Pierogi Filling Recipes

PIEROGI (TRADITIONAL POLISH DUMPLINGS)

Steps:

• Pass farmer's cheese and cooked potatoes separately through a food grinder or food processor.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook mushrooms and onions until soft, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Combine farmer's cheese, potatoes, mushroom mixture, sour cream, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Mix together and set filling aside.
• Place flour on a clean work surface and make a well in the center. Crack both eggs into the well. Add butter and a few tablespoons of the warm water. Mix with your hands, gradually adding more warm water, 1 tablespoon at a time, as you go. Knead well, continuing to add more water as needed. Knead until dough is soft and smooth, adding more flour to the work surface as needed.
• Cut off 1/4 of the dough and roll out to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Cut out circles using a glass or a round pastry cutter, saving the excess dough for your next batch.
• Fill each dough circle with 1 teaspoon of filling. Fold dough over into a half-moon shape and pinch edges together to seal. Cover with a clean dish towel so pierogi won't dry out and repeat with remaining dough and filling.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle boil. Add the pierogi in batches, about 20 at a time, and cook until they float to the surface, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain in a strainer. Repeat with the remaining pierogi.

PIEROGIES WITH POTATO AND CHEESE FILLING

Steps:

• Mix flour, water, and egg and salt together. Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Cover dough with bowl and let rest for 30 minutes.
• Boil potatoes until soft. Drain and rinse. Add cheese. Let stand a few minutes until cheese melts. Then fold potatoes and cheese together.
• Roll out dough about 1/8-inch thick. Cut into 3-inch squares. Fill each square of dough with one teaspoon of potato and cheese filling. Fold in half and pinch ends together to seal. Drop in hot boiling water and simmer for 8 minutes. Drain and fry in butter a few minutes until heated through. Chopped onions may be added to the butter, if desired. Salt and pepper, to taste.

SAUERKRAUT FILLING FOR PIEROGI

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat oil over a medium flame. Add onions and mushrooms, and cook until tender but not brown. Stir in sauerkraut, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cook for 6 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in 2 tablespoons sour cream.

PEROGIES WITH VARIOUS TRADITIONAL FILLINGS

Steps:

• note***The dough recipe is for around 50 perogies.
• At least 1 batch for each filling.
• I make a day of this and triple each recipe.
• Believe me, they don't last long!
• For the dough: Mix egg, oil and water.
• Add to flour and salt and knead to elastic.
• Flour your counter top and rolling pin.
• Roll the dough to around 1/4 inch thick and cut into small circles.
• Stretch with fingers and add 1 t. filling, fold over and flute.
• Boil until perogies float.
• Cool before freezing.
• Cottage cheese and Dill filling: In a large bowl mix all ingredients together well and fill perogies.
• Sauerkraut and Bacon: In a large bowl mix together all ingredients well. Bacon fat will cling to the kraut. Fill perogie dough.
• Potato and Cheese: In a large bowl mix well the potato, cheese, salt and mix well. Fill Perogie dough.
• You will need about 1 and 1/2 recipes for the dough for each batch of filling, depending on how thick or thin you roll your dough.

PIEROGI FILLING

Steps:

• For the Cabbage Filling: cut the cabbage into quarters. Steam until very tender, about 15 minutes; drain and cool. Wrap cooled cabbage in a towel, and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Simmer finely chopped onions in butter and chicken broth until the onion is translucent - add the cooled cabbage salt and pepper. Let simmer until heated. Stir in the cream cheese and dill (or substitute caraway seeds if you prefer).
• Instant Potato and Cheese Filling: Sautee the onion and butter in a small pot until the onion is translucent. Add enough water based on the instant mashed potato package directions (I would guess but every brand is different) and add the chives. Once the water has boiled, remove the pot from the heat and add the potato flakes, cheese and cream cheese.
• Ground beef filling: In a large frying pan, simmer the finely chopped onions in the butter and cook until the onions are translucent. Prepare the ground beef by combining and kneading it with the hunter's seasoning (see below). Add it to the onion mixture, chopping it with your spatula so it doesn't cook together. Cook until all of the pink is gone.
• Hunter's seasoning recipe: Make as much or as little as you want using this ratio. This will make more than the 3 tablespoons amount, but I don't know what the ratio would be for exactly that amount. I always make a jar full and keep it on hand since it's a good general meat seasoning for beef or poultry. 2 teaspoons Marjoram, 1 teaspoons peppercorn, 1 teaspoons caraway, ½ teaspoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoons onion powder, 1 teaspoons Allspice to taste, Cloves to taste, 1 crushed bay leaf, 1 teaspoons Juniper berries (A difficult thing to find, you can substitute this by adding a few shots of gin to the ground beef while kneading; gives it a great flavor and all the alcohol will cook out).