How to Make Potato and Cheese Pierogi
Wash and cut the potatoes., Boil the potatoes until they're tender., Mash the potatoes., Saute the onions., Combine the potato, onions, and cheese., Combine the flour and butter., Stir in warm water., Knead the pierogi dough., Prepare a baking sheet...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Wash and cut the potatoes.
You'll need to wash 1 1/2 pounds (675 g) of russet potatoes to remove any dirt.
Peel the potatoes and discard the peels.
Carefully cut the potatoes into 1-inch pieces and place them in a 4-quart saucepan.Avoid using waxy potatoes like Yukon golds which aren't as starchy as the russet potatoes. -
Step 2: Boil the potatoes until they're tender.
Fill the saucepan with enough cold water to completely cover the pieces of potato.
Turn the heat to high and bring the water to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low and let the potatoes bubble lightly.
Simmer the potatoes for about 15 minutes.
They should be tender if you poke them with a fork.For extra flavor, you can add a few pinches of salt to the water that you boil the potatoes in. , Wear oven mitts and drain the water out of the saucepan.
Place the potatoes back into the pan and turn the heat on medium.
Let the potatoes cook for about three minutes so they dry out a little.
Turn off the heat and use a potato masher to mash the potatoes in the pan.
Transfer the mashed potatoes to a mixing bowl.The mashed potatoes should be completely smooth since it may be difficult to fill the pierogi with lumpy mashed potatoes. , Melt 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter or olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Once the pan is hot and the butter is melted, add 3 medium onions that are finely chopped.
You should have about 3 3/4 cups of chopped onion.
Saute the onions for about 15 to 20 minutes.
They should become caramelized and soft.
Divide the sauteed onions into two portions.Set aside one portion to use as a garnish for the cooked pierogi.
The other portion will be mixed into the filling mixture. , Add one portion of the sauteed onions into the mixing bowl with the mashed potatoes.
Add 10 ounces (280 g) of crumbled farmer cheese along with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.
Stir the mixture so the filling is combined.
Set the mixture aside.The filling should be at room temperature before you use it to fill the pierogi dough. , Place 7 cups (2 pounds or 875 g) of unbleached all-purpose flour into a large mixing bowl.
Add 1/2 cup (113 g) of the butter into the mixing bowl.
Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour.
Keep rubbing it until the flour and butter feel sandy or crumbly.Use butter that's cold or it will be difficult to rub the butter into the flour. , Measure out 2 cups (475 ml) of warm water.
Pour 1 3/4 cups (415 ml) of the water into the flour and butter mixture.
Use your fingers to stir the mixture until it starts to form a dough.
If the mixture is too dry to come together, stir in the remaining 1/4 of a cup (60 ml) of warm water one tablespoon at a time.The dough will look like a shaggy lump once it's ready to knead. , Sprinkle a counter or work space with flour and place the shaggy dough on the counter.
Use the palms of your hands to gently knead the dough.
Knead it until it's smooth and stretchy.
Keep in mind that the dough won't be completely smooth so don't overwork the dough or it will be tough.If you want to make the dough ahead of time, you can cover the dough with a dishtowel for up to one hour. , Lay a sheet of parchment paper onto a large baking sheet.
Sprinkle flour over the parchment paper.
Take the pierogi dough and divide it into six balls.
Each ball should weigh about 8 ounces (225 g).
Set one ball on your work space and keep the others covered with a clean dishtowel.
Each ball of dough should be about the size of an orange., Use a rolling pin to roll a ball of dough into a large circle that's 10 to 11-inches (25 to 28 cm) wide.
The circle of dough should be 1/8-inch (3 mm) thick.
Work with one ball of dough at a time so they don't dry out.You may need to sprinkle more flour over your work space if the dough starts to stick. , Dip a 3-inch (7.5 cm) round cookie cutter into flour.
Use the cutter to cut small circles out of the large circle of dough.
Place the dough circles on your prepared baking sheet and sprinkle them with a little extra flour.
Lay another sheet of parchment paper over the dough circles.
Continue rolling, cutting, and stacking the circles of dough.Stacking the dough circles between parchment will keep the dough from drying out. , Brush the extra flour off of a dough circle and place it in the palm of your hand.
Scoop about 1 tablespoon of the potato cheese filling onto the center of the dough and fold the circle over the filling.
It should make a half-moon shape.
Pinch the edges of the circle to seal in the filling.
Place the filled pierogi back on the baking sheet.
Do this for all of the dough circles.Keep the filled pierogi covered with a clean dishtowel or plastic wrap while you fill the remaining pierogi. , Turn the oven on to 175 degrees F (80 C) while you bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
Once the water boils, add 10 to 12 pierogi to the pot and stir them to prevent sticking.
Boil the pierogi for about one to two minutes.
They should float to the top of the pot when they're cooked.If you refrigerated the pierogi, you may to boil them for an extra minute or two.
If you froze the pierogi, they should boil for 7 to 10 minutes. , Use a slotted spoon to scoop out the cooked pierogi from the pot of boiling water.
Set the cooked pierogi on a warm plate and place them in the preheated oven.
They'll stay warm while you boil the remaining pierogi.
At this point, you can serve the boiled pierogi.Let the water come back to boiling before you add the next batch of pierogi to the pot.
This will ensure they cook evenly. , For soft dumpling-like pierogi, serve the pierogi after they've been boiled and drained.
Melt 1/2 cup (113 g) of butter in a small saucepan or skillet over medium heat.
Remove the warmed pierogi from the oven and sprinkle them with the sauteed onion that you reserved for the garnish.
Pour the melted butter over the pierogi and season them with salt and pepper to taste.You can also serve the pierogi with a side of sour cream. , For pierogi which a slight crunch, fry them in butter.
Melt 4 tablespoons (56 g) of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add 10 to 12 of the cooked and drained pierogi.
Fry the pierogi for 4 to 5 minutes and then flip them over.
Let them cook for another 4 to 5 minutes on the other side until they're crispy and golden brown.
Repeat this for the remaining pierogi.You can also garnish the fried pierogi with the reserved onion and sour cream on the side. -
Step 3: Mash the potatoes.
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Step 4: Saute the onions.
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Step 5: Combine the potato
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Step 6: onions
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Step 7: and cheese.
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Step 8: Combine the flour and butter.
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Step 9: Stir in warm water.
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Step 10: Knead the pierogi dough.
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Step 11: Prepare a baking sheet and divide the dough.
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Step 12: Roll the dough into a large circle.
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Step 13: Cut small circles out of the dough.
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Step 14: Fill each circle of dough.
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Step 15: Boil the pierogi and preheat the oven.
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Step 16: Drain the boiled pierogi.
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Step 17: Serve the boiled pierogi.
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Step 18: Consider frying the cooked pierogi.
Detailed Guide
You'll need to wash 1 1/2 pounds (675 g) of russet potatoes to remove any dirt.
Peel the potatoes and discard the peels.
Carefully cut the potatoes into 1-inch pieces and place them in a 4-quart saucepan.Avoid using waxy potatoes like Yukon golds which aren't as starchy as the russet potatoes.
Fill the saucepan with enough cold water to completely cover the pieces of potato.
Turn the heat to high and bring the water to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low and let the potatoes bubble lightly.
Simmer the potatoes for about 15 minutes.
They should be tender if you poke them with a fork.For extra flavor, you can add a few pinches of salt to the water that you boil the potatoes in. , Wear oven mitts and drain the water out of the saucepan.
Place the potatoes back into the pan and turn the heat on medium.
Let the potatoes cook for about three minutes so they dry out a little.
Turn off the heat and use a potato masher to mash the potatoes in the pan.
Transfer the mashed potatoes to a mixing bowl.The mashed potatoes should be completely smooth since it may be difficult to fill the pierogi with lumpy mashed potatoes. , Melt 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter or olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Once the pan is hot and the butter is melted, add 3 medium onions that are finely chopped.
You should have about 3 3/4 cups of chopped onion.
Saute the onions for about 15 to 20 minutes.
They should become caramelized and soft.
Divide the sauteed onions into two portions.Set aside one portion to use as a garnish for the cooked pierogi.
The other portion will be mixed into the filling mixture. , Add one portion of the sauteed onions into the mixing bowl with the mashed potatoes.
Add 10 ounces (280 g) of crumbled farmer cheese along with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.
Stir the mixture so the filling is combined.
Set the mixture aside.The filling should be at room temperature before you use it to fill the pierogi dough. , Place 7 cups (2 pounds or 875 g) of unbleached all-purpose flour into a large mixing bowl.
Add 1/2 cup (113 g) of the butter into the mixing bowl.
Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour.
Keep rubbing it until the flour and butter feel sandy or crumbly.Use butter that's cold or it will be difficult to rub the butter into the flour. , Measure out 2 cups (475 ml) of warm water.
Pour 1 3/4 cups (415 ml) of the water into the flour and butter mixture.
Use your fingers to stir the mixture until it starts to form a dough.
If the mixture is too dry to come together, stir in the remaining 1/4 of a cup (60 ml) of warm water one tablespoon at a time.The dough will look like a shaggy lump once it's ready to knead. , Sprinkle a counter or work space with flour and place the shaggy dough on the counter.
Use the palms of your hands to gently knead the dough.
Knead it until it's smooth and stretchy.
Keep in mind that the dough won't be completely smooth so don't overwork the dough or it will be tough.If you want to make the dough ahead of time, you can cover the dough with a dishtowel for up to one hour. , Lay a sheet of parchment paper onto a large baking sheet.
Sprinkle flour over the parchment paper.
Take the pierogi dough and divide it into six balls.
Each ball should weigh about 8 ounces (225 g).
Set one ball on your work space and keep the others covered with a clean dishtowel.
Each ball of dough should be about the size of an orange., Use a rolling pin to roll a ball of dough into a large circle that's 10 to 11-inches (25 to 28 cm) wide.
The circle of dough should be 1/8-inch (3 mm) thick.
Work with one ball of dough at a time so they don't dry out.You may need to sprinkle more flour over your work space if the dough starts to stick. , Dip a 3-inch (7.5 cm) round cookie cutter into flour.
Use the cutter to cut small circles out of the large circle of dough.
Place the dough circles on your prepared baking sheet and sprinkle them with a little extra flour.
Lay another sheet of parchment paper over the dough circles.
Continue rolling, cutting, and stacking the circles of dough.Stacking the dough circles between parchment will keep the dough from drying out. , Brush the extra flour off of a dough circle and place it in the palm of your hand.
Scoop about 1 tablespoon of the potato cheese filling onto the center of the dough and fold the circle over the filling.
It should make a half-moon shape.
Pinch the edges of the circle to seal in the filling.
Place the filled pierogi back on the baking sheet.
Do this for all of the dough circles.Keep the filled pierogi covered with a clean dishtowel or plastic wrap while you fill the remaining pierogi. , Turn the oven on to 175 degrees F (80 C) while you bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
Once the water boils, add 10 to 12 pierogi to the pot and stir them to prevent sticking.
Boil the pierogi for about one to two minutes.
They should float to the top of the pot when they're cooked.If you refrigerated the pierogi, you may to boil them for an extra minute or two.
If you froze the pierogi, they should boil for 7 to 10 minutes. , Use a slotted spoon to scoop out the cooked pierogi from the pot of boiling water.
Set the cooked pierogi on a warm plate and place them in the preheated oven.
They'll stay warm while you boil the remaining pierogi.
At this point, you can serve the boiled pierogi.Let the water come back to boiling before you add the next batch of pierogi to the pot.
This will ensure they cook evenly. , For soft dumpling-like pierogi, serve the pierogi after they've been boiled and drained.
Melt 1/2 cup (113 g) of butter in a small saucepan or skillet over medium heat.
Remove the warmed pierogi from the oven and sprinkle them with the sauteed onion that you reserved for the garnish.
Pour the melted butter over the pierogi and season them with salt and pepper to taste.You can also serve the pierogi with a side of sour cream. , For pierogi which a slight crunch, fry them in butter.
Melt 4 tablespoons (56 g) of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add 10 to 12 of the cooked and drained pierogi.
Fry the pierogi for 4 to 5 minutes and then flip them over.
Let them cook for another 4 to 5 minutes on the other side until they're crispy and golden brown.
Repeat this for the remaining pierogi.You can also garnish the fried pierogi with the reserved onion and sour cream on the side.
About the Author
Alice Alvarez
Creates helpful guides on organization to inspire and educate readers.
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