Homemade Potato and Cheese Pierogi Recipe

Yeah, Mrs. T's is good. But have you ever had a homemade pierogi? Where the outside is browned and crispy with a touch of salt, covered in sautéed onions, and filled with savory, cheesy potatoes? If you haven't, you're missing out. But, have no fear, nirvana is but an hour away.

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Homemade Potato and Cheese Pierogi
by Twirlerica

Time: 1 Hour
Makes: 24-30 Pierogi

Ingredients

Dough
3 1⁄2 cups flour
1 egg
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1 cup water

Filling and Topping
2 cups mashed potatoes
1⁄2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 medium onion
3 tablespoons butter, divided

Combine flour, egg, and salt. Add water gradually, using only as much is needed to form a dough ball. Knead for 5-10 minutes until smooth, then cover and let rest for 20 minutes.

Prepare filling and topping while dough is resting. Reheat mashed potatoes if necessary, then mix in cheese. Set aside. Sweat sliced onion in 1 tablespoon butter over medium-low heat until caramelized.
Work with half the dough at a time. Roll out to 1/8” thickness. Cut out a circle of dough using a drinking glass or round biscuit cutter. Place 1 tablespoon mashed potato mixture in the center, Dip fingertip in water and run along the edge, then press to seal in a semi-circle. Use the tines of a fork to create a crimped edge. Repeat until all dough is used, re- rolling as necessary (discard dough if it starts to dry out).

Drop pierogi into a large pot of boiling water, cooking 2-3 minutes until dough is cooked through (pierogi will float and feel noticeably lighter when done). Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter and pan fry in batches until golden brown - 1-2 minutes per side. Salt immediately after removing from pan. Top with caramelized onions and serve with sour cream.

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The Details

Need a little more info? Let's break it down into detail.

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Pierogi was my first foray into fresh pasta dough making. The dough recipe differs from the dough recipe I use now in that it contains water (the moisture in the dough recipe I use for everything else comes completely from the eggs), but the process is essentially the same. When you combine the flour, salt, and egg, it will be hard to mix. Add the water gradually, adding just enough to make a nice smooth dough. This amount will differ based on humidity and temperature, but I typically use anywhere from 3/4 to the entire cup.

When caramelizing onions, the key is medium-low heat and plenty of patience. We're not sautéing (higher heat, constant movement), we're "sweating" the onions. The goal is to bring out the natural sugars of the onions, which is where the "caramel" part comes into play. The brown color of caramelized onions comes from the sugars caramelizing. Other recipes may say this can be accomplished in 5-7 minutes, but the best caramelized onions take about 30 minutes of low-and-slow patience.

This recipe is perfect for using up leftovers like mashed potatoes, but you can also fill them with ground meat, sauerkraut, mushrooms, or anything else you have that you want to use up.

Pierogi are essentially vessels for whatever filling you like. Try mixing it up and making sweet pierogi from with sweetened farmers cheese or ricotta, and topping with berry compote and whipped cream or a sprinkle of powdered sugar. You'll obviously omit the onions in that case, but don't you dare skip that pan-fry step.