Baked Pepper Pierogie Casserole

Are you looking for an easy and a crowd pleaser of a casserole?  This is the dish to fall back on. You just need a couple of packages of frozen pierogies thawed or better yet some homemade ones if available and pour your favorite marinara or pasta sauce over it.  For more flavor throw in some sausages and green or red or yellow peppers and you are good to go to your next pot luck.

I happen to have some homemade pierogies that I bought from our church. The cheese potato filling was prepared by Sharon Torick and the dough from Sharon's recipe was made by volunteers from our church who mixed the ingredients, flattened out the dough, shaped them into circles and crimped the edges. Another group boiled the pierogies, drained them and packaged them for sale as a fundraiser.  We made about two hundred dozens in two days as a group.  I actually made the circles. Here are some photos from the pierogie making party (it is always a party when women and men from our church gather!).

These homemade pierogies are good cooked in butter topped with sauteed onions but I wanted a healthier way to serve them and I came up with this recipe.  Note no butter was used and vegetables were added plus nutritious good old tomatoes.

I brought this to a pot luck and the guests gave it a thumbs up.  I might add my picky taster, my husband Bob, gave the big OK too.

Baked Pepper Pierogie Casserole

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 green pepper, sliced
• 1 yellow or red pepper, sliced
• 1 onion, sliced
• 3 pieces smoked sausage, cut into cubes (about a cup) (optional)
• 24 potato cheese pierogies (homemade or from a package)
• 1-24 oz jar marinara or pasta sauce
• cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Heat the oil in a saute pan at medium heat. Add the pepper and onion in the heated oil in the pan and saute till the vegetables are crisp.  

Spray a 13 x 9 glass pan or other casserole dish with cooking spray. Distribute the pierogies on the casserole dish.  Pour the marinara or pasta sauce over the pierogies.  Distribute the sauteed vegetables and sausage cubes (if using). Cover the dish with aluminum foil.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.