KIDSEATCLEAN - Baba Chanty's Clean Gluten, Dairy and Egg Free Perogy Casserole

I've always said that I was a "BABA Before my Time".

I was very young when I started making perogies with my grandma, cheese rolls with my mom.............the list goes on. But the days of us eating dairy infused potatoes wrapped in a wheat dough shell are over. Frankly, we can't eat much of our traditional Ukrainian dishes. Sigh.

But this Baba was planning to feed 20 people for Ukrainian Christmas dinner.

So I needed a Ukrainian inspired dish that was gluten, dairy and egg free. That could be made in advance so I could actually try and visit with my guests. And that could feed a crowd.

A casserole. When all else fails make a casserole.

Perogy casserole is not a new concept. But making it dairy free was a bit of a challenge. We actually still eat butter so our version wasn't technically dairy free but it easily could  be.

This was a complete experiment and I was pretty happy how it turned out. Beginners' luck. It didn't taste exactly like a perogy but it did its job. I will make it again. And my kids liked it.

By the way, I've started a new page "KidsEatClean". A spot to save all the recipes I make for my kids. I don't actually eat most of this stuff. I do it for the kids. And my guests.

Remember, I'm a Baba at heart. We like to feed people........................and we like tradition.

This recipe takes some time to prep. So its great to make all the "layers" the day before and then just assemble and cook when you need it. Its a HUGE casserole so great for a large dinner party or pot luck. 

Baba Chanty's Clean Gluten, Dairy and Egg Free Perogy Casserole

by MamaChanty

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 1 hour

Keywords: bake side gluten-free

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Ingredients (9 x 13 pan (large))

• 10 gluten free lasagna noodles (I used brown rice noodles)
• 3 lbs potatoes
• 1/3 cup full fat coconut milk
• 2 Tbsp butter, coconut oil or dairy-free butter replacement
• 2 tsp Herbamare
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• dash white pepper
• 1/2 pound bacon
• 2-3 green onions, chopped

Dairy-Free Cheese sauce

• 2 Tbsp butter or coconut oil
• 2 Tbsp EVOO
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp organic coconut flour
• 1 Tbsp arrowroot
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• 1 tsp Herbamare of fine sea salt
• 1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk (I used almond milk)
• 4 Tbsp pure pumpkin puree
• 3 cups cauliflower florets, small (fully cooked until soft)
• 1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk (I used almond milk)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 cup Nutritional yeast flakes

Instructions

I made the mashed potatoes, cheese sauce, bacon and lasagna noodles the day before.  I refrigerated them seperately overnight and then cooked the next day. You could do it all in one day and then just reduce the cooking time if everything is still hot when you assemble.

Step 1:

Make the mashed potatoes. Boil the peeled and cubed potatoes in salted (fine sea salt) water until soft. Drain water. Add coconut milk, butter or oil, Herbamare, garlic powder and white pepper. Mash until potatoes are creamy and whipped.

Step 2:

Slice bacon into small pieces. Fry over medium heat until fully cooked but still tender. Remove from heat. Drain on a paper towel.

Cook the GF lasagna noodles according to package directions. Coat with olive oil and place on parchment paper so they don't stick together if you are preparing in advance of assembling.

Step 3:

Make the cheese sauce. Melt the butter/oil over medium heat. Add garlic and fry until softened. Add coconut flour and arrowroot powder. Stirring constantly. Add spices and yeast flakes. Let simmer for a couple of minutes before adding milk. Add milk slowly as you continue to stir. Let cook for about 2 minutes until the mixture thickens. Add pumpkin puree and cooked cauliflower. Continue cooking for a few minutes until heated through. Remove from heat and let cool. Using a hand mixer, blender or food processor puree the sauce until smooth.

Step 4:

Assemble the casserole in a well greased 9 x 13 glass baking dish.

1st layer - 5 lasagna noodles

2nd layer - mashed potatoes

3rd layer - half the cooked bacon and fresh chopped green onion

4th layer - 3/4 of the cheese sauce mixture

5th layer - 5 lasagna noodles

6th layer - 1/4 of the remaining cheese sauce mixture - spread it evenly so the noodles are fully covered otherwise they will dry out.

7th layer - top with remaining bacon and onion

Step 5:

Bake the casserole at 350 for 50 - 60 minutes. Slice, serve and enjoy.

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