@TheSilCo
RE: In trying to re-issue a payroll check from 2022, I irreversibly updated it to 2023 and I cannot add it back in.
Not sure what you are describing, as you can't change the year on a paycheck. If you mean you deleted it and recreated it in 2023, then back all that out by deleting the new check an carefully recreating the 2022 check just as it was. You can make some use of the Audit Trail report to help with the effort.
Once you have the paycheck fixed, then you can either just write the employee a hand check, or create a standard check in QuickBooks and print it for the net check amount, and then put a memo on it describing what is is and then Void it.
Then when the new check clears, when you next reconcile your account, pick the old check as the thing that cleared.