Smoked Sausage Pierogi Bake ***

We do love pierogies around here, so when I saw this one pop up on my blogger dashboard from Cassie Craves, I knew I had to make it.  Especially now that I have an oven again (can I say "woo hoo!" one more time? lol).  It definitely did not disappoint.  The kids absolutely loved it.  They kept going on and on about how it was restaurant-quality.  If you know my kids, you know that they're full of baloney most of the time, but they really did seem to like this one.  Especially since it combined two of their favorites: ravioli and mashed potatoes, lol.  I used turkey smoked sausage, neufchatel cheese, no-fat and low sodium chicken broth, and diced fire-roasted tomatoes.  Browning the sausage first gives it a really nice smoky flavor.  It took me all of 35 minutes to make everything, from start to finish.  It was so unbelievably easy.  Definitely a keeper for us.

SMOKED SAUSAGE PIEROGI BAKE
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ via Cassie Craves, adapted from Lemons and Love)

1 16-ounce package frozen potato and cheese pierogies
1/2 pound smoked sausage, cut into small pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Green onions, thinly sliced

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange the frozen pierogies in a baking dish coated with cooking spray.
2. In a large skillet, cook smoked sausage over medium heat until edges are browned and crispy. Add garlic; cook and stir for 30 seconds. Add cream cheese, chicken broth, diced tomatoes and pepper. Heat through until cream cheese is melted.
3. Pour the smoked sausage-cream cheese mixture evenly over the pierogies. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes until thoroughly heated. Add cheddar cheese; bake an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with green onions.