Eating pierogi is a treat I remember well from my childhood.
It was one of my grandfather’s specialties, and I still remember helping him fill the perogies, putting a spoonful of the wonderful potato and cheese filling in my mouth for every spoonful I put into the pierogies.
I still haven’t found a recipe that quite matches my grandfather’s little masterpieces, but this recipe comes close.
The recipe says salt and pepper to taste. I do find that it does taste great with a generous amount of pepper.
Pierogi is just one of the names for these delicious little bundles. You will also find it spelled perogy, perogi, pirogi, pyrogy and pierogy.
Pierogi is the Polish name for this delicacy. It is also referred to as pyrohy or as piroshki (by the Russians), or petahe by the Ukranians.
Whatever they are called, these little potato pockets sure are good.
Although there is some controversy about where they originated, these filled dumplings are a tradition in several countries in Eastern Europe, such as Poland, Ukraine, Romania, Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, and Slovakia.
Pierogi with Potatoes and Cheese
Ingredients
Dough:
- 4 cups flour
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons salt
Potato and Cheese Filling:
- 2 cups potatoes, cooked & mashed
- 1/2 tablespoon onion, chopped fine (equals one and a half teaspoons)
- salt & pepper to taste
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, strong, shredded
Toppings:
- 4 ounces butter
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- sour cream
- bacon, chopped into small pieces and fried until crisp (optional)
Instructions
- For the dough:
Beat the eggs together well. Add the water and the oil. Blend well. Mix the flour and salt together in a separate bowl. Add the wet mixture. - Knead the dough until it is smooth and soft. Cover it and let sit for 30 minutes. Roll the pierogi dough out thin and cut it into circles with a glass or pierogi cutter.
- For the Filling:Mix potatoes, onion, salt and pepper together. Roll filling into small balls, place one in the center of the dough circle, fold and pinch the edges together. Use water to pinch and seal if the dough will not stick well. Boil them in salted water for about 5 minutes or until the pierogis are floating on the top of the water.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat and saute the onions until they are soft and beginning to brown.
- When the perogis are cooked, place them in the frying pan and turn them to coat them in the butter. You can serve them immediately or cook them in the butter for a few minutes.
- Serve topped with dollops of sour cream for sure and fried bacon bits if you desire.
- This recipe makes a few dozen pierogies. The exact amount depends on the size you make. Pyrogi are usually about 3" across.
Nutrition
Tips:
- You can serve the pyrohy immediately without sauteing them in the butter and onions. Just pour the melted butter/onion mixture over the drained pyrogy. I prefer heating them in the butter for a few minutes. It gives them an even richer flavor.
- The bacon is optional and can certainly be omitted for a vegetarian version of pierogi. I don’t use it myself, but if you are a bacon lover, it is good.
- You can also add 2 cups well cooked bacon, cut into very small pieces to the filling. Obviously the recipe is no longer vegetarian when you do this. Although bacon is wonderful, I love it without.
They may not be the healthiest food in the world, but you just have to give yourself a little heaven on earth once in a while.
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Pierogi are wonderful served with this cucumber salad.
If you like this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you share it on social media. Thanks.
