Pierogies with Sautéed Onions and Kale

It's Thursday and I'm FINALLY posting the recipe from Monday night...it's just been that kind of week my friends.  My husband has been working many evenings and it makes for some LONG days.  So enough complaining!  These pierogies were so yummy, a healthier version of a childhood favorite of mine.  And the addition of polish kielbasa for some added protein - besides, how can you eat pierogies without kielbasa?  At least my Polish family never did.  The kale was a perfect addition to round this meal out.  I baked the pierogies (first time I've ever tried that) instead of pan frying in butter as my grandmother always did.  It was no fuss and they reminded me of toasted ravioli.  And my heart thanks me too!  So if you want a different twist on a polish favorite, give this recipe a try.

Happy Cooking!
Sarah

Pierogies with Sauteed Onions and Kale
1 pkg of your favorite pierogies (I used Mrs T's potato and 4 cheese, found in the freezer section - because that's what my grandmother always bought if she didn't make them homemade)
2 T olive oil for baking, plus 2 T olive oil for sauteing
1 large onion, sliced
1 clove of garlic, minced
salt to taste
8 oz frozen chopped kale
1 pkg of your favorite polish kielbasa (I used a Nitrate free variety I found at whole foods - yummy!)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.  Using 2 T of olive oil, brush both sides of the pierogies and bake for 20 minutes.  Turn them half way through the cooking so that each side gets brown and crispy.

They look beautiful when they come out and are really tasty as is!  I would make these as an appetizer and serve them with a dipping sauce - just like a toasted ravioli.  But for dinner tonight, the sauteed onions and kale are delicious!  So continue on...

In a large frying pan over medium heat, place the kielbasa in the pan with 1 T of olive oil and brown on both sides (about 8 minutes). 

This is the kind of nitrate free all natural kielbasa I found and it was soooooo yummy!

You can hear the sizzle as it hits the pan!

Remove the sausage from the pan and set aside. 

Beautifully charred on the outside and so yummy!

In the same pan, heat the last 1 T of olive oil over medium heat.  Saute the onions until golden brown and tender.  Add the garlic and allow it to sweat for about 30 seconds. 

Add the frozen kale and cook until heated through and kale is tender, about 10 minutes.  Season with salt to taste. 

Serve the sauteed onions and kale with the toasted pierogies and seared kielbasa.  So good!  Enjoy!