PIEROGI CASSEROLES RECIPES

Steps:

• Cook the potatoes. Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan and add water to cover by 2 inches. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the salt. Cover and bring to a boil over medium heat. Uncover and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
• Drain the potatoes. Drain the potatoes and return to the pan. Place over low heat and stir for about 30 seconds to remove excess moisture.
• Rice the potatoes. Run the potatoes through a ricer or food mill into a bowl. Discard the skins. (Alternatively, peel the potatoes and mash until very smooth.)
• Stir in the cheese, cream, and salt. Stir in the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, cheese, and 1 tablespoon of the cream—the consistency should be firm enough to roll into a ball. If the filling is too dry, stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon cream.
• Whisk the egg, yogurt, and butter together. Whisk the egg, yogurt, butter, and salt together in a medium bowl.
• Stir the wet ingredients into the flour. Pour the flour into a large bowl. Pour in the egg mixture and gently stir into the flour. The dough will initially be very dry and shaggy, seeming as if it will never come together, but have no fear: Keep stirring, and it will pull itself into shape.
• Smash the dough against the sides of bowl. Once the dough starts to come together, press and smash it against the sides of the bowl with your palms, picking up dough bits and essentially kneading it within the bowl until it forms a ball.
• Knead the dough. Tip the dough and any remaining shaggy flakes out onto a clean work surface or silicone baking mat. Knead until smooth, about 1 minute .
• Cover the dough with bowl. Cover the dough with the bowl and let rest 15 minutes.
• Make the egg wash and prepare a baking sheet. Whisk the egg and water together in a small bowl. Line a rimmed baking sheet with waxed paper or parchment paper.
• Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Set aside 3 dough pieces and cover again with the bowl.
• Roll out the dough. Roll the remaining dough as thinly as possible into a rough 8 x 12-inch rectangle.
• Cut the dough into 6 rounds. Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 6 rounds of dough. If the dough isn’t quartered evenly, you may get 5 rounds from one piece and 7 from another. Resist the temptation to re-roll dough scraps for additional rounds. It seems wasteful, but the dough won’t be as tender the second time around.
• Spoon filling into the rounds. Spoon 1 teaspoon filling into the center of each dough round.
• Add the egg wash. Using your finger, swipe a very scant amount of egg wash—just a light touch—around the dough edge.
• Fold the pierogi. Fold into a half-moon shape: Either fold the dough over the filling on the work surface—I call this “the blanket”—or gently cup the pierogi in your hand in a U shape—I call this “the taco.”
• Seal the pierogi. Gently but firmly seal the pierogi by pinching and squeezing the edges together with your thumb and pointer finger. Start with one pinch at the top, then move to one “corner” of the pierogi and pinch along the edge back to the top. Repeat on the opposite side to finish sealing the pierogi.
• Transfer to the baking sheet. Transfer to the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Freeze on the baking sheet, cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 3 hours, or cook immediately.
• Cook the pierogies. Bring a 4-quart pot of water to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Add the pierogies and cook until floating, 2 to 3 minutes for fresh and 4 to 5 minutes for frozen.
• Transfer to the baking sheet. Using a spider or slotted spoon, scoop the pierogies out of the water and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer.
• Pan-fry the pierogies in butter. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add as many pierogies as will fit in a single layer without crowding. Cook, flipping once, until the pierogies are brown and crispy, about 2 minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining pierogies, adding more butter for each batch. Serve with caramelized onions.

Steps:

• For the pierogi dough: Combine the egg, butter, sour cream, chives and salt with your hands in a bowl. Don't worry if the mixture is not uniform and, as with pie dough, don't overwork it. Add the flour and mix with your hands until a dough forms. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate the dough at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
• For the filling: Put the potatoes in a large pot and cover with 2 inches of cold water. Bring to a boil. Season the water generously with salt. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until a knife easily pierces the potatoes. Drain and return the potatoes to the pot. Mash, slowly mixing in the hot cream and cold butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside. 
• Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and toss to coat with the bacon fat. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are caramelized and sweet. Let cool. 
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 13-by-9-inch casserole dish or metal pan.  
• Roll out the pierogi dough with a rolling pin on a lightly floured work surface to a 1/8-inch-thick rectangle. Cut into 4-by-13-inch strips, re-rolling the scraps as necessary. You will need 14 to 20 strips. 
• To assemble: Have the mashed potatoes, crisp bacon, caramelized onions, pasta strips and cheeses ready on a work surface. Arrange one layer of pierogi dough strips on the bottom of the buttered casserole dish, slightly overlapping the edges of the strips. Spread a 1/2-inch layer of potatoes on top of the dough. Top with some caramelized onions, bacon and a sprinkling of both Gruyere and farmer's cheese. Repeat the layers to use the remaining ingredients, finishing with the dough, followed by some Gruyere and farmer's cheese. Season the top with pepper. 
• Bake until the casserole is bubbly and the cheese on top is golden brown, about 40 minutes. Let rest 15 to 20 minutes and then serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of chives if using.