Rustic, Polish potato cheese pierogies with homemade dough and fresh potato cheese filling are better than any you can buy in a store.
I grew up eating pierogies. Typically mom served them with kielbasa and sauerkraut and the meal is one that I now share with my family. Most of the time, I replace the kraut with braised red cabbage and my husband picks up fresh kielbasa at one of the local Polish markets in Linden, New Jersey, where he works. It’s the best. Easy, flavorful and a meal my whole family loves. We have tried many pierogies from many different places and none were perfect. In some the filling was made with potato flakes. In others, the dough was too thick. And so, I decided to make my own.
This is another recipe on my cooking bucket list (along with another I recently posted). It takes some effort. I recommend a rainy day when you don’t have a lot to do. Put on some music, pour a glass of wine and make a big batch. I made about 4 dozen. Some went to mom and dad (they passed the test with my Polish father!). Some went to friends. And the rest we ate or froze. Next time, I’m having my mom and my girls help! But don’t be scared off. It is SO worth every bit of effort. And you can break it into pieces to make it easier: make the filling a day or two ahead and pop it in the fridge. Make the dough in the morning. Then assemble and boil once the dough has had time to rest.
Don’t worry if you dough is sticky. Use lots of flour on your rolling pin and the consistency turns out fine.
- 2½ pounds russet or Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 1½ cups crumbled Farmer's cheese
- 5 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 large eggs
- 6 Tablespoons regular sour cream
- 1½ cups lukewarm water
- 1 stick melted butter (to prevent sticking after you boil the pierogies)
- Place the potatoes in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and let cook until easily pierced with a fork. While the potatoes are cooking, sauté the onion in the butter until soft. When the potatoes are done, drain and quickly return to the pot over the heat to remove any remaining water. Pass the potatoes through a potato ricer, and stir in the sautéed onion and cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. At this point you can refrigerate the filling overnight.
- To make the dough, stir together the flour and salt. Add the eggs and sour cream and use two butter knives to cut them into the dough. Gradually add the water, cutting with the knives until all of the flour is incorporated. Form the dough into a loose ball (it will be sticky) and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let sit for 30 minutes.
- When ready to make the pierogies, bring a large pot of water to a slow boil. Take a piece of dough and roll it out to about 1/16" thick. Place a heaping tablespoon of dough on the lower third and stretch the dough over it. Use a wineglass or round cutter to make a half moon. Pierce the edges with a fork to seal. Continue working until you have 6-12 pierogies made. I boiled 6 at a time but you can do up to a dozen. When you have some ready, drop them in the boiling water and cook until they float for 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and drizzle with a little melted butter to prevent sticking.
- Repeat until all filling is used. Once boiled, you can serve the pierogies immediately or you can fry them.
- If you want to fry them, saute a little onion in a pan then add the pierogies and cook until golden. They are also delicious with some bacon or served with sour cream.
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