POTATO & CHEESE PIEROGIS

These pierogis are delicious, relatively easy & very customizable! They do require a little bit of time, but I promise you, they will be SO worth it. I hope you enjoy making them & eating them as much as I do!

INGREDIENTS

DOUGH

3 tbsp salted butter
1/2 cp water
1 egg
2 cps all-purpose flour
sprinkle of salt

FILLING

6-8 medium russet potatoes
1 large yellow onion
1 cp shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cp sour cream
1 tbsp salted butter
salt & pepper

Directions

DOUGH

Start with the dough. Heat the butter & water in a small pan until butter is melted. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, salt, melted butter & water mixture. Mix until a crumbly dough forms. Then add the egg & begin forming the dough with your hands. If the dough is dry, add water – 1 teaspoon at a time. It should be slightly sticky. Divide the dough into two pieces, wrap with dampened paper towel & let rest for 30 minutes.

FILLING

Slice the onion & place in a medium pan with butter over medium-low heat. Cook the onion until it has caramelized. Place the russet potatoes in a large pot, cover with water & bring to a boil. Let them boil for 20-25 minutes until they are fork tender. Once they’re cooked, in a medium sized bowl, combine the potatoes, cheddar cheese & sour cream – mash everything together. Salt & pepper to taste.

ASSEMBLE

When the dough is ready, flour your surface & rolling pin. Begin rolling out one half of the dough until its about 1/8 inch thick. Take a round cookie cutter or the rim of a cup to create your pierogi shell. I used a 4 inch circle. Size doesn’t really matter – just don’t over fill them. Spoon the caramelized onion & the potato mixture in the center of the circle, leaving enough of a border to seal the pierogis. Dip your finger in water & line the top half of the dough. Fold the bottom half over and pinch them together so it’s sealed. Repeat until you have about 24 pierogis.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Gently drop in 4-6 pierogis at a time. After about 2 minutes (or until they are floating) scoop them out & shake off as much excess water as you can. Set them on a cooling rack. Once you’ve boiled all the pierogis, pan fry them in olive oil (or butter) until lightly browned on each side.

Serve with sour scream & enjoy!

TIPS:

– You could fill them with just the potato filling & top them with the caramelize onions.
– You could add bacon to the potato mixture,
– You could serve with Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.
– You can freeze these before you boil them.