In my family easy dinners meant frozen pierogies.  Melted butter with sautéed onions for the pierogies…and of course hot dogs on the side. Perhaps not traditional Polish food, but quick comfort dinner.

My college freezer always contained a box of pierogies but I was more adventurous with cooking methods and toppings.  Yet pierogies always meant family and comfort.  They are potato pillows of home.

So when gluten reared its ugly head eliminating the traditional pierogi I took it as a challenge to make something fun to eat and simple like my frozen pierogi dinners.  This casserole is a combination of comfort family dinners and my college recipe experiments. 

Apple Cider Onion Pierogi Casserole

Turn up the flavor of traditional potato and onion pierogi filling by caramelizing the onions in apple cider.  This gives a classic dish a fall flair and the casserole eliminates half the work.

Prep time: 45 minutes         Bake Time:   40 minutes

*Disclaimer: King Arthur Flour sent me a bottle of Wood’s Cider Mill Boiled Cider to review.  This is one of the recipes I created with it.*

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 large onion chopped
• 1 tablespoon boiled cider + 1/3 cup vegetable stock [or 1/4 cup apple cider + 2 tablespoons vegetable stock]
• 2 teaspoons white wine (optional to deglaze pan)

• 5 large baking potatoes
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/4 milk alternative [I like hemp milk]
• 2 tablespoons Earth Balance
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1 cup non-dairy Mozzarella cheese [I use Daiya]
• 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian spice mix (optional)
• 6 Gluten Free Lasagna Noodles [I like Tinkyada Brown Rice Noodles]

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet on medium heat.  Chop the onion into large even pieces and separate.  Add the onion to the pan and stir to cover in oil and place in even layer on bottom of pan.  You want the onions to release their juices not brown. 

2. Mix the boiled cider and stock together.  After 15 minutes add half the cider stock mixture.  Continue cooking another 15 to 20 minutes and add the remaining cider stock mixture.  Occasionally stir to prevent sticking and burning.   
3. While onions are cooking, peel and dice the potatoes.  Bring to rapid boil in a large pot of UNSALTED water on medium high heat.  Lower heat and allow the potatoes to simmer until they easily pierced with a fork.  Drain the potatoes reserving 1 cup of starchy water.  Set aside the water and return the potatoes to the pot.
4. Add the Earth Balance and hemp milk to the potatoes and smash those suckers.  Add the nutritional yeast and spices when most of the mashing is completed.  If the potatoes are too dry add some of the starchy water to thin them until they reach traditional mashed potato consistency. You will need to be able to spread them in a casserole.
5. At this point your onions should smell fabulous and be wonderfully caramelized. If you choose to deglaze the pan add the wine now.  Trust me do it…all those yummy bits on the bottom of the pan are worth the wine.  Then add the onions to the potatoes and set aside for a bit.
6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bring a 5 quart stock pan to a boil.  Add lasagna noodles but do not completely cook through.  Approximately 2/3 the time (or 10 minutes if using Tinkyada noodles) is plenty. 
7. Now is the layering.  Grease a 9×13 casserole pan…I prefer softened Earth Balance with the butter memories of my childhood but olive oil spray will do fine.  Lay three noodles in the bottom and top with a layer of mashed potato mixture.  Add Daiya cheese to the top and repeat layers.  You will have three layers in total.  I choose to mix the Daiya in with the last layer of mashed potato but it is not necessary.
   Sprinkle the Italian spice on top of casserole if you choose to use it.
8. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes until the top has browned slightly.  Remove from the oven and let the casserole cool for at least 5-10 minutes before removing a piece.  This will keep each piece in tack…otherwise dig right in.