Sauerkraut & Potato Phyllo Pie

I love pierogis! And made them many many moons ago on a rainy Saturday afternoon. I loved getting lost in the kitchen on a weekend. As the hours escaped, I was restored  and a beautiful meal was made. But did I get lost, as they take a long time to make! lol They are a true labor of love. First you make the filling, then the dough, flour is everywhere (at least it is when I make them, lol) and then they are boiled, a few at a time. All worth it, of course but I wanted to spend less time in the kitchen and put a different spin on the Polish dumpling. And I thought that making a "pierogi pie" using phyllo dough would be fun. Not quite a quick meal to make, I would still save it for when you have more time, where you can get a little lost yourself. ;)

• 4 pounds sauerkraut
• 3 small onions, finely chopped, about 3 cups
• 10 oz. button mushrooms, finely chopped
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus about one stick melted
•  1/2 pound phyllo pastry sheets, 20 sheets (9"x 14") I got a box that was a pound with 2 easy-to-use rolls. Using one roll.
• 3 cups instant mashed potato flakes, use a brand that is 100% real potatoes.
• salt
• fresh ground pepper

This recipe is a little complicated and I regret not taking more pictures but I'm gonna explain it in as much detail as possible. For this recipe, you will need a 9" spring form pan. Take your pan and measure it against the phyllo dough, Using a knife, trim the dough to fit the pan, leaving your phyllo dough square, no need to trim it round to be exact. Once you begin layering, it won't matter. Take half of the sauerkraut and rinse well with cold water and squeeze all of the liquid out. Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze! And with the remaining sauerkraut, you don't have to rinse it, just squeeze until dry. Instant mashed potatoes are great in a pinch! Add more milk as needed to the potatoes if needed so they spread easily. Reserve 1/3 of the prepared potatoes for the sauerkraut. This is my first time using phyllo dough and I followed the instructions on how to handle it. I was really nervous, I felt if I didn't follow the instructions on how to handle the phyllo dough it would crumble. I covered it with plastic wrap and then with a damp towel like the package directions said. And if it ripped, it still turned out fine. Have everything set up so your pie is easy to assemble.

Prepare your mashed potatoes according to the package instructions. Allow them to cool a little bit so they are easier to handle. Melt your 4 tablespoons of butter and add in the onion, saute until it is translucent. Add in your mushrooms and allow them to cook for 40 minutes, until they lightly brown. Do this on low heat and stir often. Add in your sauerkraut and 1/3 of the prepared mashed potatoes. Season and set aside. With the remaining mashed potatoes, divide them up in their bowl into 3 portions. Do the same with the sauerkraut and potato mixture. Have your pie making station ready, your phyllo dough covered, melted butter ready, a brush to use with it. Your fillings divided, for ease. Preheat your oven and you are ready to make your pie! Brush butter on the bottom of the pan and begin layering your dough. Brushing butter between every layer. Every layer should have 4 sheets of phyllo dough. Alternate the sauerkraut and the potato layers. Four sheets of phyllo, sauerkraut, potato and repeat. Using a spatula made spreading the filling easier. Don't worry about the excess phyllo dough in your pan, just push it down with the brush. If using this same size, you will run out of the pan size sheets, just use the halves, making them a whole sheet. Phyllo is much more forgiving than I thought! End with the remaining phyllo sheets brushing your top layer with butter also. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees until browned on top. Make sure to place your pie on a flat cookie sheet, so any melted butter doesn't land in your oven but stays in your pie. Let cool for about fifteen minutes, release and remove your spring form and use a serrated knife to cut your pie. This makes about 10 servings. Serve with sour cream on the side. Enjoy!