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Starting Monday off right with Homemade Cheddar Pierogies.
This is one of those recipes that I probably should have shared with you guys years ago, but just never got around to it. Well, the time has finally come to talk about Pierogies here on HBH, and I’m pretty happy about it.
When I was growing up, my mom used to feed my brothers and I Mrs. T’s Pierogies topped with generous amounts of extra cheddar cheese. I loved them so much. When I started cooking for my family I got into the habit of making homemade Pierogies ever few months and keeping them in the freezer for easy meals. My brother Kai loved them the most and always said the homemade Pierogies were far superior to the frozen ones from the store.
To be honest, it’s been ages since I’ve made homemade Pierogies, but when my cousin Maggie mentioned that they might be a fun recipe for December, I was sold the second I saw her text come across my phone screen. Pierogies just sounded so comforting and delicious. Plus, I loved her idea of making them for a holiday girl’s night in of cooking, Pierogi eating, and Christmas movie watching.
It sounded perfect, so I went for it, and you guys, I am not regretting it one bit.
If for some reason you’ve never had Pierogies, let me tell you about them. Pierogies are a traditional polish dumpling consisting of dough stuffed with a savory or sweet filling. I think a potato Pierogi is most common, but I know that there are many varieties. I of course love the potato cheddar Pierogi because not much beats the combo of potatoes and cheddar cheese, plus it’s what I grew up eating and loving, so it’s total childhood comfort food for me.
The dough is pretty simple. 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 like to swap in plain greek yogurt, which works perfectly.
The key to a good Pierogi though is not about the dough, it’s all about the filling. Enter mashed potatoes with a little cheddar. Simplest filling ever, but so, so, so good. What’s not to love about a pasta style dough filled with cheesy mashed potatoes?
It’s the best.
The most important rule of Pierogi eating though?
Plenty of melted cheddar overtop each and every single Pierogi on your plate. I don’t know if this is how the Polish do it, but it’s how we do it in the Gerard household, and for me, nothing can beat it.
Especially when finished off with a little rosemary butter sauce. Yes, rosemary butter sauce. So. Good.
My family is in agreement that this is one of those recipes that everyone loves. Everyone from the picky eaters to the those with a more sophisticated palate. It’s just an all around favorite dish.
Homemade Cheddar Pierogies
Servings: 40 Pierogi
Calories Per Serving: 91 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 butter, melted
- 1 cup plain full fat greek yogurt
- 1 egg
Filling
- 4 russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, plus more for topping
- 2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- kosher salt and pepper
Rosemary Butter
- 1 stick butter
- 1-2 cloves garlic, minced or grated (to your taste)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
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. In a large pot of cold water, bring the potatoes to a boil. 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, or mash in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, adding the butter and cheddar 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 work to prevent from drying out. At this point, the Pierogies 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 too cook, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the Pierogies in batches for 1-2 minutes, or until they float. Drain.6. To make the butter sauce. In a large skillet, brown the butter over medium heat, stirring often until the butter is golden and toasted. Add the rosemary and garlic and cook 30 seconds to a minute or until fragrant. Remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper. 7. Divide the Pierogies among plates and spoon the butter over the Pierogies. Top with cheddar and parsley. EAT!
What’s not to love of about a pillowy cheese filled dumpling with rosemary butter sauce, you know?
This post was originally published on December 11, 2017
These look delicious! Love a goodncheesey meal for the holidays. Cheat day recipe for me forsure! Can’t wait to make these.
Thank you Naomi! I hope you love these!
Just curious, why do you not cook with sour cream? Guessing Greek yogurt is healthier? Also, I am making these tomorrow!
HI Nicole! I was just never raised eating sour cream and have always used yogurt in place of sour cream whenever a recipe calls for it. I guess it’s more of a taste thing that anything else. I just love plain yogurt! Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Happy Holiday’s ? ?
These look amazing! Could you double the recipe if you wanted to feed a hungry family and have a freezer stash for later?
Absolutely!! I always have frozen pierogies on hand! Works so well! Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Happy Holiday’s ? 🙂
I’m from Poland and this type of pierogi is called “the russian” ones. We also eat them with minced meat or sauerkraut with mushrooms traditionally for Christmas. Super proud that you mentioned them on your blog!
Thank you Maria! I hope you love these!
very beautiful 😛
Thank you!
We have similar Indian cuisine called Farrey. More spicy though..
Very authentic and made only at house holds of uttar Pradesh State.
The cheese twist to this one sounds tempting..
🙂
That is great! Thank you!
THank you! My family is Polish and we have been making homemade pierogi for years! Love this new recipe as I’m always looking for great variations!
P. S. (Just FYI,.. you need a capital “P” on Polish In your blog,..otherwise it’s polish…like polishing shoes) xoxox
Thank you so much Carol! I hope you love these pierogies!
Bet they’re so much better than store-bought Tieghan! I’ve never tried making my own! Great idea to make and freeze. Can’t wait to try your recipe. Thanks cousin Maggie!
Thank you Mary Ann! I hope you love these!
It’s funny how the original recipes evolve once they go overseas 😉 They look delicious, but SOOO different from how we make pierogi in Poland. The filling has Polish cottage cheese (the closest thing I found here in US is farmer’s cheese), the dough consists of flour, hot water and eggs; and we serve It with sour cream or Polish kefir. I have to try your American version, and compare!
Yes please do! I hope you love this recipe Kasia!
Homemade pirogies are the best!!!!
Yes! Hope you love these Lindsay!
Im new to HBH and I must say that I love the way you set the entire meal up, even to the rustic plates. Love the entire effect. Can’t wait to try these, loving your recipes.
Thank you Pamela! I am so glad you like this post!
Hold up, perogies with no sour cream???? Blasphemy!! 😉
Haha hope you still love these Robyn! Thank you!
I’ve been eating Mrs. T’s since I was young and have a box in my freezer now! My friend’s Mom would serve them for breakfast with eggs. Love them. I’ve baked Pierogies in pasta sauce, boiled them, but my favorite is sauté. I thaw them out in a bowl of hot water and then sauté them in butter, sometimes adding herbs or spices, then top with sour cream. I’ve always wanted to make them from scratch so I’m excited to try this recipe!
I am sure you will love this recipe then Amber! Let me know! Thank you!
I have six boys and read your blog all the time. Love your ideas and the comfort food angle is quite popular with my teens! But I am so curious: why don’t you cook with sour cream? I buy them if tubs from Costco, and since I don’t often have milk on hand, it is my go-to dairy when any kind of dairy is called for in a recipe! So curious.
Hi Maggie! THANK YOU! You are so sweet!
I was just never raised eating sour cream and have always used yogurt in place of sour cream whenever a recipe calls for it. I guess it’s more of a taste thing that anything else. I just love plain yogurt! Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Happy Holiday’s ? 🙂
Oh goodness, I haven’t had Pierogies in decades! Did you ever get to experience Parma Pierogies before they left (and you left) Ohio?
I did not but I am sure they were so good! Thanks Liz!