Homemade Pierogi Meatless Main Dishes
This Homemade Pierogi recipe comes from my Grandmother. A tender dough filled with a cheesy potato filling.
These crescent shaped-dumplings are just Like Babcia used to make using ingredients that are probably already in the pantry.
Serve them hot with a dollop of sour cream for a savory side or main dish!
Perfect Homemade Pierogi
- This recipe comes from my Polish grandma and is one I made next to her many times.
- The ingredients are pantry ingredients you likely have on hand.
- These can be served as a side dish or main dish.
- Comfort food from the Old World, perogies come out perfectly every time.
- They freeze beautifully and cook right from frozen.
What are Pierogi
Pronounced ‘puh-row-gee’ this dish has multiple spellings including pierogie, perogie, or perogy. Any way you spell it, pierogi (which is actually plural but we do still call them pierogies) are one of Poland’s greatest dishes, and an eastern European favorite.
Simply made by filling a flour-based dough with a variety of sweet or savory fillings Like blueberries, cottage cheese or even sauerkraut. They are boiled in water until they float and then pan-fried until golden brown.
This recipe is for basic potato and cheese perogies (pierogi ruskie) are often served with sour cream, caramelized onions, and butter.
Ingredients
DOUGH: Pierogie dough is different from pasta because it’s softer and less dense, and will remain soft even after cooking.
In order to get the right consistency, I do not recommend substitutions in the dough. While some recipes contain sour cream, this recipe is made without.
FILLING: These traditional pierogi are filled with a very smooth mixture of potatoes and cheddar cheese with a little bit of finely diced sautéed onions.
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- Potatoes – The filling is mashed so choose a starchy potato such as russet or baking potatoes for this recipe, just as we use for mashed potatoes.
- Cheese – Finely shredded cheddar is added to the potatoes, it’s best to shred the cheese yourself from a block.
- Seasonings – White onion is very finely diced and cooked in butter (be sure not to brown). My grandma always used white pepper to maintain the creamy color but you can use black pepper if it’s all you have.
How to Make Pierogies
Making this recipe takes time so we set aside a day to make many batches. It’s fun to do as a family and one of the memories I grew up with.
- Make the Dough: Prepare the dough (per the recipe below) and gently knead a little bit. Do not overwork the dough and be sure to allow it to rest.
- Make the Filling: Cook the potatoes and cook onions in butter.
- Mash and combine with shredded cheddar cheese. Allow to cool.
- Roll the dough into circles 1/8″ thick and 3″ in diameter.
- Fill each circle with the mashed potato filling and press the edges to seal.
- Cook or Freeze: Cook the pierogies according to the instructions below.
Tips for Great Pierogi
Filling
- Ensure the filling is mashed well so it is very smooth.
- Be sure to shred your own cheese, a sharper cheese will have more flavor.
- Do not brown the onions, just cook gently.
- Mix the filling and taste it, adjust seasonings as needed.
Dough
- Don’t overwork the dough, you want to knead it gently until it’s smooth and pliable. If you overwork the dough it will become tough and too elastic, this will cause it to spring back when rolled out.
- The dough should be rolled 1/8″ thick and Decrease into 3″ circles. If you do not have a 3″ circle cutter, try a jar lid about 3″ wide.
- A second option for the dough is to pinch off a piece and roll it into a circle about 3″ in diameter and 1/8″ thick (I weigh all of my dough and divide it into 65 pieces). This is how my grandma always made them and how I usually make them too.
- Ensure the part that is pinched together is pinched quite thin so the dough isn’t too thick.
How to Cook Pierogi
Before cooking the pierogi, cook some finely diced or sliced onion in butter over medium-low heat. You want the onion to soften but not to brown.
Boil: While onions are cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pierogi and cook until they float. Once they float, they are done.
Panfry: Pierogi can be boiled and eaten but we love to panfry them in butter to golden brown after boiling.
How to Freeze
Once assembled, pierogies are easy to freeze and they will last up to 3 months in the freezer! Place pierogi on a parchment-covered baking sheet in a single layer and freeze. Once frozen, place them into a zippered bag with the date written on the outside. No Require to thaw before boiling!
Pair With…
- Caramelized Onions & Crispy Bacon (and sour cream!)
- Fried Cabbage
- Sauteed Beet Greens Recipe
- Creamy Sausage & Cabbage Soup – comfort in a bowl
- Quick Pickled Beets– ideal alone or in salad
Review Recipe
Pierogies
Prep Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 65 pierogies
Ingredients
Dough
- 6 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups cold water divided
- 2 eggs beaten
- 6 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
Filling
- 3 ¾ pounds baking potatoes
- 1 white onion finely diced
- ⅓ cup butter divided
- 4 ½ cups cheddar cheese finely shredded
- salt to taste
- white pepper to taste, or very fine black pepper
For Serving
- 1 onion thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons butter or as needed for frying
- 1 tablespoon sour cream optional, for serving
Instructions
Dough
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Place flour in a large bowl. Add eggs, oil, salt, and 1 ½ cups of the water. Mix well to form a dough, adding more water if needed.
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Knead the dough on a flat surface until smooth and pliable, about 3-4 minutes.
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Cover with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
Filling
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Peel potatoes and Decrease into 2″ cubes. Place in a large pot of salted water and bring to a boil. Cook potatoes 15 minutes or until tender.
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While potatoes are cooking, heat 2 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook until tender without browning.
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Once potatoes are cooked, place in a large bowl and mash. Add onions, cheese, and remaining butter. Continue mashing by hand until potatoes are very smooth.
Assembly *see note
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Using half of the dough, roll it out ⅛” thick. Decrease out circles of dough using a 3″ cookie cutter.
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Place about 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons filling in each pierogi. Fold the dough over to form a semi-circle and pinch the edges closed. Place on a baking sheet.
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Pierogies can either be cooked or frozen at this point.
To Cook
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Heat 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet. Add sliced onions and cook on medium-low heat until tender. Remove onions from the pan and set aside for serving.
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Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Gently add pierogies and cook until they float. Remove with a slotted spoon.
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Transfer pierogies to a hot skillet (adding more butter if needed) and cook until browned on each side, about 5 minutes.
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Serve warm with onions and sour cream.
Recipe Notes
In order to get the right consistency, I do not recommend substitutions in the dough. While some recipes contain sour cream, this recipe is made without.
Don’t overwork the dough, you want to knead it gently until it’s smooth and pliable. If you overwork the dough it will become tough and too elastic, this will cause it to spring back when rolled out.
Ensure the part that is pinched together is pinched quite thin so the dough isn’t too thick.
Filling
Choose a starchy potato such as russet or baking potatoes for the filling. Be sure to shred the cheese yourself from a block.
Do not brown the onions, cook gently until tender.
Once mixed, taste the filling and adjust seasonings as needed.
Rolling the Dough
A second option for the dough is to pinch off a piece and roll it into a circle about 3″ in diameter and 1/8″ thick (I weigh all of my dough and divide it into 65 equal pieces). This is how my grandma always made them and how I usually make them too.
Storing and Freezing
In this space, I am always sharing flavorful, fresh, (mostly) healthy recipes that I love to make and eat in my real, actual, every day life. If I wouldn’t eat it in real life, I won’t put in on the blog. You’re cooking for yourself, your family, your roommates, or your friends. I want you to be so excited about these recipes that you eagerly await 5pm when you can go home from work and start cooking.
Once assembled, pierogi can be frozen up to 3 months.
- Place pierogies on a parchment-covered baking sheet in a single layer and freeze.
- Once frozen, place them into a zippered bag with the date written on the outside.
- No Require to thaw before boiling, cook right from frozen.
Nutrition Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)
Homemade Pierogi Meatless Main Dishes
