Homemade Pierogi are stuffed with a flavorful potato and cheese mixture, boiled, and fried up in melted butter for a delicious, indulgent, total comfort food dinner.
Pierogies are a classic Polish comfort food dish. In this recipe I’ve taken all of the elements of a classic pierogi and simplified them for the average home cook. While this dish takes time to make, it is overall fairly simple. A quick homemade dough requires some rolling out which is where most of your time will be spent, but it’s fairly simple and a good item to make with children, or as a family. Many hands make light work.
Pierogi can be filled with various fillings, but tradition is a potato and cheese curd mixture. In this recipe we use mashed potatoes and cheddar cheese. Feel free to experiment and use your favorite cheese. Leftover mashed potatoes work really well in this recipe, but you can always make them from scratch specifically for filling. Most grocery stores carry frozen or refrigerated mashed potatoes or you can buy them at the deli counter if you are short on time.
WHAT IS GOOD TO EAT WITH PIEROGIES?
A simple, traditional topping is simple sour cream and maybe some chopped chives. You can also serve pierogies up topped with caramelized onions, paprika, fried sage, or Polish sausage.
WHAT KIND OF SAUCE GOES ON PIEROGIES?
For classic potato filled pierogi, a simple sauce of melted or browned butter is the sauce of choice. If you choose other filling options in your pierogi, like spinach, a light garlic yogurt sauce pairs well.
WHAT DO YOU SERVE WITH PIEROGIES?
Roasted vegetables are always a great option to serve with pierogies. You could try some roasted broccoli or serve them up with some roasted brussels sprouts. You also can’t go wrong with some simple green beans.
CAN I FREEZE THESE?
Yes! You can freeze these pierogies after they have been assembled. And boil them from frozen when you are ready to eat. To freeze, simply place your pierogies in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet. Make sure they aren’t touching so that they don’t stick together. Once frozen, remove from the freezer and transfer to a resealable plastic bag for long term storage.
PRO TIP: The key to homemade pierogi is to be sure to seal it shut so that none of the stuffing comes out during cooking. Don’t let any of the filling get in between the dough edges or you won’t be able to get a good seal. Pinch the dough shut with your fingers and then press with the tongs of a fork to further seal and give a decorative edge.
INGREDIENTS
Dough
- 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 3/4 cup water
Filling
- 2 cups mashed potatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
For Serving
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- minced chives
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a large mixing bowl making the dough by combining flour, eggs, sour cream and water. Slowly beat in the eggs until dough is well combined. Turn the dough out onto a clean, lightly floured surface. Knead 3 to 5 minutes. Wrap in plastic wrap and rest 30 minutes.
- In another large mixing bowl, stir together mashed potatoes, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and cheese.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, pinch of tablespoon sized pieces of dough and roll into about three dozen balls.
- Roll each ball out on a lightly floured surface into a 3 1/2 to 5 inch circle. Cover with a damp towel or paper towel to prevent them from drying out.
- Place a heaping tablespoon of potato filling into the center of each circle. Fold in half, pinching the sides shut with your fingers, or gently with a fork to seal. Working in small batches, boil in salted water 2 to 3 minutes, until they float. Remove and transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
- Melt 1/2 cup butter in a large skillet and saute pierogi until lightly browned. Serve hot topped with sour cream and garnish with chives.
