Savory Pierogies

A few weeks ago Costco had these people seeling their homemade Peirogi's, for just a limited time, I guess. I had never had one, so I was excited to sample...the main reason we go to Costco. Anyways, we loved them, and I figured they were something we could make ourselves and Abigail reminded me daily that we needed to. So we finally made them yesterday, and they were a hit! Fun to make, especially if you have mini chefs, or as Abigail likes to call herself, "sous-chef" :)

Pierogi's are basically a dumpling, that you boil and fry up. And they are generally filled with a mashed potato mixture, that you can really put whatever your heart desires. You can also make dessert pierogi's, which I fully intend on doing, as we have a plethora of dough left over.

Savory Pierogies

Dough:
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c Plain Greek Yogurt (or sour cream, but I love the tanginess of the yogurt)
1 egg
3/4 c water

Mix the flour and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl mix the yogurt, water & eggs. Make a well in the center of the flour, pour in the liquid and mix together by hand or with the dough hook until it comes together as a dough, adjusting with additional flour or water 1 Tbsp at a time until a pliable, soft dough is formed (I had to add quite a few tbsp, myself).  Knead, either in the machine or on a lightly floured surface by hand, until the dough isn't sticky and the outside surface looks smooth. Separate into quarters, form into a disk and individually wrap. Store in the fridge for at least 2 hours before rolling.

Filling:
This part I adjusted, because the original recipe for these puppies made 15 dozen!! So I realized with this filling you can kind of add as much or as little as your heart desires.

Russet potatoes (I had a little over 1 lb)
1 small yellow onion, diced 
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 c plain Greek yogurt (again, sour cream, if you don't have yogurt)
Cheese, grated (I used cheddar)
Butter or Oil, to saute 
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Place potatoes into a pot and cover with water. Generously salt and bring to a simmer.They are going to cook until fork tender, same as you would for mashed potatoes.

While the potatoes cook, melt the butter in a saute pan, add the diced onion, and garlic and season with salt & pepper and sweat until sweet smelling and soft, about 7-8 minutes over medium heat. You don't want the onion to take on any color, just completely cook out until sweet.

When the potatoes are cooked, drain in a colander. Let the potatoes steam dry for a couple minutes, but they should still be steaming when you go to mash. {Tip: Do not let them cool. Trying to mash cooled boiled potatoes makes for odd, gummy mashed potatoes} Mash the potatoes with a hand masher or mixer until smooth. Add the onions, garlic, yogurt, cheese, and season with salt & pepper, mix until completely combined. I recommend using a food processor, if you have one. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. {Original recipe note: Mixture should be thick, firm and border on over seasoned, remember, it is the filling for a dumpling. Perfectly smooth is not a concern, a couple of small lumps has never ruined a pierogi.}

Assembly:
Take a section of dough, place on a floured surface, and roll out to 1/8"-1/16". Don't worry about the shape,  just make sure it is thin enough. Brush off any excess flour, and use your circle cutter to cut your rounds. I'd recommend 4 inch circles

Once you have your circle, brush water around the edges (this is your "glue), and place a rounded teaspoon of filling in the middle. Fold in half, and press lightly to close. Then Take a fork, and just press around the edge.

Cooking:
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. In batches, place pierogies in and let them cook until they float, about 2 minutes. Make sure the water stays boiling. Use a slotted spoon to remove, and place on a draining rack.

On medium, melt some butter/oil, and saute the pierogies until they start to brown on both sides. You could also saute some onions, before adding the pierogies.

Remember, you can really experiment and put all sorts of things in these! So have fun!

And viola! I know the recipe seems long, but once you've made them, you'll see they are pretty simple to do. Plus unless you are making these for a huge crowd, you should have plenty of dough left over to freeze and use later.

Bon Appetite!