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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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
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.
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- 1 cup plain full fat greek yogurt, plus more for serving
- 1 large egg
Filling
- 4 Russet potatoes, peeled and quartered (about 3 pounds)
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese. plus more for topping
- 2 ounces cream cheese
- kosher salt and black pepper
Onion Butter Sauce
- 4 thick cut slices bacon, chopped
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
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.
This post was originally published on December 2, 2019
Hi! Great recipe! Do you mind sharing where you bought your biscuit cutter?! Thank you!!
Hi Terri! I got it on amazon! I hope you love this recipe! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi! I don’t have yogurt, and stuck at home is there any other creative substitute for the dough?
Hi KT,
You can use sour cream in place of the yogurt. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I only have 2% Fage Greek Yogurt and 2 big russet potatoes. Can I cut the recipe in half with the 2 potatoes and use 2% greek yogurt? I’d love to make borscht with homemade pierogis tonight!
Hi!
Yes this will absolutely work! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This recipe was absolutely delicious! My dough ended up with little clumps in it, and I’m not sure what that was about, but it wasn’t noticeable once the pierogi were cooked.
I am so glad this turned out so well for you Lacey! Thank you so much for trying it! Please let me know if there are any questions I could help you with! xTieghan
These are delicious. But there is a mismatch between the amount of dough and the amount of filling with this recipe. I made 1.5 times both. I ended up having to make another 1.5 x the dough in an effort to use the filling up… I made around 100 – 105 pierogi. And i still have enough filling left for a lot more!
Oh wow!! I am sorry about that, but I hope these turned out amazing for you! Thank you Erin! xTieghan
Just made ’em! Sooo gooD! Thank you Tieghan.
Thank you!! I am so glad you enjoyed these! xTieghan
These look amazing! What can I sub for cream cheese if I don’t have any ??
HI! You can use sour cream, Greek yogurt, whole milk, heavy cream or ricotta cheese. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
I was nervous these wouldn’t work out while I made them but turned out so good. Great recipe
Thank you so much Sarah! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
I’m lucky to have grown up near Eastern European family and bakers in Whiting Indiana, home to the largest Pierogifest in the country and named by Oprah as one of the 10 best festivals in the country. Thank you for this recipe, as I’m now away from home and craving my hometown comfort meal.
Thank you Patricia! xTieghan
These look AMAZING!! I think I’ll make them tomorrow!! Do you recommend peeking the potatoes?
Hey Jessie! Yes, I peel the potatoes. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Do you think these would stay fresh enough to make and assemble, then refrigerate and cook 24 hours later? Or should I freeze them even if cooking 24 hours later?
Hey Sarah! I recommend just freezing the pierogi. It’s honestly just easier than keeping them in the fridge and the cook up in really the same amount of time. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Made these last night and they were delicious. It made a lot more filling than I needed and I only got 30 out of the dough instead of 40. It’s definitely a weekend dinner (takes some time) but totally worth it!
Thank you so much Meg! I am so glad it turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Going to try this recipe. I enjoy my pierogies fried. Curious. Have you tried frying them with your dough recipe? How did they turn out?
Hi Shirley! I actually have not, but if you try, please let me know how they turn out! Sounds delish! xTieghan
I cannot say enough about how delicious these were! Definitely a recipe to always have in your back pocket and share with others!
Thank you so much Lauren! xTieghan
Outstanding. Will make again! However, a few comments on the construction of the pierogi. The 3 inch circle seemed small and 2 tsp of filling seemed like a lot. They looked a little sloppy but may have been me having my daughter help. Will try again. Any tips to making them look pretty? Big hit in the house!!
Hey Amy! Are you stretching the dough at all during the filling process. You want to pull and tug it gently to be able to fit around the filling. This will hep to keep the pierogi in a nice form. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I am so glad you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan