Loaded with bacon, onions, potatoes, and cheese, this lazy pierogi casserole is the tastiest thing next to a real pierogi! An instant heart warmer, this meal will taste just like your grandmother made it, even if she never actually made Pierogies!
For more classic meal-inspired casseroles, why not make this recipe for Classic Chicken Divan? Or try this recipe for Classic Cheesy Chili Loaded Frito Pie instead?
Crock Pot Lazy Pierogi Casserole
Pierogies are a classic Eastern European food for a reason. Like Cornish pasties and British pies before them, the pierogi is the perfect little piece of food, containing pretty much everything you could possibly want – carbs, meat, and sometimes even vegetables as well!
Of course, they are even better than pies because they are so small that you get to eat a dozen of them at a time!
This recipe makes a pierogi casserole that has all of the flavors and warming sensations of a good pierogi but skips a lot of the arduous work that goes into making them in the traditional style. It is filled with basically everything good in life (namely, bacon, potatoes, and cheese) and takes almost no time to prepare, making it the perfect comfort dinner for a cold, depressing winter evening.
Crock Pot Lazy Pierogi Casserole Ingredients
Make sure you look at the recipe card at the very bottom for the exact amounts so that you know exactly what to buy for this recipe.
• Lasagna noodles, uncooked
• Medium baking potatoes
• Milk
• Butter
• Cheddar cheese
• Salt & pepper
• Onions
• Butter
• Ricotta cheese (low fat)
• Onion salt
• Bacon
How To Make Crock Pot Lazy Pierogi Casserole
• Cook the lasagna noodles according to the package instructions
• Drain them and then rinse them under cold water to stop them from drying out
• Grease the inside of a large crockpot
• Peel and then dice the potatoes, place them into a large pot of water and bring to a boil, cooking until they fall apart when pierced with a fork
• Drain the potatoes and place in a large bowl
• Mash in the butter, salt, pepper, and milk, continuing to mash until the potatoes are smooth
• Mix in the shredded Cheddar cheese
• Stir in onion salt into the ricotta cheese and set aside
• Place the bacon on a large foil lined cookie sheet and bake in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes, or until cooked but still soft
• Slice the three onions and fry in a pan with the tablespoon of butter until soft
• Cut the bacon with kitchen shears or using a knife
• Place the lasagna noodles onto the bottom of the crockpot
• Spread one cup of ricotta cheese on top of the noodles
• Spread 1/3 of the potato cheese mixture on top of the ricotta
• Spread one-third of the bacon and one third of the onions on top of the potatoes
• Place another three noodles on top and repeat layers
• For the last layer, place the final three noodles on top, and then the potatoes and then the bacon and onions, without ricotta cheese
• Cook in the crock pot on low for 2 hours
Can You Use No-boil Lasagna Noodles For This Recipe?
This recipe calls for some uncooked lasagna noodles, the kind you find in the pasta aisle designed to make Italian-style lasagna.
You need to be careful, though, because right next to the uncooked, normal lasagna noodles is the supposedly more convenient no-cook lasagna noodles.
Do not, under any circumstances, buy lasagna noodles labeled as “no-cook!” These noodles are not only pre-cooked and then dried for convenience, but they are made of slightly different ingredients and have a subtlety different flavor profile.
If you use no-cook noodles in this recipe, your pierogi casserole will be mushy, mealy, and pretty much ruined.
Could You Use Other Pierogi Fillings For This Casserole?
Bacon, potatoes, cheese, and onions are the ultimate stereotype of pierogi fillings, and for a good reason. There is just something magical about that combination that leaves you feeling full, warm, and satisfied.
However, even though this recipe specifies that filling, there is nothing stopping you from changing it up and making this casserole with different fillings!
Alternatives might be some different types of meat, such as braised beef or lamb, along with something like cabbage, or even sauerkraut!
You could make it a bit more Greek by using some spinach and cheese, or even make a dessert pierogi casserole by filling it with cherry or strawberries!
Definitely use this recipe as a template and play around with it and make something that works for you!
Looking for more delicious Casserole recipes? Try these out:
Happy Cooking
Love,
Karlynn
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Crock Pot Lazy Pierogi Casserole
Ingredients
- 9 uncooked lasagna noodles normal NOT no boiled noodles
- 8 medium baking potatoes peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup of butter
- 2 cup shredded old Cheddar cheese
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 3 onions chopped
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 cups low fat ricotta cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon onion salt
- 1 pound bacon
Instructions
- Cook the lasagna noodles according to the package instructions. Drain, rinse under cold water and set aside.
- Grease the inside of a large crockpot.
- Peel and dice the potatoes. Place in a large pot of water, bring to a boil and then cook until they fall apart when pierced with a fork.
- Drain the potatoes and place in a large bowl.
- Mash in the butter, salt, pepper and milk, and continue mashing the potatoes until smooth. Mix in the shredded Cheddar cheese
- Stir 1/2 tsp onion salt into the ricotta cheese and set aside.
- Place the bacon on a large foil lined cookie sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes, until cooked but still soft (or cook in a pan on the stovetop).
- Slice the three onions and fry in a pan with the tablespoon of butter until soft.
- Cut the bacon with kitchen shears or cut it into smaller pieces with a knife.
- Place 3 lasagna noodles onto the bottom of the crockpot.
- Spread one cup of ricotta cheese on top of the noodles.
- Spread 1/3 of the potato cheese mixture on top of the ricotta.
- Spread one third of the bacon and one third of the onions on top of the potatoes.
- Place another three noodles on top and repeat layer.
- For the last layer, place the final three noodles on top, then potatoes and then bacon and onions, no ricotta cheese.
- Cook in the crockpot on low for 2 hours.
Jenneke says
Can this be made in the oven?
Linda says
Just wondering what is so easy about this? Seems like a lot of steps to me.
Rhonda says
Holy cow!!!! Made this tonight and let me tell you…..yummmmmmmy!! It tasted like my grandma’s (Polish) pierogies!!! Thank you for sharing this recipe! It’s a keeper!!!
Jeannine Parent says
Even America’s Test Kitchen agreed that cottage cheese is by far tastier than bland ricotta. So also say the Ukrainians in my family. 😄