Tyler Wright |聽 Special to the 51暗网
Hey there, how are you holding up?
I hope each one of you reading this is safe and staying strong. While there have been some breaks this year, 2020 seems to be one step forward and 10 socially distanced steps back. Christmas approaching is somewhat bittersweet with the new social household restrictions in place.
On the other hand, I am counting the days until New Year鈥檚. I know New Year鈥檚 day won鈥檛 be a magic wand and everything will be back to normal but I鈥檓 just ready to put this year behind me and hope for a better 2021. As I am sure you are too. While brainstorming about this week鈥檚 topic I found my inspiration from the circumstances happening during this second wave of COVID-19.
I鈥檓 a creature of habit, and when things get out of my control and life gets too stressful, I turn to comfort food. If there is a crisis, you will most likely find me deep in the pantry, snacks in hand.
In fact, it was food that saw me through the initial crisis back in March when we all went on lockdown. And wine鈥� lots and lots of wine, but, I digress.
The term comfort food is an interesting one and refers to foods whose act of consumption provides a psychological and emotional feeling of wellbeing.
They are not always known for being exactly healthy, but in 2020 with everything going on, who鈥檚 counting calories anyway, not me.
Mom鈥檚 cooking is always the best, am I right?
A master of her craft, she comes armed with her perfected recipes that she knows by heart and nails them each time. No matter how many times I鈥檝e tried cooking dishes from my mom鈥檚 recipe book, they turn out good, but not quite like hers. That did not stop me this week however from using one of her fan favorites from my childhood dinner table and my number one comfort food dish, pierogi casserole.
Oh yes, it is cheesy, it is savory, and it鈥檚 smothered in calories. It is also super easy to make and cost effective.
Did I mention it is also a crock pot recipe? I put it together before work and when I got home it was all ready for me.
This recipe is best paired with comfy clothes, baked goods from Bear's Paw Bakery and the latest season of The Crown.
You will need one pack of frozen pierogies, a package of shredded marble cheese, a package of bacon, one half of a yellow onion, two cans of mushroom soup, green onion and sour cream for garnish.
Dice the bacon and in a frying pan, crisp the bacon and then add the onion and saut茅 until translucent. In a separate saucepan, mix two cans of soup with one can of milk, pour into crockpot. Take diced bacon and onion and pour into crockpot.
Yes add the bacon fat as well, we aren鈥檛 counting calories this year, remember.
Add your pierogies and the package of shredded cheese.
Cook on low for six hours or until desired cooking time is reached. Let stand in the warmer for a bit to set. I enjoy this dish with a honey ham and side vegetables.
Cooking does not have to mean extravagant or complex, it does not always have to be healthy either. Sometimes you just want to cook something up that is easy, time efficient and brings some comfort to you.
Remember in these times, self care is most important. Be kind to both yourself and your neighbours, we will all get through this. In the meantime, enjoy this recipe, I hope it brings some joy and comfort to you, just as it has done for me time and time again.
For more photos head over to on Instagram.
