Homemade Pierogies

(From my husband’s grandmother’s recipe.)

My husband’s paternal family is Polish-Czech. Their family traditions include homemade pierogi and what they call mushroom soup (I will post that recipe as well) on Christmas Eve. It is A-MAZING!
I have taken to making and flash freezing them for my daughters’ teachers for Christmas gifts too.
Keep in mind you will need time to let the dough and filling chill. I suggest just letting them chill overnight. A batch makes between 25-25 pierogi, depending on the size you make them. Enjoy!

PIEROGI DOUGH

4 Cups Flour
3 eggs
1/2 pint (1 cup) Sour Cream (regular, not low fat)
1/2 cup Butter (not Margarine)
1/2 cup Whole Milk
Salt

Melt butter in a sauce pan on low heat.  Once melted, add the milk. Stir and remove from heat.  Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together all of the flour, eggs, salt (about 1 tablespoon), and sour cream. When mixed, slowly add the milk and butter mixture a little at a time. (NOT ALL AT ONCE BECAUSE YOU WILL NOT USE IT ALL.) Bring the dough to desired a sticky but workable consistancy.

Let chill for at least an hour.

PIEROGI FILLING

🥟 Potato and Cheese: Peel and boil potatoes (Harvest Gold is my preference). Mash them and prepare potatoes as usual, but leave on the dry side. Add either American Cheese or finely grated cheddar cheese (whatever amount you like for how cheesy you want them).  Set aside to cool.

🥟 Cabbage: Use one medium size head of cabbage. Shred it. Finely chop one medium size onion. In a large skillet, melt one stick butter. Add cabbage, onion, and salt and pepper to taste. Saute until nice and tender. Take off heat to cool.

🥟 Sauerkraut: One 1 pound jar or bag of sauerkraut. Drain. Rinse well under cold water and drain again. Squeeze as much liquid out as you can. In a large skillet, melt one stick of butter. Add sauerkraut and cook about 30-40 minutes on low, stirring often. About halfway through, add two tablespoons of sour cream (regular, not low fat). Remove from heat to cool.

PIEROGI ASSEMBLY

Put a lot of flour on a large surface, such as a counter or table. Separate the dough into two parts and shape half of it into a ball. Let the other half chill while you prepare this half.

Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough, thinner than you would roll out dough for cut out cookies. Use the open end of a glass to cut out circles. Use a teaspoon to put your filling in the center of the dough. Dip your finger into cool water to dampen half the edge to close. Fold dough over, pinch edges with a fork.

TO FREEZE FOR LATER COOKING: Place on floured cookie sheet in a single layer and put in the freezer. Once frozen, put them in freezer bags and put them back in the freezer.

COOKING THE PIEROGI

🥟 Boil and Saute Method: Boil water in a large pan. Add salt to the water. Once the water is boiling, drop 10-12 at a time in the water. Boil for 3 minutes if they are fresh, 5 minutes if frozen. Remove from the water and saute lightly in butter. I usually saute with onions and sweet peppers.

🥟 Broiling Method: (Perfect for serving a large number of people.) Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Boil the same as above. Melt a stick of butter per dozen pierogi in a broiling pan. Add pierogi to the pan and cook for at least 10 minutes. You may leave them in the pan to stay warm as long as you stir them about every 5 minutes.