casserole

Finding simple dinner ideas for meal prepping isn’t always easy. But when it comes to freezer cooking, you can’t go wrong with a casserole! And when you combine pre-made ingredients with flavorful additions, like cheese and bacon, you can whip up a delicious and hearty dinner with just a few minutes of prep work! This freezer friendly pierogi casserole is one of those simple dinner ideas that’s perfect for meal prep because you can put it together in under 10 minutes.Pierogies have been part of my life since I was a little girl. My mom grew up in a predominantly Ukrainian community here in Canada and my brother married a girl of Ukrainian decent, so the cuisine from that region has always been common for us. Whether it was perogies, nalyshnyky (Ukrainian crepes – yum!), or cabbage rolls, these foods are a regular occurrence in our home. 

While I don’t plan to stop making regular perogies anytime soon, it’s nice to change things up once in awhile too. That’s what first intrigued me when I heard people talking about pierogy casserole. We tried it and liked it, so I found a way to make the recipe freezer friendly.

Pierogi Casserole Recipe

Ingredients:

• 16-20 frozen pierogies
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup cooked bacon, chopped
• 1/4 cup evaporated milk
• 1 can condensed mushroom soup
• salt, pepper
• 1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese

*Note that you can make this a meatless casserole if you omit the bacon or substitute imitation bacon bits.

Freezing Instructions:

1. Place pierogies, onion, red pepper, bacon, salt and pepper in large freezer bag.
2. Add the cream of mushroom soup and evaporated milk to a bowl. Whisk together the two ingredients until well combined.
3. Pour the sauce over the other ingredients in the freezer bag. Squish the bag with your hands to combine the sauce and other ingredients. Remove excess air from the bag and seal it.
4. Put the shredded cheese in medium freezer bag and seal.
5. Staple the bag of cheese to large bag above the seal and place in the freezer.

Oven Cooking Instructions:

1. Thaw the ingredients in the refrigerator.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Dump the ingredients in the larger freezer bag into the casserole dish. Top with the shredded cheese.
4. Bake the casserole for 45 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese on top is melted.

What are Pierogies Made of?

If you’ve never tried pierogies before, you may be wondering what the fuss is all about! Pierogies are dumplings filled with different filling ingredients. You can find perogies with both savory and sweet fillings, which means you can use them in a variety of recipes.

That might make you wonder, what kind of perogy is best for this recipe? Since this casserole is made with other savory ingredients, it’s important to pick a filling option that isn’t sweet. But you still have a variety of filling flavors to choose from. You could try adding these different frozen pierogi flavors to your casserole:

• classic cheddar
• 4 cheese medley
• classic onion
• loaded baked potato
• cheddar and bacon

Can You Cook Pierogi Casserole in the Slow Cooker?

Baking this lazy casserole in the oven is a great way to prepare your freezer meal. But it’s not the only method of cooking you can use to heat up your dinner. After allowing your perogy casserole ingredients to thaw, place the contents of the large bag in the bowl of your slow cooker. Top the ingredients with the cheese and place the lid on top of the crockpot.

Allow the ingredients to cook on low for 4 hours or high for 3 hours. You’ll know your casserole is finished cooking with the sauce is hot, the perogies are cooked through, and the cheese on top is melted.

Is It Better to Freeze a Casserole Cooked or Uncooked?

Figuring out the best way to store your freezer meals is one of the biggest problems new cooks face. So, if you’re wonder whether you should cook your casserole before you freeze it, you’re not alone. The good news is that you can freeze your casserole cooked or uncooked.

For faster prep work, freezing the casserole ingredients before the dish is cooked is my favorite preparation method. You can simply combine all the ingredients into a freezer bag, freeze it, and transfer everything to a baking dish when you’re ready to start cooking.

You can also cook your casserole before it goes into the freezer for quicker preparation on cooking day. If your casserole is already cooked before it’s placed in the freezer, all you have to do is reheat the meal when you’re ready to enjoy it.

Can You Put a Casserole Dish in the Freezer?

Although I love storing my freezer meals in large freezer bags because they’re great for conserving space in the freezer, it may be easier for you to store your meal right in the dish you plan on using for baking.

Whether you’re using a metal or glass baking dish, you can most likely store your dish in the freezer. Both materials are freezer-safe, making them great for freezer cooking.

But it’s important to keep in mind that you should never put a glass dish into the oven directly from the freezer. The drastic change in temperature will cause the glass to break! If you store your casserole in the freezer in a glass dish, always allow the dish to thaw before you start cooking.

How Do You Store Cooked Pierogies?

After you cook your perogie casserole, I’d be surprised if you have any leftovers! But if you do have some extra servings left after dinner is over, you can store your cooked pierogies in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They’ll stay good for up to four days. When you’re ready to reheat the casserole, simply place it in the microwave until it’s heated through.

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Pierogi Casserole

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

45 mins

 

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Ukrainian

Keyword: casserole

Ingredients

• 16-20 pierogies frozen
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 red pepper chopped
• 1/2 cup bacon cooked and chopped
• 1/4 cup evaporated milk
• 1 can condensed mushroom soup
• dash salt
• dash pepper
• 1/3 cup cheddar cheese shredded

Instructions

Assembly Instructions:

1. Place pierogies, onion, red pepper, bacon, salt and pepper in large freezer bag.
2. Add the cream of mushroom soup and evaporated milk to a bowl. Whisk together the two ingredients until well combined.
3. Pour the sauce over the other ingredients in the freezer bag. Squish the bag with your hands to combine the sauce and other ingredients. Remove excess air from the bag and seal it.
4. Put the shredded cheese in medium freezer bag and seal.
5. Staple the bag of cheese to large bag above the seal and place in the freezer.

Cooking Instructions:

1. Thaw.

2. Preheat the oven to 350° and grease a casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.

3. Dump the ingredients in the larger freezer bag into the casserole dish. Top with the shredded cheese.
4. Bake the casserole for 45 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese on top is melted.

Slow Cooker Instructions:

1. Thaw.
2. Dump the large bag contents into a Crock Pot and top with cheese.
3. Cook on low for 4 hours or on high for 3 hours.

Recipe Notes

You can make this casserole vegetarian by using imitation bacon bits or omitting the bacon from the recipe.