Recipe courtesy of
Amy Stevenson
for
Food Network Kitchen
Recipe courtesy of
Amy Stevenson
for
Food Network Kitchen
Watch how to make this recipe.
The Best Potato and Cheese Pierogi
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- Level: Intermediate
- Total: 2 hr (includes resting time)
- Active: 1 hr 30 min
- Yield: about 2 1/2 dozen pierogi
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 30 servings
- Calories
- 117
- Total Fat
- 7 g
- Saturated Fat
- 4 g
- Carbohydrates
- 10 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 1 g
- Protein
- 3 g
- Cholesterol
- 24 mg
- Sodium
- 119 mg
Like so many of the world’s great comfort foods, pierogi are a labor of love that will pay you back in swoons and smiles from your family and friends after the first bite. These potato and cheese pierogi are sure to be a crowd pleaser. The key to making them light and tender is to encase the fillings in a soft dough that’s so thinly rolled out that you’re just able to see your hand underneath. Pierogi can have a variety of fillings that are savory (sauerkraut, mushroom or meat to name a few) or sweet (usually fruit or sweetened farmer’s cheese). Growing up in Pittsburgh in a big Eastern European community (mostly Polish), I enjoyed plenty of these delicious filled dumplings – both at pierogi sales held at the Catholic churches in the neighborhood as well as those made by my Lithuanian mom. This recipe is based on my mom’s pierogi. Pierogi can be served in a variety of ways – simply boiled, deep-fried or as we do here, boiled then lightly pan-fried with sauteed onions. A dollop of sour cream is the perfect finish.
- Level: Intermediate
- Total: 2 hr (includes resting time)
- Active: 1 hr 30 min
- Yield: about 2 1/2 dozen pierogi
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 30 servings
- Calories
- 117
- Total Fat
- 7 g
- Saturated Fat
- 4 g
- Carbohydrates
- 10 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 1 g
- Protein
- 3 g
- Cholesterol
- 24 mg
- Sodium
- 119 mg
Ingredients
Dough:
Filling:
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Directions
Special equipment:
a 3 1/2-inch round cutter- For the dough: Add the flour and 1 teaspoon salt to a large bowl and stir to combine. Whisk together the sour cream, oil, water and egg in a small bowl until smooth. Add the sour cream mixture to the dry ingredients and stir with a fork to combine. Use your hands to bring the mixture together into a shaggy dough in the bowl. Lightly flour the counter and scrape the dough onto it. Knead until the dough comes together in a soft, smooth ball, 3 to 4 minutes. (Avoid adding too much flour or the dough will be tough.) Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes while you make the filling.
- For the filling: Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 4 tablespoons of the butter. When melted, add the onions, season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are deep golden and very tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove 1/3 cup of the onions and set aside. Reserve the skillet with the onions for later use.
- Meanwhile, put the potatoes in a large saucepan with salted water to cover by about 1 inch. Bring to a simmer and cook until tender, 15 to 18 minutes. Drain well and return to the pot. Add the Cheddar, sour cream, 4 tablespoons of the butter, 1 teaspoon salt and the reserved 1/3 cup onions and mash with a potato masher until smooth. Remove to a bowl and let cool.
- Once the filling is cool, cut the dough in half. Fill a small bowl with water. Dust your work surface lightly with flour and roll one half of the dough into a 15-inch square (it doesn’t have to be perfectly square, what’s most important is that the dough is rolled thin – you should just be able to see the counter or your hand underneath the dough). Use a 3 1/2-inch round cutter and cut out as many rounds of dough as you can. Place about 1 tablespoon of filling in the middle of a dough round and cup it in the palm of one hand. Lightly brush the rim of the dough round with water and fold over to make a half-moon. Press the edges well to completely seal. Repeat with the remaining dough rounds, resting the pierogi on a floured baking sheet as you go. Reserve the dough scraps. Repeat with the second piece of dough. Combine the dough scraps and roll out to get a few more pierogi; these will be a bit thicker, but that’s okay, they’ll still be delicious! The pierogi can be cooked now or frozen for later use. (To freeze: Freeze directly on the baking sheet. Once frozen solid, put in a resealable plastic bag for longer storage. Add 1 to 2 minutes onto the cooking time for frozen pierogi.)
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Return the skillet with the onions to low heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to melt. Add half of the pierogi to the boiling water, stir gently and cook until tender, 3 to 4 minutes once they rise to the surface. Remove with a spider or slotted spoon to the butter and onions. Repeat with the remaining pierogi. Once they’re all in the skillet, increase the heat a bit and gently toss to coat them in the butter and onions. Season with salt if needed and serve with sour cream.
