Pierogi Bake
The Perfect Mash Up Of Saint Patrick’s and Saint Joseph’s Day
My St. Patrick’s and St. Joseph’s Pierogi Bake is the ultimate March mashup, combining Irish corned beef with classic Polish pierogi, sauerkraut, and buttery onions in a creamy white sauce. Baked until bubbly with melty cheese on top, this cozy casserole is perfect for celebrating both holidays or using up leftover corned beef from your St. Patrick’s Day dinner.
The idea for this St. Patrick’s and St. Joseph’s Pierogi Bake came when I was thinking about how to combine two of my favorite March traditions into one cozy casserole. I live in a neighborhood with strong Polish, Italian, and Irish roots and love ethnic food mashups.
I saw a package of potato pierogi at the store and immediately thought they would make the perfect base for a creamy corned beef and sauerkraut casserole.
This easy pierogi casserole came together quickly and ended up being even better than I expected. I made it one evening and before I knew it, friends and Mr. Tipsy had gathered around the table for dinner salivating.
The entire dish was gone in a day with everyone going back for second and third helpings.
Choose Your Pierogi Wisely
For this pierogi casserole, I used frozen potato pierogi from the grocery store. I use the Kasia’s Brand Pierogi often!
I like to boil them for a couple of minutes until they float before adding them to the casserole because this helps prevent them from drying out while baking.
If you are using fresh pierogi, I still recommend boiling them briefly before assembling the casserole. A quick boil keeps the pierogi tender and ensures they cook evenly while the casserole bakes.
I used potato and onion pierogi for this casserole, but you can use any variety of pierogi you prefer. Cheese pierogi would be delicious, and varieties like meat pierogi or sauerkraut and mushroom pierogi would also work really well in this recipe.
No Stress Recipe
While boiling the pierogi, you may notice that one or two split open or fall apart. Do not worry about this because it will not affect the final casserole and you will not even notice once everything is baked together.
Simply spread the pierogi evenly in the dish and continue assembling the casserole as directed. The creamy sauce, corned beef, and sauerkraut all come together during baking, so a few broken pierogi will blend right in.
No Canned Soup!
The white sauce in this pierogi casserole is rich, creamy, and full of flavor. If you want to make it even more decadent, you can stir in 4 ounces of cubed cream cheese while the sauce is simmering, letting it melt completely into the mixture for an extra silky and indulgent finish.
Many Facebook followers will be glad to see that this recipe has an actual white sauce you make yourself instead of my favorite “go to” for creaminess, which is canned soup. If you want to take a shortcut you can sub two cans of cream of mushroom or potato soup for this recipe and whisk in two cans of milk.
Try to make this white sauce though, it is pretty simple to make. The white sauce also adds a silky and flavorful texture to this bake.
I do have a similar recipe for a Pierogi Lasagna that you also make your own sauce for. It is equally delicious , but a little bit more of a labor of love.
The Buddig Beef Again
I used packaged corned beef for this recipe because that is what I had on hand, but this casserole is also a great way to use leftovers from my Oven Baked Corned Beef recipe if you have some after your St. Patrick’s Day dinner.
You can also change up the protein by adding diced Polish sausage, smoked sausage, diced ham, cooked ground pork, or even crumbled sage breakfast sausage. Just make sure any sausage you use is fully cooked and diced before adding it to the casserole.
I Prefer Slices
I topped this pierogi casserole with Swiss cheese, which melts beautifully and pairs especially well with the white pepper and tangy sour cream in the sauce. However, you can easily use other cheeses like cheddar, mozzarella, or a blend of your favorites depending on what you have on hand.
Make It Ahead Of Time
If you want to make this pierogi casserole ahead of time, you can assemble it completely and keep it covered in the refrigerator overnight. When you are ready to bake it, let the casserole sit at room temperature for about 20 to 30 minutes, then bake as directed until hot and bubbly.
Pierogi Bake Recipe
This St. Patrick’s and St. Joseph’s Pierogi Bake is a cozy mashup of Irish and Polish comfort food with tender potato pierogi layered with chopped corned beef, buttery onions, tangy sauerkraut, and a creamy white sauce. Baked until hot and bubbly with melted cheese on top, it is the perfect hearty casserole for celebrating March traditions or using up leftover corned beef.
Ingredients
- FOR THE CASSEROLE:
- 2 packages frozen potato pierogi, about 24 pierogi
- 2 cups chopped cooked corned beef
- 2 cups sauerkraut, drained well
- 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds, optional
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss or Gruyere cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley for garnish, optional
- FOR THE WHITE SAUCE:
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup reserved water from boiling the pierogi
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the frozen pierogi for about 3 minutes, just until they float and begin to soften. Before draining, reserve 1 to 2 cups of the pierogi cooking water. Drain the pierogi and set aside.
- In a large skillet melt the 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and cook slowly until soft and lightly golden, about 10 to 12 minutes.
- Stir in the sauerkraut and caraway seeds and cook another 3 to 4 minutes so the flavors come together. Remove from heat.
- To make the white sauce, melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute to form a roux.
- Slowly whisk in the milk and 1 cup of the reserved pierogi cooking water until smooth. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Stir in the sour cream, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, white pepper, and salt to taste. If the sauce becomes too thick, thin it out with a little extra pierogi water or additional milk until it reaches a creamy pourable consistency.
- Lightly butter a 9 x 13 baking dish.
- Spread the pierogi in the dish. Top with chopped corned beef, onion and sauerkraut mixture. Spoon the white sauce over this
- Sprinkle with the Swiss and cheddar cheeses if using shredded and layer the cheese slices if using slices.
- Bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes until hot and bubbly and the cheese is melted and lightly golden.
- Let the casserole rest for about 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired.