These central and eastern European dumplings are stuffed with anything from potatoes and cheese to sauerkraut or even prunes (the prunes being a sweet, dessert-style peirogi). These little bundles of comfort are so popular, you can even find them in American supermarkets. I’ve purchased them many times myself. Our version uses some cheddar, but for even more authenticity go for straight farmer’s cheese.
Still, despite the convenience, I wanted to try my hand at making them. We’re living in the rise of the cellphone “friend.” It’s time to push up our sleeves, slow down, and roll out some dough with our children.
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 2-4 people | 1 hour |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 30 minutes | 30 min |
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These central and eastern European dumplings are stuffed with anything from potatoes and cheese to sauerkraut or even prunes (the prunes being a sweet, dessert-style peirogi). These little bundles of comfort are so popular, you can even find them in American supermarkets. I’ve purchased them many times myself. Our version uses some cheddar, but for even more authenticity go for straight farmer’s cheese.
Still, despite the convenience, I wanted to try my hand at making them. We’re living in the rise of the cellphone “friend.” It’s time to push up our sleeves, slow down, and roll out some dough with our children.
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Ingredients
Dough:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 4-5 Tbsp water , or as needed to bring the dough together.
Filling:
- 1 onion , chopped
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 medium russet potatoes , boiled then skinned
- 1/3 cup cheddar (shredded)
- 1/3 cup farmer’s cheese
- salt
- pepper
For cooking & serving:
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 1/2 onion sliced (optional)
- sour cream
Servings: people
Units:
Instructions
Prepare the filling and dough:
- Boil and skin a russet potato, then mash with the cheesy, oniony goodness. Don’t forget the salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until cool. (Once the filling is chilled, it will be firmer and easier to work with).
- Meanwhile, prepare the dough by pulsing everything together in a food processor, or by mixing by hand in a bowl. Stream in just enough water to get it to pull together into a soft, workable dough. Wrap in saran and let rest about thirty minutes. This will let the gluten relax and make the dough easier to work with.
Shape the pierogi:
- Roll out the dough, then cut circles and top with a dollop of potato filling.
- Pull the dough around the filling and pinch together at the top, then work around the edges. You might find it easier to work with less filling at first, but try to gradually work up to nice, plump pierogi. The dough should be elastic enough to do so. You can either freeze them or boil right away.
To serve
- Simply cook until floating and the dough is cooked through – this only took about 3-5 minutes for me, but will depend on how thick your roll out your dough.
- Drain and brown in butter. (Optional: add onions to the pan first and caramelize for about 15 minutes). Serve with a dollop of sour cream.