Ingredients:

• 2 (16 oz) boxes of frozen pierogies – I used four cheese medley
• 1 (16 oz) jar salsa, your favorite brand and spiciness
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 (16 oz) can corn, drained or 1 1/2 cups fresh corn
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, if desired
• 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne pepper, if desired
• 1 teaspoon Paprika
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• salt and black pepper, to taste
• 8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• For Serving: extra salsa, green onions, sour cream, olives, parsley, etc… as desired

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 13 x 9 casserole dish with non-stick spray. Coat the bottom of the pan with 1/2 of the jar of salsa.
2. Cook the ground beef in a medium skillet over medium heat. Break the ground beef into small pieces as it cooks. Once cooked through remove any grease from the bottom of the pan. Add 1 cup of water, chili powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, Cayenne pepper, Paprika, cumin, salt, and black pepper to meat and stir well. Taste and adjust spices as needed. If you are worried about it being too hot start with no red pepper flakes and Cayenne pepper. Add after tasting the meat to adjust spiciness.
3. Place 1/2 of meat in bottom of pan with salsa. Put other half of meat in a bowl to the side.
4. Place the pierogies in a single layer on top of the meat and salsa. There may be some overlapping but try to not pile them on top of one another.
5. Wipe out skillet with a paper towel. Add drained corn to skillet. Toast corn over medium high for 5 -7 minutes until it gets a nice browning around the edges. Stir and toss as necessary to avoid burning. Place corn over the pierogies.
6. Add the rest of the meat to the top of the dish and then pour the remaining salsa over the dish. Spread it evenly as possible over the dish.
7. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove pan from oven and remove aluminum foil from dish. Sprinkle cheddar cheese over the top of the casserole. Return uncovered pan to oven for 20 minutes.
8. Remove pan from oven when cheese is bubbly and browning around the edges. Let casserole rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with sour cream, green onions, parsley, extra salsa, as desired.