Pierogies!

13 years ago

Just how do you spell this word? It seems that every time I've seen it, it's spelled a different way (including Varenyky!)! My family has always spelled it pierogi.

Of course what would one of my threads be without shared recipes! So please post your favorite. Here's the one that my family uses:

Pierogies

I think there are as many different spellings as there are variations to pierogies. This recipe is for potato and cheese pierogies. This makes lots (70 pierogies?).

Ingredients

1 egg, beaten

3 cups flour

Water

5-6 potatoes (Yukon Gold work well)

1/2 lb cheese (I like American, traditionally Farmer's cheese or cottage cheese was use)

2 tablespoons butter

3-4 tablespoons milk

Peel the potatoes and cut into equal size chunks. Put in a pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and boil gently for 20 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork. Drain and return to the pot. Add milk, butter and cheese and start mashing with a potato masher. Mash until free of lumps.

In a separate container, mix one egg, 3 cups of flour an enough water to make a dough. Do not overwork dough or you will get tough pierogies.

Roll dough to 1/16 of an inch (as thin as you can get the dough without ripping it). Cut into 3-4 inch circles. In the center of the circle, place a heaping teaspoon of potato filling. Moisten the edge of half the circle. Fold the dough in half over the moisten edge and pinch to seal (you can also crimp edges with a fork).

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop about 5 pierogies into the boiling water (careful not to have edges tough or the pierogies will become glued together. Cover and boil for 5 minutes or until they float. Remove pierogies with a slotted spoon an put in a large bowl. Pat with butter.

Continue procedure until the dough is tough to work.

Alternate fillings

Blueberry Filling

6 cups fresh blueberries

2 tablespoons sugar

Mix fruit and sugar. Fill pierogies immediately before juice is drawn out of fruit.

Cherry Filling

6 cups pitted tart cherries

2 tablespoons sugar

Mix fruit and sugar. Fill pierogies immediately before juice is drawn out of fruit.

Meat Filling

1 1/2 lbs ground cooked pork or beef

2 tablespoons butter

1 medium chopped onion

2 eggs, beaten

Salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in a large skillet. Add onion and saute until tender. Stir in egg and cooked meat. Saute over medium heat about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool before filling pierogies.

Fresh Mushroom and Onion Filling

1/4 cup butter

3 lbs fresh mushrooms, diced

2 medium onions, diced

1/3 cup bread crumbs

Salt and pepper to taste

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet. A mushrooms; saute over low heat until tender. Place sauted mushrooms in a medium bowl. Melt remaining butter in the skillet. Add onions; saute over medium heat until tender. Let cool. Stir in bread crumbs. Stir mixture into sauted mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper.

Hints, tips tricks an how to cheat

For the fruit filled pierogies, I like to add a little sugar to sour cream and top the pierogies with it.

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Comments (12)

lyndaluu2
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Here's a picture of my pierogies with chicken and zuccini

Linda
marys1000
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Pierogie is Polish, Vareniki or varenyky is Ukranian, both versions of the same thing. Pelmeni, a russian thing are similar but I think smaller and the filling is a seasoned ground meat.
Essentially I think every country/culture has a dumpling that is pretty similar including Chinese dumplings. I wonder if pierogie etc. migrated over from China?

Americanized versions tend to be heavier and since its not what I grew up with I don't like them as much.

My mother's vareniki dough is just flour, water and a little salt (who had all that other stuff back in the bad old Soviet days?).
Potato filling was just a rough mash, maybe a little fried before used as a filling. She did a farmers cheese mixed with some egg and my favorite - a sauted/fried sauerkraut filling.
After boiling I like the potato ones saute/fried served with carmalized onions, green pepper and some sour cream. The sauerkraut ones just sauted till they have a little golden spot. Mrs T's are pretty good for a frozen brand.
Related Discussions
Blueberry pierogi
Q
Comments (7)
Here's my pierogi recipe. I give several filling options including blueberries. Some people put sour cream in the dough, but I never have. Pierogies I think there are as many different spellings as there are variations to pierogies. This recipe is for potato and cheese pierogies. This makes lots (70 pierogies?). Ingredients 1 egg, beaten 3 cups flour Water 5-6 potatoes (Yukon Gold work well) Â½ lb cheese (I like American, traditionally FarmerÂs cheese or cottage cheese was use) 2 tablespoons butter 3-4 tablespoons milk Peel the potatoes and cut into equal size chunks. Put in a pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and boil gently for 20 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork. Drain and return to the pot. Add milk, butter and cheese and start mashing with a potato masher. Mash until free of lumps. In a separate container, mix one egg, 3 cups of flour an enough water to make a dough. Do not overwork dough or you will get tough pierogies. Roll dough to 1/16 of an inch (as thin as you can get the dough without ripping it). Cut into 3-4 inch circles. In the center of the circle, place a heaping teaspoon of potato filling. Moisten the edge of half the circle. Fold the dough in half over the moisten edge and pinch to seal (you can also crimp edges with a fork). Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop about 5 pierogies into the boiling water (careful not to have edges tough or the pierogies will become glued together. Cover and boil for 5 minutes or until they float. Remove pierogies with a slotted spoon an put in a large bowl. Pat with butter. Continue procedure until the dough is tough to work. Alternate fillings Blueberry Filling 6 cups fresh blueberries 2 tablespoons sugar Mix fruit and sugar. Fill pierogies immediately before juice is drawn out of fruit. Cherry Filling 6 cups pitted tart cherries 2 tablespoons sugar Mix fruit and sugar. Fill pierogies immediately before juice is drawn out of fruit. Meat Filling 1 Â½ lbs ground cooked pork or beef 2 tablespoons butter 1 medium chopped onion 2 eggs, beaten Salt and pepper to taste Melt butter in a large skillet. Add onion and sautÃ© until tender. Stir in egg and cooked meat. SautÃ© over medium heat about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool before filling pierogies. Fresh Mushroom and Onion Filling Â¼ cup butter 3 lbs fresh mushrooms, diced 2 medium onions, diced â cup bread crumbs Salt and pepper to taste Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet. A mushrooms; sautÃ© over low heat until tender. Place sautÃ©ed mushrooms in a medium bowl. Melt remaining butter in the skillet. Add onions; sautÃ© over medium heat until tender. Let cool. Stir in bread crumbs. Stir mixture into sautÃ©ed mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Hints, tips tricks an how to cheat For the fruit filled pierogies, I like to add a little sugar to...
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Homemade Pierogi thread in Kitchens
Q
Comments (24)
Those look very good! I make my own, loosely based on my mother's recipe which was loosely based on my grandma's recipe, which was loosely based on HER mother's recipe ROFL. What I make amounts to about a quarter of the batch we used to make for a single dinner growing up. I get one dinner, one breakfast, and enough for a breakfast or sidedish to freeze. To freeze, I go ahead and boil them like normal then cool completely. Arrange in a single layer on a cookie sheet and freeze solid, then transfer to baggies or a container. To use, defrost (overnight in the fridge or in the microwave) then brown in a pan, and eat! We used to eat them "from the pot" (not browned, just boiled) with the carmelized onions and butter the day they were made, then browned the next day at breakfast. Slathered with sour cream, of course. Now when I make mine, I use reduced fat cheese in the filling, cook my potatoes in the microwave and rice them, make my dough in the food processer (my mother did that, my grandmother and those before her made by hand), make them WAY smaller, and I don't do the butter and onions. Just spray with butter flavoured cooking spray to keep them from sticking. If I want onions on mine (dh and DD don't like them) I roast an onion until it is caramelized and practically spreadable and drop chunks onto my perogies LOL. We also prefer light sour cream to regular (but certainly not fat free, which is white jello if you ask me). I also have started rolling my dough using the kitchenaid pasta roller. MUCH easier. There are a million recipes for the dough. Some call for sour cream, some don't, and so on. I use 4-5 cups flour, a pinch of salt, a knife tip of baking powder, 1 egg beaten with 1 cup water, and a touch of oil. Pulse dry ingredients in a food processer fitted with metal blade. Set to run continuous and add oil in a drizzle. Add egg/water mixture in a drizzle until dough starts to come together and follow the blade. You made need to add more water (up to 1/2 cup or more depending on the flour). Let it go around in a lump a few times to "knead" it. The dough should be firm, plasticky feeling, and not really sticky. Cut dough into at least 6 portions and wrap individually in plastic wrap and allow to rest about 20 minutes. Roll, cut your circles, and fill. Use enough flour to keep dough from sticking too badly, but if you use too much your edges won't stick together properly. If that happens, moisten with a bit of water before pinching. Sometimes I have filling leftover (to be eaten with a spoon LOL). Sometimes I have dough leftover. If I do, I roll it a bit thinner and cut it into smaller circles and fill with a mix of whatever cheeses I have on hand and fold into tortellini. These I freeze in a single layer uncooked and then transfer to a baggie or container. Nice to have some frozen on hand to pop into boiling water for a quick dinner! They take about 12-15 minutes to cook for me from frozen.
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Recipe for 'The Best Pierogi Ever'
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Comments (19)
Duane, I have only ever used unbleached all-purpose flour. But italian pasta is made from semolina, isn't it? The dough really is just pasta, just made a bit moister than I would make pasta to run through my pasta machine. I actually have made this pasta with a little less water and run it through my pasta machine to make linguini. If you try it, let us know how it works! Oh, and you are right, you can stuff them with whatever you want! Kind of like making kolache, there are traditional fillings (prune, poppy seed, apricot) but noone has ever turn up their nose at mixed berry, pineapple, or even pecan (like a pecan tassie). Chase, I reheat them a couple different ways. I either just put the number I want on a plate and nuke them from frozen (doesn't take long, you don't want to make the pasta tough), or I set them out to thaw for about 45 minutes to an hour then (as mentioned above) I pan fry them in a bit of butter. They taste good both ways! We have always frozen them cooked so the hubbies (none of who are interested in spending time in the kitchen) can go heat them up themselves whenever the urge stricks. For my hubbie the urge stricks often! All the talk about cheese pierogi and fruit pierogi are making me want those, but I really don't want to make any more just now! Joanne
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I finally did it!!!
Q
Comments (12)
Thanks everyone! I decided to relax and read a book last night. When we were getting ready for bed I told my husband I was a bit worried it was a dream and I would wake up in the morning and realize I forgot the Polish sausage! Jim, that is exactly how I usually feel - I see all these little flaws and can't believe noone else realizes how many things were not right. My husband always says I'm the only one who notices the problems, it was just so wonderful NOT to notice any problems! As a couple of you (Sharon (Chase, it is Sharon Right? I'm bad at keeping names straight!) and Nancy) asked for my pierogi recipe, from here on out to be known as "The Best Pierogi Ever" LOL!, I will be happy to post it. I will start a thread so anyone interested can find it. I do want to thank Khandi who reccomended the big pierogi maker I used, it made shaping the pierogi soooo easy! I hope everyone who is hosting a party has as wonderful a time as I did! Happy Easter!
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lindac
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I also was thinking of....all the same but different! Empanadas, runza, bierocks, pastis, calzone.....seems every culture has it's "dough wrapped around a filling" thing.....and every one I have tasted is good!
Linda c
booberry85
Original Author
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I couldn't agree more, Linda!

Mary, I'm both Polish & Ukrainian so I heard both terms (pierogi & verenyky) growing up.
Islay_Corbel
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Ravioli...
caliloo
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Piroshki!

My grandmother made the most delicious piroshki, usually with potato filling, but once in a while with meat. I need to see if my cousin has her recipe or if it is long gone..... Needless to say I have never made them from scratch, but your recipe looks good and since my guys love the frozen ones, I think it is time we gave this a go. Thnaks for sharing your recipe!

Alexa
User
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I spell it Pierogi and it's never pluralized but heck I'm Irish! No matter how it is spelled I just love them especially served sauted with onions and kielbasa. Tons of sour cream of course!

My GF's MIL is Ukrainian and I use her dough recipe. The filling I make is simply mashed potatoes using a bit of milk and a ton of cheddar cheese, enough to make the filling quite orange, salt and pepper.

Pierogi dough

6 cups flour
2 cups potato water (the water used to boil the spuds)
1 cup sour cream
2 t salt
2T oil
User
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I grew up in a neighbourhood with both Polish and Ukrainian. I don't care how you spell Perogie, or what you call them. I love them.

I watched my friends mom make her perogies and that is how I make mine. I don't use exact measurements.

I like them served with fried onions, side pork or bacon and sour cream.

Perogies
========
The dough is about 3 cups of flour, give or take, one egg, salt, couple of tablespoons sour cream and enough water to make a soft but not sticky dough. Dough is then wrapped and left to rest for at least 30 minutes.

The filling is mashed potatoes, butter, fried onions, grated cheddar cheese and salt and pepper to taste. I don't measure any of the filling ingredients. Add the cheddar cheese while the potatoes are still hot so that the cheese will melt.

Roll the dough out and use a 2 or 3 inch biscuit cutter to cut the rounds. Gather up the scrapes and reroll. Brush the edges of the dough with a bit of beaten egg white, add a teaspoon or so of potato cheese filling and seal. Use a fork to seal the edges. I put them on cookie sheets lined with parchment and freeze. Once frozen place in freezer containers. To cook, just bring a pot of water, seasoned with salt to a boil and simmer the perogies until they float. Only takes a few minutes to cook. Toss the cooked perogies with some fried onions and bacon or side pork (pork belly) and serve with sour cream.

Here is a link that might be useful: Perogi Pictorial
sally2_gw
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
The only Pierogi(es) I've ever eaten came from the freezer section of the grocery store, so I'm going to have to try making them from scratch. I've never been good at ravioli, but then, I've only tried a couple of times. I want to try my hand at these. Too bad I just ate up the last of left over mashed potatoes for breakfast! Next time I make mashed potatoes, I'm making enough to make these. Or, as Sharon suggested, I'll just boil the potatoes especially for the pierogies and and use the potato water in the dough. That seems like a good idea.

What neat stories and memories y'all are sharing.

Sally
User
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
booberry your recipes for fruit pierogi remind of one that an old polish neighbour of mine used to make. It was to die for and I need to make them soon!

She made her regular dough but added a bit of sugar too it. Then she wrapped a pitted Italian plum with the dough, boiled them and then served hot with sour cream mixed with sugar.

OMG.....I feel a Polish dinner in my near future! Pierogi, smoked pork chops and smoked sausage or kielbasa simmered in sauerkraut, cabbage rolls and plum pierogi for dessert.

No colour on the plate ......who cares !
booberry85
Original Author
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I love pierogies! I introduced them to the Dh's family last year for Easter. They're on the menu again this year for Easter. They were also the first thing to go at a pot luck at the Legion. I love the fruit filled ones as much as the savory ones. They're great with a little dollop of sour cream that has a little sugar added to it. I'm not crazy about sauerkraut. So I stay away from those.

Love the idea of your Polish dinner Chase! My granny, on the Ukrainian side, used to make bread rolls with lekvar (plum or prune butter). It was wonderful. Your plum stuffed pierogies reminded my of that. Maybe I'll have to add that to the baking list for Easter.
Lars
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I guess I've never made pierogi, but the closest thing I've made to that is gyoza (which is pan fried/steamed) or ravioli. I have made piroshki, however, but I used a yeast dough and baked them or deep fried them like Panzerotti. I have never made piroshki with potato filling - only meat - unless they were empanadas, but I do make gnocchi on a regular basis, which might be closer.

So, I guess I am due to try making pierogi! Thanks for the suggestion.

Lars

Pierogies!

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Pierogies!

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