POLISH PIEROGI CASSEROLE

I love Pierogi! I had never eaten them until I met my husband's mother so I
never knew what I was missing. I love the tender dough pockets filled with
minced mushrooms and onions, also blackberries with cream drizzled over
them for dessert Pierogis.

The problem with them is they are so time consuming to make. Plus if you are
going to make them properly you have to handle the dough very carefully or it
gets tough (kind of like pastry does) and the resulting Pierogi don't taste very
good. 

This casserole has all of the flavors of mushroom/onion Pierogi, but is very easy
to make and feeds a gob of people, which is always a big plus in my book. Please
don't be scared off by the sauerkraut in the recipe--it is thoroughly rinsed under
running water before being added, so you only taste the good flavor of it, not the
sour part of it. I promise!

I am not a big fan of eating bacon much anymore because it is just not very good
for you, but the flavor it gives this casserole is just too good to pass up. I have been
meaning to try the vegetable protein tofu fake bacon stuff, but just haven't gotten 

around to it yet. Let me know if you have a brand you like and I'll try it.

I always cut bacon up before frying it for recipes--it cooks evenly and just seems

a lot easier to me. Drain when done and reserve 2 Tablespoons to cook the onion

and garlic in.

Garlic and onion sauteing in the reserved bacon drippings

Prepared bacon, rinsed sauerkraut and sliced mushrooms--yum.

First pasta/onion/garlic/sauerkraut layer.

POLISH PIEROGI CASSEROLE

1 package Rotini pasta (24 ounces)
2 pounds sliced, cooked bacon, reserve 2 Tabl. drippings
2 medium onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 large jar sauerkraut, rinsed well and drained
2 cans cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions and rinse well with hot water.

In large skillet, saute onions and garlic until tender in reserved bacon drippings.
Add mushrooms and cook until tender. Stir in the sauerkraut and half of the
bacon.

In a bowl, combine the soups, milk, celery seed and pepper.

Place 1/3 of the pasta into a large, greased 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish. I use
the largest one I have so it doesn't overflow. Top the pasta with 1/3 of the
sauerkraut mixture and then top with 1/3 of the soup mixture. I like to sprinkle
a bit of bacon on this first layer. Repeat layers, ending with soup and sprinkle
the remaining bacon over the top.

Cover carefully with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Uncover and
bake an additional 15 minutes longer or until completely heated through. This
is delicious served with warm French bread and a green salad.