Bacon Pierogie Bake

This is my 500th post! Can you believe it?! Be sure to check back tomorrow, I'm going to have a special post dedicated to my 500th post, plus a very exciting giveaway, so check back then.

Back in the day before I knew how to cook a favorite dinner of John and I's was a box of frozen pierogies, tossed with some butter, toasted up in a frying pan, topped with parmesan cheese, and served with a salad. This meal is a bit of a throwback to the old days... quite appropriate for a milestone post like this one, no?

This recipe is fabulous. I think it's meant to be served as a side dish and you most certainly could do that, but I chose to serve it as a main course with a simple light caesar salad. I loved how colorful and bright it was. Call me crazy but if my dinner is pretty I tend to like it more. What can I say, I like colorful things! The sauce is light and creamy, the pierogies are tender, and the whole dinner comes together in no time at all. A winner for sure.

Source: Slightly adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients:
1 (16 oz) package frozen potato and onion pierogies
2 slices center-cut bacon, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup thin sliced green onions
1 small plum tomato, seeded, and diced
Pepper
Cooking spray

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 400.
2- Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange the frozen pierogies in the dish.
3- In a medium saucepan, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan.
4- Add garlic to the drippings, cook for 30 seconds. Add the cream cheese, stirring until it melts. Add the broth, stir continuously until it's all incorporated.
5- Pour the sauce mixture over the pierogies. Top with the cheddar cheese.
6- Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, top with the tomatoes and bacon, and return it to the oven. Bake for 5 additional minutes.
7- Remove from the oven sprinkle with green onions and black pepper. Serve hot.