I remember having pierogi for the first time as an adult. I had never heard of pierogi until a friend from Poland had me try them. Her mother and grandmother made them and had taught her how to make them. She gave me the tip that using frozen pierogi from the store works well. This was good news because I was feeling hesitant about making them homemade. I still plan on trying my hand at making some homemade.
Despite mispronouncing the name for an embarrassing length of time, I developed a love for these delicious dumplings! I made a few dishes using pierogi for my family, and they really liked them as well. However, when I made this recipe, it was unanimous that this was our new favorite pierogi meal. The kielbasa adds great flavor and all together the meal is hearty and fulfilling!
Ingredients
3 boxes Cheddar Pierogi (16 oz. each) – Regular size is preferable
4 cups chicken broth
1 8 oz. block cream cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 pound kielbasa – sliced
salt & pepper to taste
Directions
Combine all ingredients in your crockpot.
Cook on high 3-4 hours, or on low 6 hours.
Oven Directions
Preheat oven to 350° F
Grease a 13×9 baking dish.
In a saucepan, combine chicken broth and cream cheese. Heat until cream cheese is melted – stir occasionally to incorporate the melting cream cheese.
Begin with a layer of frozen pierogis in the bottom of the baking dish, then a layer of kielbasa, a layer of the cream cheese sauce, a layer of shredded cheddar cheese.
Repeat the layering.
Bake for 30-45 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and beginning to look a golden brown.
Notes
• Mrs. T’s brand frozen pierogis are great, but I have only used these – other brands may work just as well.
• Serve with a fresh green salad and crusty bread.
• The mini pierogi are more bite sized but they do not hold up as well as the regular ones and tend to fall apart.
• There are other flavors of pierogi which you can try out for variation!
• The sauce for this crockpot pierogi and kielbasa casserole looks thin when it comes out of the slow cooker, but it will thicken nicely as it cools.
• Adding crispy fried onions as a garnish if you make this in a Crockpot, or added at the last five minutes of baking, add a nice crunch to the casserole.
• You can store in the fridge for up to 4 days, but it does not do well in the freezer. The dairy takes on an odd consistency, so I do not recommend freezing. That was a sad thing for me but thankfully it is not a difficult or time-consuming dish.
