What to serve for dinner on Fridays during Lent can prove something of a head-scratcher if you want to refrain from eating meat, but are not a fan of baked or fried seafood dishes.

Sure, you can order pizza or fill up on grilled cheese sandwiches, but that can get pretty old pretty quick. That’s especially the case when there’s so many wonderful plant-based dishes that are not only inexpensive and easy to whip up in short order, but just as filling as a meal centered around meat.

This easy casserole boasts all the great flavors of an onion-and-cheese pierogi, but none of the hassle of having to make dough from scratch, roll it out and stuff into dumplings. It’s adapted from a recipe created by celebrity chef Michael Symon, whose mother grew up in Monessen, for the Food Network.

Symon’s original recipe calls for farmers’ cheese, a semi-soft curd-like cheese with a mild, milky flavor. I substituted cottage cheese, which is a lot easier to find in your average grocery store. I also omitted bacon to make it vegetarian and used lasagna noodles instead of homemade pierogi dough.

Be sure to let the casserole dish rest for at least 15 minutes before cutting it into slices. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a soupy mess on the plate.

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Deconstructed Pierogi Casserole

INGREDIENTS

12 lasagna noodles

2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

1 cup heavy cream, heated until hot

8 tablespoons cold butter, cubed

1/4 cup chopped chives, some reserved for garnish

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 large yellow onions, thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups shredded Gruyère or Swiss cheese

1 1/2 cups cottage cheese

Sour cream, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles and rinse with cold water.

Prepare 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, about 10 minutes.

Drain and return the potatoes to the pot. Mash, slowly mixing in the hot cream and cold butter. Stir in chopped chives, then season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 13-by-9-inch casserole dish or metal pan.

In large pan, heat olive oil and add sliced onions. Toss to coat and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are caramelized and sweet, about 10 min. Let cool.

Assemble casserole: Have the cooked lasagna noodles, mashed potatoes, caramelized onions and cheeses ready on a work surface. Arrange one layer of 4 lasagna noodles 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 and a sprinkling of both Gruyere and cottage cheeses. Repeat the layers to use the remaining ingredients, finishing with the Gruyere and cottage 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 desired.
Serves 8.

— adapted from foodnetwork.com

Tribune News Service