a pierogi is, think wonton, or ravioli with a Polish twist.

We have made homemade pierogis but it’s a lot of work.  The dough is normally made with flour, mashed potatoes, egg, salt, and a little of the potato water.  They are normally boiled until they float, then pan fried in butter and if you’re like me a little onion until the skins get a little color on them.   Fillings for the pierogi can very quite a bit.

• Savory pierogi might be filled with potato, potato and cheese, potato and onion,  ground meat, ground meat and onion.  Such are often served with sour cream.  Or sour cream with a little milk added to make it a little more spreadable.
• Dessert pierogi might be filled with sweet cherries, or other bits of cut up ripe fruit (cut small enough to fit in the little pockets that are traditional pierogi size.  These dessert pierogi are more often served with sweet cream, or sweet cream with a little sugar dissolved into it.

I would expect that Pierogi Lasagna might be served similarly.

Lasagna noodles have no potato in them but I’m thinking this might be a much easier “fix” for my periodic Pierogi Jonesing.

Ingredients

12	lasagna noodles
⅓	cup vegetable oil
5	medium-sized onions, finely chopped (about 3 cups)
½	teaspoon black pepper
1½	cups (6 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
6	cups warm seasoned mashed potatoes, store-bought or homemade

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9- x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions; drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Saute onions 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned; reserve 1/2 cup sauteed onions for topping. Add remaining onions, pepper, and cheese to mashed potatoes; mix well.

Place 3 noodles on bottom of prepared baking dish. Spread 1/3 of potato mixture over noodles. Repeat layers until a total of 4 layers of noodles and 3 layers of potato mixture have been placed (with a layer of noodles on top). Top with remaining sauteed onions.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until heated through.

Pierogi Lasagna