I’m going to show you how to make homemade pierogi. This Polish food has been a part of me as long as I can remember. Growing up in inner-city Detroit, my childhood was filled with many visits to the local bakeries owned by Polish families. During certain times of the year, you could get fresh kielbasa sausages and these amazing Polish dumplings.
My childhood was filled with enjoying authentic Polish recipes.
Polish Dumplings
As a boy, I was lucky because my mom knew how to make pierogi and we didn’t have to depend on the bakery. My family was pretty traditional, and Polish food was very important to us. For different seasons, we would have different family meals from our Polish heritage.
At Christmas time, we would have a special type of meat pie. That recipe was handed down from my dad’s side. At Easter time, we would have Polish stuffed cabbage.
These Polish dumplings freeze well, but don’t expect to have any leftovers.
Perhaps more than any other holiday food and during the weeks leading up to Easter, my mom would make this family recipe of pierogi, for a wonderful Lenten treat.
What are Pierogi?
Sadly, most Americans know this ethnic food as “Mrs. T’s Pierogies.” Although I have nothing against Mrs. T, (I’ve never met her,) I’m here to tell you that you can do much better with homemade pierogi from Mrs. (or Mr.) X. (Use the first letter of your last name.)
The best way I can describe them is a Polish ravioli. Usually, these are served on meatless Fridays during Lent. These homemade ravioli can be filled with a wide variety of things. Kielbasa (Polish sausage) is our go-to side dish partner for this recipe.
Although they are the national dish of Poland, these boiled and then lightly fried dumplings are popular in other countries such as Hungry, the Ukraine, Russia and some Baltic countries. Depending on which country you are in, they are known by many different names and spellings, including:
- Vareniki
- Varenky
- Perogi
- Pirohy
- Phyrohy
- Dumplings
They can be filled with almost anything, but in Poland, the traditional filling is made of a combination of potatoes and farmer’s cheese.
Our recipe uses a filling that is a combination of potato, cheese, bacon, and onion.
How to Make Pierogi
This is my family recipe for pierogi and it is how my mom always makes these and how her mom taught her to make them. Often while growing up, my mom would stuff them with a potato and cheese filling.
However, they can also be stuffed with sauerkraut or cabbage, a meat mixture, or even be turned into a sweet treat, by filling them with a plum or prune mixture. If you were to ask any of my siblings, I am certain that their favorite, as well as mine, would be the potato and cheese filling.
As I started to make them for my family, I played around with the filling recipe. Then one day, I took a cue from one of my most favorite side dishes, a twice-baked potato. Thus, I began to add bacon, sauteed onions and sour cream to the potato mixture. For those of you that decide to make this for Lent, simply omit the bacon. You will still have a wonderfully delicious treat.
Let me tell you, once you fill the pierogi dough with this flavorful mixture, and then you fry them up and add a dollop of sour cream; you are in heaven.
Filling for Homemade Pierogi
- Potatoes
- Cheddar Cheese
- Onion
- Sour Cream
- Cream Cheese
- Bacon
I’m hoping this savory list of ingredients has caught your attention. Now, let’s get started making these! (The full recipe including ingredients and amounts is found at the end of his post.)
1. Start by peeling and dicing some potatoes. We prefer russet potatoes as their starchy composition gives you a light and fluffy yield.
Can I use leftover Mashed Potatoes?
- You can use leftover mashed potatoes but do not add butter to them.
- You don’t want to use overly creamy mashed potatoes because they will cause the filling to break apart while cooking.
- Do not use instant mashed potatoes for this recipe!
2. Fill a stockpot with saltwater and boil the potatoes until they are fork-tender.
3. While the potatoes are cooking, you can sautee the onions. Reserve a little of the bacon grease to use for extra flavor. You’ll want to sautee them slow and low until they have a nice brown color from caramelization.
4. Drain the potatoes and use a potato masher or fork to incorporate the rest of the filling ingredients. Allow the mixture of filling to cool
5. When the filling mixture has cooled, you can roll it up into little balls, ½ to 2 inches in size. While you are waiting for the filling mixture to cool, you can start making the pierogi dough.
Ingredients for Pierogi Dough
- Flour
- Eggs
- Sour Cream
- Salt
- Milk
6. Combine all of the dough ingredients into a large mixing bowl.
7. Mix the ingredients together, starting with a fork and eventually using your hands. The dough should come together and it should be stretchy. Add small amounts of milk or sour cream to get the right consistency.
8. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead it until it all comes together.
9. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to about ⅛″ thickness.
10. Use a large-rimmed drinking glass (about 4 inches in diameter) to cut the dough. Place a ball of filling in the center and fold it over.
11. Seal each pierogi tightly with wet fingertips and crimp the edges with a fork.
12. Boil the pierogi in a stockpot of salted water. They are finished cooking when they rise to the top.
Allow the boiled dumplings to drain and cool on a rack. They can be wrapped and frozen at this point to enjoy later.
13. Lightly sautee each portion in a frying pan with hot butter.
Sour cream for dipping and some chopped green onion are great compliments with this recipe.
Pierogi make a great side dish, or even a meal on to their own. When you make these, I would suggest making a large batch.
These dumplings freeze well for a future meal. That said, I can almost guarantee that they probably won’t last that long.
When I make them, the kids go wild. It is not uncommon for each boy to eat 3…4…5. I think the record is 10.
Please give these Polish dumplings a try. Your family will thank you!
Pierogi are always served around Easter in our family.
FAQ for Making Pierogi
Can I use Leftover Mashed Potatoes to make Pierogi?
- You can use leftover mashed potatoes to make these.
- Chunkier leftover mashed potatoes are the best type for pierogi. If they are too smooth and creamy, the pierogi will fall apart.
- If using leftover mashed potatoes to make pierogi, do not add butter to the filling.
- Be sure that your leftover mashed potatoes are refrigerated before reusing them.
How to Freeze Pierogi
- After the pierogi are filled, pre-freeze them on a flour-dusted cookie sheet, covered in plastic wrap.
- Once they are frozen, you can transfer to a zip lock bag for longer storage.
- Freezing you pierogi in a single layer initially will help to keep them from sticking together.
What can I use for Pieroi Filling?
- You can fill pierogi with savory meats, like bacon, sausage, and chunks of ham.
- Cheeses make a great filling. We prefer cheddar but use your favorite cheese if you like.
- Make dessert pierogi by adding sweet fruit and berries such as blueberry, cherry or a plum filling.
What to Serve with Pierogi
This is usually a savory comfort food (depending on the filling.) Therefore, savory side dishes will taste great along with them. Some of our favorite things to serve with pierogi include:
- Fried Cabbage with Bacon
- Creamed Spinach and Parsnips
- Balsamic Garlic-Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Steamed Kale
- 15 Savory Side Dishes to go with Pierogies
Using bits of chopped bacon, we add a modern twist to this traditional Polish recipe.
Recipe Recap
- Make a filling using a mixture of mashed potatoes and cheese.
- Make the dough, using flour, egg, salt, and some sour cream.
- Roll the pierogi dough out and fill and seal each portion with the filling.
- Boil each dumpling in some salted water.
- Drain the batch when they are completely cooked.
- Use a pan to brown the finished pierogi and serve with sour cream.
Scott shows you in more detail how to make pierogi
A Few Other Polish Recipes From My Family
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Pierogi
Ingredients
for the Filling
- 2 pounds potatoes
- 8 oz mild Cheddar cheese grated
- 6 slices bacon coarsely chopped, fried, and drained.
- ½ onion chopped and sauteed
- ½ stick butter
- 2-3 Tbs sour cream
- 2-3 Tbs cream cheese
- Tbs salt for pot of water for the potatoes
Instructions
- Peel and dice potatoes, fill a stock pot with water and add potatoes and salt to the water. Boil the potatoes until they are fully cooked, or you can easily puncture them with a fork with no resistance
- While the potatoes are cooking, saute the onions in a fry pan using a little butter and some of the drippings from the bacon. You want the onions to brown and caramelized.
- Drain water from the cooked potatoes and use a potato masher to mash them. Add the cheddar cheese, cream cheese. Then, mix together until the cheese is fully melted and set aside until cooled. Once cooled, form the cheese and potato mixture into ½ to 2 inch balls.
- While the potato mixture is cooling begin to make the dough. In a mixing bowl, add the flour, eggs, salt, and sour cream. Using a fork, stir the ingredients together. You will want to use your hands at some point to fully incorporate the ingredients.
- The dough should start to come together. If it does not, add a little more sour cream or a little milk. Once it begins to come together, place on a floured surface and kneed the dough until it comes completely together.
- Wrap the dough in some plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes to an hour.
- Next, take the dough out of the refrigerator and roll out on a floured surface until the dough is approximately ⅛ of an inch. (Don't get too caught up in the thickness. You want it to be workable and not too thin that the dough will puncture when you are filling it.)
- FYI: Dough should be somewhat elastic while you are rolling it out. This means that it should spring back as you are rolling it out into a circle.
- Use a drinking glass to cut circles out of the dough. Place your filing ball in the center of the dough and Fold the dough over the filling. You will need to stretch the dough over to seal. Using your fingers, pinch the dough closed.
- If the dough does not seal, wet your finger and run your finger on the edge of the dough. This should act as a "glue" to seal your dough. You can also use a back of a fork to help seal your edges. This gives the Pierogi a very nice look.
- Your finished Pierogi will have a semi-circle appearance. Set aside and continue to make the rest of your Pierogi.
- Fill a stock pot with salted water and bring to a boil and then add a few Pierogi at a time. Allow Pierogi to cook in the boiling water until the Pierogi float to the top. This will take a few minutes. Remove from water and place on a cooling rack to drain and cool. Continue this process until done with all Pierogi.
- When ready to eat, fry in butter in a pan over medium heat until Pierogi are golden brown on both sides. Serve with sour cream and chopped green onion stems (optional)
Video
Notes
- If using leftover mashed potatoes to make pierogi, do not add butter to the filling.
- While you are rolling out the pierogi dough, you’re looking for a little elasticity in the dough; you want it to spring back a bit while as you roll it out.
- When you place the filling on the dough to make these Polish dumplings, you are going to have to stretch the top edge of the dough to envelop the pierogi filling.
- You may need just a bit of water on your fingertips to help seal each pierogi tightly.
