Pierogies With Potato And Sauerkraut Filling Recipes

PIEROGI WITH POTATO AND SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• To prepare your pierogi dough, add the flour and salt to a large bowl, and whisk to blend; pour in the water as well as the whisked egg and the olive oil, and using a wooden spoon, mix together until a shaggy mass forms; use your hands to then gather up the dough in the bowl until it comes together, then bring it out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead it for a couple of minutes until smooth and soft, sprinkling with a bit of additional flour if too sticky.
• Cut the dough ball in half (for easier rolling) and wrap each half in plastic wrap, and set aside at room temp for at least 1 hour.
• Prepare your filling by combining all of the filling ingredients in a medium-size bowl, seasoning to taste; set aside.
• Prepare a large baking sheet (or two) with wax paper dusted with flour, and have that ready for your assembled pierogi.
• To prepare the pierogi, place one of the dough ball halves on your floured work surface, and roll the dough nice and thin, roughly 1/8" thick; then, using a 3 1/4" cutter, cut as many circles from the dough as you can, discarding the scraps (you can re-roll the scraps and cut them out, but they may yield tougher pierogi.)
• To fill, add a slightly heaping teaspoonful of filling to the center of each dough circle, and seal the pierogi by folding the dough over to create a semi-circle shape; press sealed, and using a fork or your fingers, go around to make sure the dough is pressed closed, creating a little crimp.
• Place the the prepared pierogi onto your prepared flour-dusted wax paper, and repeat with the other half of the dough/filling ingredients.
• Once all the pierogi are filled, bring a pot of salted water to the boil, then working in batches, add some pierogi into the pot; cook the pierogi for roughly 3 to 4 minutes, or until they float for about 1-2 minutes, then remove them with a slotted spoon to hold on a platter.
• To fry and serve, add about 2 tablespoons of butter to heavy bottom pan, and once hot, add in a batch or pierogi, frying them for a few minutes on both sides until golden, and serve topped with crispy bacon and/or onions, if desired.

SAUERKRAUT & SAUSAGE CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in caraway (or fennel) seeds and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add apple and wine; increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring, until most of the wine has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Stir in sausage, sauerkraut, vinegar, mustard and pepper. Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch (or similar 3-quart) baking dish.
• Toss potato slices with the remaining 2 teaspoons oil, butter and salt in a bowl until coated. Cover the sauerkraut mixture with tightly overlapping potato slices.
• Bake the casserole until the potato edges start to get crispy, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

SAUERKRAUT, POTATO AND CHEESE PIEROGI W/ ONIONS

Steps:

• To make the dough, whisk together the flour and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer (or regular mixing bowl). Whisk together the egg, sour cream, and water until combined, and then pour over the flour. Stir together the liquids and the flour with a wooden spoon or spatula until a shaggy dough is formed.
• Knead the dough in the mixer on low speed with the dough hook attachment until the dough is very smooth and soft, about 5 minutes. Alternatively, knead by hand against the counter for 8 minutes. If the dough seems very sticky after a few minutes of kneading, add a tablespoon of flour at a time until it starts coming together into a smooth ball. Cover and set aside to rest on the counter while you make the filling.
• To make the filling, scrub the potatoes clean, cut into 1-2" chunks and place them in a 2- or 4-quart sauce pan. Cover with an inch or two of water and set over high heat. When the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the potatoes are tender when pierced by a fork, 6 to 10 minutes.
• Transfer the potatoes to a mixing bowl with a slotted spoon. Remove the peels if desired (I like to leave them on!). Mash the potatoes into large chunks with a potato masher or a dinner fork. Add the sour cream and salt, and continue mashing until the potatoes are smooth. Add the sauerkraut and cheese, and stir to combine. Taste and add more salt if needed.
• Shape the filling into 1" balls (roughly the diameter of a quarter) and arrange them on a dinner plate. Pre-shaping the filling makes it easier and quicker to shape the pierogi.
• Sprinkle a baking sheet generously with flour. Set this near your workspace.
• Divide the pierogi dough in half, working with one half at a time and keeping the other half covered. Sprinkle your work surface with flour and roll out the pierogi dough to 1/8" thick. Stop occasionally to lift the dough and make sure it's not sticking to the work surface; use more flour as needed. If the dough shrinks back as you roll, let it sit for 5 minutes and then roll again.
• Use a 3" biscuit cutter or drinking glass to cut the dough into rounds. Gather the scraps and set them aside.
• To shape the pierogi, hold one of the rounds of dough in the palm of your hand and set a ball of filling in the middle. Fold the round in half, pinching it closed at the top and then working your way along the sides to form a half-moon shape. Make sure the edges of the dough are completely sealed. Set the pierogi on the floured baking sheet.
• Continue to shape pierogi with the remaining rounds of dough. Lay them close together on the baking sheet, but don't let them touch. Roll out the second half of the dough, and cut and shape the pierogi as described. When finished, roll the scrapes and continue to make as many pierogi as you can. You should end up with roughly 4 dozen pierogi.
• At this point, the pierogi can be boiled and served right away or frozen. To freeze, place the sheet pan of pierogi in the freezer and freeze until solid. Transfer the frozen pierogi to a freezer container and freeze for up to three months. Pierogi can be cooked straight from the freezer.
• When ready to cook the pierogi, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until the onions are translucent, very soft, and beginning to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Push the onions to the edges of the pan where they will stay warm and continue to caramelize.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt generously. Working in batches, add 10 or so pierogi to the boiling water and stir to make sure they don't stick to the bottom. Cook the pierogi until all the pierogi have floated to the surface and then 1 to 2 minutes longer to make sure the filling gets hot - 8 to 10 minutes total.
• Transfer the pierogi to the pan with the onions. Turn the heat to medium-high. Cook the pierogi without moving until they are golden and crispy on the bottoms, 2 to 3 minutes. If you're cooking more batches, transfer the pierogi to a serving dish. Once all the pierogi have been boiled and crisped, scrape the onions over the pierogi and gently stir to coat the pierogi with butter and onions. Serve immediately while hot.
• If you are cooking a lot of them, have more onion sliced and ready to brown in butter. Once the original onion has been depleted or gets too browned, start again with the fresh onion.

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.

PIEROGIES WITH POTATO AND SAUERKRAUT FILLING

Steps:

• Prepare the sauerkraut filling by melting the butter in a skillet over medium low heat. Stir in the onion, and cook until light brown, about 20 minutes. Add the drained sauerkraut and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then remove to a plate to cool.
• For the mashed potato filling, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and cook over medium low heat until light brown, about 20 minutes. Stir into the mashed potatoes, and season with salt and white pepper.
• To make the dough, beat together the eggs, oil and sour cream until smooth. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder; stir into the sour cream mixture until dough comes together. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until firm and smooth. Divide the dough in half, wrap half in plastic wrap then roll out the other half to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into 3 inch rounds using a biscuit cutter.
• Place a small spoonful of the filling into the center of each round. Moisten the edges with water or egg wash, fold over, and press together with a fork or pinch with fingers to seal.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a very slow boil add 6-8 perogies at a time (do not crowd them) and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until pierogi float to the top. Remove and drain.
• Serve with melted butter and carmelized onions spooned over the top.
• Or serve with horsesradish and sour cream.

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.

PIEROGI (POTATO AND MUSHROOM SAUERKRAUT)

Steps:

• Make the Caramelized Onions
• Preheat a heavy-bottomed skillet, preferably cast iron, over low heat. Add the oil and the onions and toss the onions to coat. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, leaving a little gap for steam to escape. Stir occasionally, every 5 minutes or so. Onions should turn amber, but not burn, although a couple of darker spots are fine.
• Remove the cover and turn the heat up just a bit, to a medium setting. Stir often for 10 more minutes. Onions should become a darker amber, and some of the moisture should evaporate.
• Make the Potato Filling
• In a medium-size pot, cover potatoes in water. Place a lid on the pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cook for about 20 more minutes or until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork.
• Meanwhile, in a large pan, sauté the onions in oil over medium heat for about 7 minutes. Turn the heat off but continue to stir occasionally because they could still burn from the hot pan. When the potatoes are done boiling, drain them well and add them to the pan with the onions. Just mash them right in there with a potato masher; that way you are sure to get all the oil, plus you save a dish. Add the salt and pepper. Make sure potatoes are mashed well and fluffy. Set aside to cool a bit.
• Make the Mushroom Sauerkraut Filling
• You know I don't usually advise cooking with margarine, but I really love it with the mushrooms here, I think because growing up the mushrooms I ate were really buttery. Anyway, this filling is really simple. In a large skillet, melt the margarine over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté for about 7 minutes, until the mushrooms are soft.
• Before adding the sauerkraut to the pan, give it a squeeze over the sink to get out as much water as you can. It's important to do this so that your pierogi don't get all wet. You'll need to add the sauerkraut to the pan a cup at a time. Add to the pan and cook for about 10 minutes, cooking out any excess water. Season with the pepper. The filling shouldn't look dry (a small amount of water is okay), but you shouldn't be able to slosh around in it in rain boots.
• Make the Dough
• This is really the brunt of the work in this recipe. If you're like me, you have limited counter space and so rolling out dough can be a hassle. I make the dough last because the mess becomes much more manageable when you don't have to prep on the counter afterwards. It also gives your filling some time to cool. So make sure you clean up after your filling making and get someone to do the dishes for you. I find that a serene counter makes all the difference in dough making.
• Pour the water and oil into a large bowl. Add 2 cups of the flour and the salt, keeping one cup aside. Use a fork to stir the flour in, and as it starts to come together, use your hands to knead until a loose dough forms (about 3 minutes).
• Sprinkle your counter with flour, then turn the dough out onto it and knead. Add the reserved cup of flour a little bit at a time, working it into the dough, until it is very smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. If it's too sticky, you can add a little bit more fl our and knead it in, sometimes up to 1/4 cup extra. Conversely, if you get a good-feeling, smooth, elastic dough with less than the extra cup of fl our, then that's okay, too.
• Now we roll the dough out, and also bring a salted pot of water to boil-the largest pot you've got-for boiling the pierogi.
• Divide the dough in half and make sure your counter is clean and sprinkled with a dusting of flour to prevent sticking. Roll half the dough out to about 1/16 of an inch thick, which is to say, very thin but not see-through. I roll it into an 18 x 10-inch rectangle, but as long as you have the thinness going, the shape doesn't matter so much. Sprinkle the top with a light dusting of flour.
• Now we're going to make circles. I use the top of a glass that is 3 1/2 inches in diameter, but somewhere between 3 1/2 and 4 inches is perfect. Use a glass or a cookie cutter. Have ready a lightly floured plate to place the finished circles on, and go ahead and fi rmly press your glass or cookie cutter into the dough, as close together as you can. Pull together the excess dough and set aside. Place circles on the floured plate and transfer to the fridge while you repeat with the other half of the dough. Combine the excess dough and see if you can get a few more wrappers out of the deal.

PIEROGI I

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat together eggs, carton sour cream, and salt. Stir in flour and warm water. Add water until dough feels like velvet. Turn out onto a lightly floured board, and knead until smooth. Roll out to a 1/8 to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out 3 1/2 inch circles with either the top of a glass or a biscuit cutter. Cover with waxed paper to prevent drying out if not filling immediately.
• Place 1 or 2 tablespoons filling on one side of a circle of dough. Fold over, and seal by pressing the edges with a fork. Repeat until ingredients are used.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Immerse pierogi. Cook until the dumplings float to the surface. (See Cook's Note for tips on freezing extra pierogies.)

PIEROGIES WITH STEWED SAUERKRAUT AND MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Add mushrooms and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Mix in sauerkraut and flour. Mix in 2/3 cup water. Cover pot, reduce heat to medium and simmer until sauerkraut is tender and mixture is thick, stirring occasionally and adding more water by tablespoonfuls if mixture seems dry, about 20 minutes. Mix in 2 tablespoons butter. Season generously with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over low heat before continuing.)
• Meanwhile, cook pierogies in large pot of boiling salted water until heated through, about 6 minutes. Drain; transfer to large bowl and toss with remaining 4 tablespoons butter.
• Spoon sauerkraut mixture into large shallow bowl. Top with pierogies. Serve with sour cream.