This Potato & Cheese Pierogi recipe was inspired by my sister-in-law, who was the first person to show me the wonders of hand-rolled Pierogis. I have always been a huge a fan of pierogis but, the frozen variety don't come close to the handmade version. These are stuffed with creamy mashed potatoes, sautéed onions, old cheddar cheese, boiled & pan fried, then topped with sour cream, bacon and more onions! 

INGREDIENTS

Dough

• 2 Eggs 
• 2/3 Cup of Sour Cream
• 2 1/2 Cups of Flour
• 1/2 tsp Baking Powder 
• 1/2 tsp Salt

Filing 

• 2 tbsp Butter
• 2 White Onions (Chopped) 
• 4 Medium Potatoes (Peeled & Cubed) 
• 2 Cloves of Garlic (Peeled & Smashed with side of knife) 
• 5 oz of Cream Cheese (Softened) 
• 1/2 tsp Salt 
• 1/2 tsp Pepper
• Old Cheddar Cheese (Cubed)

DIRECTIONS 

Dough

1. Beat eggs with sour cream in a bowl.
2. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into egg and sour cream mixture.
3. Mix until dough is formed. 
4. Knead on a floured surface until smooth. 
5. Cover and refrigerate while making the filing 

Filing

1. Peel and cut potatoes into small cubes. 
2. Rinse off potatoes to remove starch. 
3. Put potatoes and garlic into pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil.  
4. Cook until tender (Fork will go through them easily). 
5. Drain potatoes. Return to pot on low heat and stir for 1min to remove excess moisture. 
6. Mash potatoes until smooth, then whisk potatoes for 10 seconds until light and fluffy. (Garlic will incorporate during this step)
7. Stir in cream cheese, salt & pepper and sautéed onions. 

Forming the Pierogis 

1. Grab a handful of the dough and roll it out as thin as possible. 
2. Cut into circles using a cookie cutter or glass. 
3. While holding the circle in your hand, scoop a heaping tablespoon of the potato mixture and place in the middle of the dough.
4. Place a cheese cube in the centre of the potato mixture. 
5. Fold the circle in half to close the Pierogi. 
6. Pinch the seams to seal shut (You can get creative and incorporate a decorative seam by using the pinch & twist method as seen here)
7. At this stage, you can cook them immediately or freeze them in single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Cooking the Pierogis 

1. Take your fresh or frozen pierogis and place them into a pot of boiling water until they float (Be sure not to overcrowd the pot or they will stick together)
2. Using a slotted spoon, scoop out your pierogis and add them to a hot oiled frying pan. (If you like your pierogis topped with bacon, cook first and save some of the bacon grease to use as the oil) 
3. Fry until golden brown on one side then flip and repeat. (Traditionally they are only fried on one side, but I prefer them crispy on both sides) 
4. Remove from pan and serve immediately with sour cream, bacon, onions and shredded cheese. 

PRINT THE RECIPE HERE

*The dough was adapted from Jamie Oliver's book, "Jamie's Comfort Food" and the filling was adapted from www.tasteofhome.com