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These homemade Cheddar Pierogies with Caramelized Onions and Bacon are the perfect meal to make with family and friends. Simple potato-filled Pierogi dumplings tossed in a nutty, buttery pan sauce and topped with crispy caramelized onions, sharp cheddar cheese, and bacon. Every bite is a little cheesy, a touch buttery, and full of creamy potatoes layered with delicious caramelized onions and salty bacon. Nothing is better…or cozier…on a cold winter night.

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I could not be more excited about this recipe. Pierogies are one of those foods that bring back all the best memories. Tell me you all grew up eating Mrs. T’s cheddar Pierogies too? The frozen bags of Mrs. T’s were always stocked in our freezer. My mom would make them for the two of us on cold winter days. Yes, way back when my family still lived in Cleveland. Of course, back then, my mom would simply boil up the frozen pierogies, top each with a handful of cheddar cheese, and then melt the cheese in the microwave. And then?

We’d proceed to eat them by the fire…

We also did this with top Ramen (another tried and true favorite). Mom and I really knew how to live it up on bitter cold Cleveland days. It was literally a three-step, two-ingredient meal, but I loved it. So much so that when I got a little older, my best friend and I would come home from school and do the very same thing. And yes, I got her hooked on pierogies as well.

When I first started cooking for the family, I remember one long summer spent up at Mt. Hood. It was the first summer (of many) that we spent there, and I recall it doing nothing but rain. It was cold and I was bored. So bored. So what did I do? I taught myself how to make homemade pierogies. From that day on I knew I could never go back to Mrs. T’s…nothing beats a homemade pierogi.

SO GOOD.

Pierogies dough

assembling Pierogies with potatoes in center of dough

Once I discovered how to make homemade pierogies, I’d make a HUGE batch and freeze them. My younger brother Kai says that to this day, pierogies are still one of his favorite meals I’ve made him.

It’s been ages since I last made pierogies (over two years…see my first pierogi recipe here). A couple weeks ago I found myself really wanting to make a more classic pierogi. One topped with onions and cream…and bacon too.

Enter today’s recipe…and it’s probably my favorite recipe of the week.

Cheddar Pierogies before cooking

Here is how you make homemade pierogies.

Start with the dough. It’s your basic, flour, egg, salt, combo, but what’s unique about most pierogi recipes is the use of sour cream in the dough. The sour cream keeps the dough moist and adds the slightest tang. Since I don’t cook with sour cream, I always use plain greek yogurt instead, which works perfectly. However, you can certainly use an equal amount of sour cream if you prefer.

Next, the filling…cheesy, creamy, buttery potatoes, simple as that. Don’t mess with it, so good.

You can make the potatoes the traditional way on the stove-top, or you can use the instant pot. I prefer to use the instant pot. It’s the easiest, quickest way to make potatoes.

side angled photo of Cheddar Pierogies with Caramelized Onions and Bacon

Let me tell you about the toppings.

I’ve had a lot of people message me in the past to tell me about all the different ways they top their pierogies. But what I believe to be most classic are onions with a dollop of sour cream. Or even just butter and a dollop of sour cream. I’m not 100% sure (because I googled this and multiple answers came up), BUT I do think these are semi-classic toppings. Either way, they’re DELICIOUS.

Next up, crisp up some bacon. You can use the same skillet used to caramelize the onions with a touch of apple cider vinegar for a bit of tang. Finish with some fresh thyme. Now, toss in the pierogies and serve each serving with addition cheddar and a dollop of cream. I like to use more yogurt, but use what you love most. These cheddar pierogies with caramelized onions and bacon are going to be good no matter what.

overhead close up photo Cheddar Pierogies with Caramelized Onions and Bacon

Freeze for later.

Here’s the thing about pierogi making. Just like ravioli, these take time. Please do not let this scare you away. Making pierogies is very simple. The dough is incredibly easy to work with. If you can roll out a basic bread dough, you can certainly make pierogies. You don’t need any special equipment, just a bowl, a spoon, and a rolling pin. And if you don’t have a rolling pin – use a wine bottle.

So, while making pierogies does take a little effort, you can make them in bulk over the weekend…or whenever you have time. Then just freeze what’s left over for the quickest, easiest lunch or dinner…any day of the week. Once the pierogies are frozen, simply boil them up from frozen, they take just minutes to cook.

And yes, these are far better than Mrs. T’s.

overhead photo of Cheddar Pierogies with Caramelized Onions and Bacon

My suggestion?

Find some time this week, over the weekend, or maybe even over Christmas break. You can even gather up some friends and make it a holiday Pierogi Night. Everyone can help in making the pierogies. Enjoy some fun drinks, maybe a cheese board too, and of course…Christmas music!

Sounds to me like the perfect way to spend a cold December night!

overhead close up photo of Cheddar Pierogies with Caramelized Onions and Bacon with fork in pierogi

If you make these Cheddar Pierogies with Caramelized Onions and Bacon, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

Watch the How To Video:

Cheddar Pierogies with Caramelized Onions and Bacon

Author: Tieghan Gerard
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 8 (about 40 pierogies total)
Calories Per Serving: 604 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

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Ingredients

Dough

Filling

Onion Butter Sauce

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • 1. To make the dough. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, butter, yogurt, and egg, and mix until combined. Knead the dough for 2-3 minutes. Cover and let sit 30 minutes.
    2. To make the filling. Bring the potatoes to a boil in a large pot of cold water. Salt the water and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20 to 30 minutes.
    3. Drain the potatoes, return the potatoes to the pot and mash over low heat, adding the butter, cheddar cheese, and cream cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 
    4. Roll the dough out onto a floured surface to 1/8 inch thickness. Using a biscuit cutter, cut out 3-inch circles. Spoon 2 teaspoons of filling into the center of each round. Brush the edges with water and fold half of the dough over the filling to enclose it. Press down the edges to seal, pressing out all the air. Be sure to keep the dough covered as you work to prevent from drying out. At this point, the pierogi can be flash-frozen on a baking sheet for 30 minutes, then transferred to a freezer bag and frozen for up to 3 months. 
    5. When ready to cook, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the pierogies in batches for 2-3 minutes, or until they float. Drain.
    6. To make the butter sauce, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Drain onto a paper towel. Wipe the skillet clean, then set back over medium-high heat and melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add the onions and cook 5 minutes, until softened. Add the apple cider, season with salt and pepper and continue cooking another 5-8 minutes, until the cider has evaporated and the onions are golden and caramelized. Add the remaining butter and thyme and cook 2-3 minutes, until the butter is browned. Remove from the heat.
    7. Drop the pierogies into the sauce, gently tossing to combine. Spoon the pierogies and onions onto plates. Top with cheddar and bacon. EAT!

Instant Pot

  • 1. Combine the potatoes and 1 1/2 cups water. Cover and cook on high pressure/manual for 12 minutes. Once done cooking, use the natural or quick release function and release the steam. Drain the potatoes well.
    2. Finish as directed above from step 3 on.
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horizontal photo of Cheddar Pierogies with Caramelized Onions and Bacon

This post was originally published on December 2, 2019
4.40 from 264 votes (193 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  2. I would consider slightly amending the recipe: 4 Russet potatoes can be anywhere from 1-4 pounds, depending on the size of the potato. I used 4 moderately sized ones (~6 ounces each) and had 2x the amount of filling I needed. Not really a problem, as it will make excellent potato pancakes tomorrow. Listing the potatoes by weight or cups (mashed) would be more specific. The end result was fantastic and — as you said — even better than the Mrs. T’s of my youth!

    Reply

  4. 5 stars
    Pierogies used to be something that I could only get when I visited my family in Cleveland or from Mrs. T. This post really made me think of growing up. We made 30 of these and they were gone. I will now make pierogies at home. This was very good. Thank you for the recipe!

    Reply

  5. My boyfriend & I made these tonight and they were so tasty!! We are big fans of your recipes and were excited to try this one. One question — our dough was so tricky! We followed the directions, but it only made 1/2 a batch (~20 pierogi) and the dough was dry & hard to roll out. Any thoughts on where we might have gone wrong? It was still delicious, and we have so much filling left we’re going to do attempt #2 with the dough tomorrow!

    Reply

    1. Hey Emily! Try using only 1 3/4 cups flour, then adding more as needed. If your dough was dry you just need a little less flour OR you can also add a touch of water to moisten the dough back up too. And then try and roll it a bit thinner to make more Pierogi. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you guys love this recipe! Thank you and happy holidays! xTieghan

      Reply

  8. 5 stars
    These are quite labor-intensive but very tasty! I like to bake my pierogies because I prefer a crisper texture. For these, I made the dough, filled and assembled the pierogies, and then baked at 400F for 15-20 minutes. It worked like a charm and my dinner guests enjoyed them! I recommend making these on a night where you have a lot of time to spare and want tasty comfort food.

    Reply

    1. Hi Lina, I would use your favorite vegetable in place of the onions. Mushrooms or broccoli would be delicious!! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and happy holidays! xTieghan

      Reply

  10. 5 stars
    I made a double batch of these today for my husband’s birthday dinner. I wasn’t sure if they could be cooked right after being filled, so I flash froze them to be safe. I also sautéed them after boiling because my family had likes an ever-so-slight crispness to their pierogi.

    My husband and kiddos went bonkers for these, so we may just have a pierogi party over Christmas break as you suggested. Our teenager said that she finds the ones from the store “disgusting” (so dramatic, haha) after taking her first bite tonight.

    I have never made pierogi before but am so glad I did. Thank you for a truly delicious recipe!

    Reply

    1. Thank you so much Merrily! I am so glad this turned out so well for you all! I hope your pierogi party goes amazing!! xTieghan

      Reply

  12. 5 stars
    My Polish grandmother lived next door to us. Growing up, she made pierogi mainly with fruit – cherries, blueberries, and plums. She nursed me back to health one summer with plates full of blueberry pierogi. On occasion she would make sauerkraut – the stuffing was made with sauerkraut, sauteed onion, and rehydrated mushrooms that she and my dad gathered and dried. Wonderful! I like the idea of using Greek yogurt in the dough. It has the same tang as sour cream but less fat and more protein. I’ve made my own, too, once for Christmas, and well worth the effort.

    Reply

  13. I made these last night and they were amazing. I rolled out the dough with my pasta maker. It’s snowing in Maine and I definitely had more for breakfast. They’re filthy good!

    Reply

    1. Hi Barb! I have never made this with GF flour so I can’t really say how it will turn out. If you do try it, I recommend Cup4Cup flour. Please let me know if you have any other questions and how it turns out. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan

      Reply

    1. Hu Julie! I have never made this with GF flour so I can’t really say how it will turn out. If you do try it, I recommend Cup4Cup flour. Please let me know if you have any other questions and how it turns out. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan

      Reply