I just LOVE onion and potato perogies! However, making the dough and forming them can be time consuming, and quite frankly a hassle! That's why i decided to forget the dough, and use noodles to make these adorable little Pierogi Lasagna Cups! These little guys are a great after-school snack for the kids, or can even be used as a dinner! BONUS: if you want to transform this dish into a casserole style dish, you can skip cutting the noodles and layer/bake it like a regular lasagna! The best part of this dish: it costsless than $10 to make! $10 home cooked dinner? Yes, yes, YES!!

NOTE: This recipe makes 12 Lasagna cups OR 1 standard casserole style lasagna.

You Need:

Chives
2 small onions
5 Tbs butter
Salt and pepper
2 cups water
1 1/3 cups potato flakes
1 8oz container sour cream
12-14 dry lasagna noodles
2in round cutter
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
12 hole muffin pan
Cooking spray

Step 1: Prep the Vegi's

Take the chives and thinly slice them until you have about 4 tablespoons and set the chopped chives aside.
Peal 2 small onions and cut them in half. Placing the flat edge facing down, cut the onions into thin strips.
Melt 3 Tbls of butter in a fry pan over medium heat.
Add the onion slivers and toss in the butter
Add a few churns of fresh ground black pepper and sea salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes. The onions should be soft and caramelized.
Remove the onions from the pan and set aside for assembly.

Step 2: Cook the Potatoes

Bring 2 cups of water and 2 Tbs butter to a boil in a small sauce pan.
Add 1 1/3 cups instant potato flakes and mix until combined.
Remove the potatoes from heat and let sit for 1 minute.
Mix in 1/2 cup of sour cream and half of the chopped chives. Set aside for assembly.

NOTE: You can use leftover mashed potatoes if you have them in the fridge. This is a great way to use up left over food and limit waste! You may need to add a bit of milk or water to soften them, but they will work just fine! You can also substitute one small package of flavored instant potatoes. If you do, add the butter, sour cream and chives to taste.

Step 3: Prep the Lasagna Noodles

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 12 sheets of lasagna noodles. (You may want to cook a few extra in case you accidentally rip one, or you don't get 6 full circles out of each strip described in (4.).) Cook for 12 minutes or until tender.
Drain and rinse the noodles with cold water to stop the cooking process and make them cool enough to handle.
Take 6 noodles and cut them in half lengthwise. These will be the edges to your cups.
Using the remaining 6 noodles, cut out 6-2in circles from each noodle using a 2in cookie cutter, or another 2in round shape. I used a 2in bottle top. You will need 36 circles in total and they will serve as your layer noodles.

Step 4: Assemble the Pierogi Lasagna Cups

Spray a 12 hole muffin pan with cooking spray.
Take one long strip of noodle and wrap it around the edge of the muffin hole, overlapping the edges.
Take one pasta layer and press it into the bottom of the hole.
Add a small scoop (about 1/2 Tbs) of potato mixture and press it into the cup.
Top the potato with a few onions, a sprinkle of cheese and top with another pasta circle. Press down to allow the ingredients to spread out and fill the cup.
Repeat steps 4 and 5 one more time and top the pasta circle with one last sprinkle of cheese.

NOTE: If you want to make a traditional casserole, simply layer the noodles and ingredients in a sprayed rectangular casserole dish. You may need to cut the noodles to fit. Layer the lasagna in the same fashion as the cups: noodle, potato, onion, and cheese. Repeat and top with one more layer of noodles and cheese.