Elevating a frozen food can be healthier than its fast food alternative
I love the fries supreme at Taco Bell. I know, it’s Taco Bell—I feel your judgment and understand if you never follow another one of my recipes again—but let me explain. I was raised vegetarian, and despite their bad rep, a place like Taco Bell where you can replace all the beef with beans, was amazing compared to a sad, lukewarm bun filled with too much ketchup, three tiny pickles, and a plastic slice of cheese.
Although nostalgia sometimes wins out and I will cave and get a fries supreme, nine times out of ten I’m disappointed by it. Either the fries are too greasy or the fake cheese is too cold. So to recapture some of the joy of my childhood I came up with a slightly healthier option with this perogies supreme recipe.
[media-credit id=114 align=”aligncenter” width=”1020″]
Ingredients
3 frozen perogies per person, try whichever one is on sale until you find your favourite (mine’s Cheemo)
1 small tomato per person, cubed
1/4 small bell pepper (any colour) per person, cubed
1/2 green onion per person, sliced
1/3 cup grated marble cheddar cheese (or whatever block or grated cheese you have)
1 can of chilli style baked beans, or your favourite (1/3 cup per person)
1 tablespoon of sour cream per person
1 thin slice of salted butter
Hot sauce, to taste
Salt, to taste (recommended: use 1/4 teaspoon of salt in the water you boil for perogies and a small pinch to season the tomatoes, peppers, and green onion)
Other options for toppings: Crumbled bacon; Pickled jalapeños; Salsa
Directions
1. Bring two to three inches of water to a boil. (It’s good to add about 1/4 teaspoon of salt to season the water).
2. While the water is boiling, transfer beans to a saucepan and cook over low to medium heat. When the beans start to bubble, cover the saucepan with a lid and then turn the heat off.
3. Once the salted water boils, add the perogies. Stir once or twice gently so they are not stuck on the bottom. Then let boil with the lid off until perogies float to the top. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a separate bowl. Add the butter to the perogies so they do not stick together.
4. Place perogies in a bowl. Then top with beans, cheese, tomatoes, peppers, sour cream, hot sauce, and green onions.
[media-credit id=114 align=”aligncenter” width=”1020″]