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Why You’ll Love My Recipe
The pierogi is the perfect food, containing just about everything you could possibly want—carbs, meat, and sometimes even veggies as well! This recipe makes a pierogi casserole that has all of the flavors and warming sensations of a good pierogi while also taking almost no time to prepare!
This meal is an instant heart warmer! Full of cozy, stick-to-your ribs goodness, you’ll swear it tastes 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?
Reader Review
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!!!
Karlynn’s Recipe Notes
- Skill Level: This recipe is easy to make, just toss everything into your slow cooker and let it go!
- Total Time: You can have dinner ready in 2 hours and 30 minutes; but since you don’t have to babysit this dish, you’ll be free to take care of other things around the house!
- Variations: Even though this recipe specifies a bacon, potato, cheese and onion filling, there’s nothing keeping you from changing it up! You could add different types of meat, such as sliced kielbasa, braised beef or lamb, along with cabbage or sauerkraut; go for a more Greek flavor by using spinach and feta; or even make a dessert pierogi casserole by filling it with cherries or strawberries! Play around and make something that works best for you!
- Tools For This Recipe: You will need a slow cooker or crockpot and a cheese grater to make this recipe
What You’ll Need for Ingredients
Lasagna Noodles: This recipe calls for uncooked lasagna noodles, the kind you find in the pasta aisle for making Italian-style lasagna. You need to be careful, though, because right next to the normal lasagna noodles are often the supposedly “more convenient” no-cook lasagna noodles. Do not, under any circumstances, buy the “no-cook” variety for this recipe! They’re not only pre-cooked and then dried for convenience, but they’re made of slightly different ingredients. If you use the no-cook variety in this recipe, your casserole will turn out mushy, mealy, and more or less ruined.
Cheddar Cheese: Reach for an aged/sharp cheddar for this recipe, as the tanginess will help cut through the rich flavors of the other ingredients!
Potatoes: Reach for your everyday baking potatoes for this recipe! The best options are low moisture, starchy varieties like Russets (also called Idaho potatoes) or if you’re in the UK, King Edward or Maris Piper potatoes. Thin-skinned, waxier potatoes don’t do as good a job as absorbing fat and butter.
Bacon: This recipe calls for a pound of pre-cooked bacon. You can either follow the package instructions for cooking it in the oven, or use a package of pre-cooked bacon for added convenience!
How To Make Crockpot Lazy Pierogi Casserole
This is a quick overview of the recipe. The full list of ingredients & complete step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Mash boiled potatoes with the butter, salt, pepper and milk, until smooth.
- Mix the cheddar, ricotta, and onion powder into your mashed potato mixture.
- Fry diced onions in a pan with a tablespoon of butter until soft. Pre-cook your bacon in the oven, then cut it into smaller pieces with a knife or kitchen shears.
- Layer 3 cooked lasagna noodles into the bottom of your crockpot, then spread a cup of ricotta cheese over them. Spread 1/3 of your potato cheese mixture on top of the ricotta.
- Spread 1/3 of your bacon and 1/3 of your onions on top of the potatoes.
- Continue layering cooked lasagna noodles, ricotta cheese, potato mixture, bacon, and onions. For the final layer, you will not need any ricotta, just place the last three noodles on top, then potatoes, then bacon and onions. Cook in your crockpot on low for 2 hours.
Karlynn’s Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Crockpot Lazy Pierogi Casserole
- Melt My Heart: It might be tempting to use pre-shredded cheese for simple recipes like this one, but it’s better to grate your own! Pre-shredded cheeses have anti-caking agents added to keep the shreds from clumping together in the bag. While this doesn’t really impact how they act when you bake them as a topping, it can make them melt irregularly, leading to slightly unpleasant lumps.
- Creamy Goodness: This recipe calls for Ricotta cheese because of its smooth, creamy texture, but if Ricotta is difficult to find or too pricy for your pocketbook, you can substitute it for an equivalent amount of drained cottage cheese! You’ll get the same creamy taste, but the curds will be a bit larger and more noticeable in the final dish.
Storage Instructions
Refrigerator: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Leftovers reheat well in a moderate oven or 1 minute increments in the microwave.
Freezer: To freeze this casserole, make sure that it’s fully cooled before storing it in a freezer-safe, airtight container. It will keep in the deep freeze for up to 3 months! When you’re ready to eat it again, let it thaw in the fridge overnight and bake it in your oven at 350°F until warmed through. Sprinkle some extra cheddar cheese on top before baking if you want a little extra goodness!
More Delicious Casserole Recipes
- Looking for something rich and nutritious in pie form? Give my delicious Tomato Pie a try for lunch or dinner!
- If you’re pressed for time, or want something simple on a busy weeknight? Try my Quick Chicken and Noodles when you want an easy and customizable meal in a snap!
- My Broccoli Rice Casserole is a new twist on a classic favorite, made from scratch with a crispy topping that’ll have your whole family coming back for seconds!
I love a good casserole, especially when it tastes like a hug in a bowl! You just can’t go wrong with potatoes, bacon, onions and cheese, and the lasagna noodles provide just enough structure to keep this dish from being too soft!
Give this casserole a try, and let me know what your favorite pierogi varieties are in the comments below!
Happy Cooking!
Karlynn
Crock Pot Lazy Pierogi Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 9 lasagna noodles, uncooked , normal NOT no boiled noodles
- 8 medium baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ cup 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
- ½ 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 ½ 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 ⅓ 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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Catherine A. McClarey says
No Eastern European ancestors on either side of my family, but my hometown is fairly close to Chicago, so frozen pierogies are readily available at the supermarket (as are stuffed Italian pastas such as ravioli and tortellini). Could frozen pierogies be turned into a casserole instead?
Paulette Aigner says
Sounds good but ALOT of prep work!
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. 😄