Potato And Ricotta Stuffed Pierogies Recipes

PIEROGI RUSKIE: POTATO-CHEESE PIEROGI

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Parboil the potatoes in a large saucepan by covering them with cold water and adding 1 tablespoon of salt.
• Bring the potatoes to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium-low, cover with a lid, and simmer for 30 minutes, or until fork-tender. Drain and let cool slightly.
• While the potatoes are parboiling, place the butter in a small pan, add the onion, and sauté over medium-low heat for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Peel the cooked potatoes, place them in a large bowl, and mash them with a fork or potato ricer .
• Add the sautéed onion and farmer cheese to the potatoes and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.
• Gather the ingredients.
• Place 2 cups of flour in a large bowl or on a work surface and make a well in the center.
• Break the egg into it, then add 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 cup of lukewarm water, a little at a time.
• Bring the dough together, kneading well and adding the remaining flour or water as needed to form a smooth dough ball.
• Divide the dough in half and cover it with a bowl or towel. Let it rest 20 minutes.
• Assemble the pierogi on a floured work surface by rolling out the dough to 1/8 inch in thickness. Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter or drinking glass, make small circles.
• Spoon 1 1/2 teaspoons of the filling onto the middle of each circle.
• Fold the dough in half to form a half-circle shape and then firmly pinch the edges together.
• Sprinkle a baking sheet with flour and place the filled pierogi on it in a single layer. Keep the formed pierogi under a clean kitchen towel to stop them from drying.
• Gather scraps, reroll, and fill until you've used all of the first half of the dough. Repeat the process with the remaining half of dough.
• Cook the pierogi by bringing a large, low saucepan of salted water to a rapid boil. Depending on the size of your pot, drop in about 6 to 10 pierogi at a time, making sure not to overcrowd the pot. Return the water to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. When the pierogi rise to the surface, continue to simmer a few more minutes. It should take around 5 to 6 minutes for the pierogi to be cooked.
• With a slotted spoon taste one, and if done, remove the remaining pierogi to a platter greased with some of the butter for serving. This will prevent the pierogi from sticking to each other.
• Serve warm with caramelized onions , skwarki, or crispy bits of bacon and a dollop of sour cream. Enjoy.

HOMEMADE POTATO AND CHEESE PIEROGIES / OLD FASHIONED PEROGIES

Steps:

• Potato and Cheese Filling: Cook the onion in butter until tender.
• Combine it with potatoes and cheese.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Vary the proportions and ingredients in this recipe to suit your taste.
• Mix the flour with the salt in a deep bowl.
• Add the egg, oil and water to make a medium soft dough.
• Knead on a floured board until the dough is smooth.
• Caution: Too much kneading will toughen the dough.
• Divide the dough into 2 parts.
• Cover and let stand for at least 10 minutes.
• Prepare the filling.
• The filling should be thick enough to hold its shape.
• Roll the dough quite thin on a floured board.
• Cut rounds with a large biscuit cutter, or as most old-world grandmothers did, with the open end of a glass.
• Put the round in the palm of your hand.
• Place a spoonful of filling in it, fold over to form a half circle and press the edges together with the fingers.
• The edges should be free of filling.
• Be sure the edges are sealed well to prevent the filling from running out.
• Place the pierogi on a floured board or tea towel and then cover with another tea towel to prevent them from drying out.
• COOKING: Drop a few pierogies into a large quantity of rapidly boiling salted water.
• Do not attempt to cook too many at a time.
• Stir VERY gently with a wooden spoon to separate them and to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
• Continue boiling for 3-4 minutes.
• The cooling period will depend upon the size you made it, the thickness of the dough and the filling.
• Pierogies will be ready when they are puffed.
• Remove them with a perforated spoon or skimmer to a colander and drain thoroughly.
• Place in a deep dish, sprinkle generously with melted butter to prevent them from sticking.
• Cover and keep them hot until all are cooked.
• Serve in a large dish without piling or crowding them.
• Top with melted butter- chopped crisp bacon and/or chopped onions lightly browned in butter.
• REHEATING: One of the great things about perogies, is that they can be made in large quantities, refrigerated, frozen and reheated without loss of quality.
• Many prefer reheated perogies as compared to freshly boiled ones.
• To re-heat, you can: 1) pan fry pierogies in butter or bacon fat until they are light in color or, 2) heat the pierogies in the top of a double boiler or in the oven until they are hot and plump or, 3) deep fry them.

PIEROGI RUSKIE (POTATO AND CHEESE PIEROGI)

Steps:

• Prepare the dough: Add the flour and salt to a large bowl; whisk to combine. In a small saucepan, heat 1/2 cup water and the butter over medium-high until butter is melted, about 3 minutes. Pour the buttery liquid into the flour gradually, stirring it in as you add it. (The dough will be quite crumbly and flaky at this point, like a biscuit dough.) Stir in the egg until combined then move the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, 5 to 7 minutes. Cover the dough with a dampened towel or plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Prepare the filling: Peel the potatoes and cut into 1-inch cubes. Add them to a large pot, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt and cover with cold water by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high and continue to cook at a simmer until potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes.
• While the potatoes cook, prepare the onions: In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high. Add the onions, season generously with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden-brown and softened, about 12 minutes. Set aside about 1 cup of onions for garnish and add the rest to a medium bowl.
• Transfer the cooked potatoes to a colander to drain, then transfer to the medium bowl with the onions. Add the cheese, stir to combine, season generously with salt and pepper, then let cool.
• Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high.
• Prepare the wrappers: Cut the dough into two even pieces. (You'll want to leave one piece under the towel to stay moist while you work with the other piece.) You'll also want a small bowl of flour, a small bowl of water and a towel handy for keeping your hands clean. Dust some flour onto a baking sheet (for holding the pierogi) and your work surface, then roll out one portion of dough until 1/8-inch thick. Using a 3-inch cookie cutter or inverted glass, punch 12 to 15 disks of dough. (Save and refrigerate the scraps to boil as a rustic pasta, in soup or another use.)
• Assemble the pierogi: Working with one disk at time, spoon a scant tablespoon of filling onto the middle of it. Fold the dough in half to enclose the filling, bringing the edges together to form a crescent shape. Pinch the two sides together at the top, then work your way down on both sides, pinching the dough over the filling and pushing in the filling as needed, making sure the potato mixture does not break the seal. If needed, you can dip your fingertip into water and moisten the dough in spots as needed to help the two sides adhere together.
• To form a rustic pattern on the curved seal, pinch the rounded rim underneath using your pointer finger and middle finger and press an indentation on top with your thumb, working your way along the rounded rim. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. (If you've gotten some filling on your fingers, dip your fingertips into the bowl of water then dry them off on the towel.)
• Repeat with remaining disks, then repeat the entire process with the remaining portion of dough. You'll want to work fairly quickly, as the pierogi can be harder to seal if they start to dry out. (If cooking the pierogi at a later point, transfer them on the baking sheet to the freezer until frozen solid, then transfer the pierogi to a resealable bag and freeze.)
• To cook the pierogi, add a single layer of pierogi to the pot of boiling water. Let them cook until they rise to the surface, about 2 minutes, then cook another 2 to 3 minutes until puffy. (With frozen dumplings, you will need to increase the cooking time by a couple of minutes.) Use a slotted spoon to transfer cooked dumplings to a colander to drain, then boil remaining dumplings.
• If you want to pan-fry your pierogi, working in batches, melt 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high until crackling. Add a few boiled pierogi in a single layer to avoid overcrowding, and cook until crisp and golden, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining pierogi, adding butter as needed.
• Serve hot. Top with any browned butter from the pan, warmed reserved onions, sour cream and herbs.

CHEF JOHN'S POTATO AND CHEESE PIEROGI

Steps:

• Prepare dough: Mix 3 ½ cups flour and salt together in a large bowl, then make a well in the center. Pour vegetable oil and 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water into the well. Stir to form a shaggy dough that just pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Use a little flour to clean the dough off the spoon.
• Transfer dough to a work surface; press and knead for a few minutes until you have a smooth, soft dough. You can add a little more flour if it's too sticky but don't add too much. Form dough into a ball and wrap in plastic. Leave on the counter for 1 hour or pop it into the refrigerator for 3 hours to overnight.
• Prepare buttered onions: Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and salt and sauté, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let mixture cool a bit, then transfer to a bowl and reserve until needed.
• Prepare filling: Place potatoes into a large pot and cover with salted water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain well and mash until smooth. Let cool to room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Place farmer's cheese in a bowl and break it up with a spoon. Add salt, pepper, and cayenne, then add 2 to 3 heaping spoons of the buttered onions. Be sure to drain off most of the butter so you're adding mostly onions. Mix just until ingredients are evenly combined.
• Add cooled mashed potatoes and mix until thoroughly combined. Set aside while you roll the dough.
• Roll ¼ of the dough at a time on a floured surface until very thin, at least 1/8-inch thick or thinner if possible. Cut 3 ½-inch circles out of the dough, saving all scraps for re-rolling.
• Add about 2 tablespoons filling to the center of each circle. Moisten your fingertips with water and wet the edges, then fold the dough over the filling and seal the two edges together in the center. Flatten the filling very lightly under the dough as you press and seal the edge of each pierogi with your fingers, working from the center to the ends. Try not to trap air in the pierogi as you seal. The edge can be left as is, or you can pinch the dough every inch or so to make pleats for a more decorative appearance.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pierogi in batches and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes (they may or may not float to the top.)
• While the pierogi are boiling, melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat.
• Transfer pierogi from the boiling water directly into the melted butter. Cook until light golden brown, about 2 minutes per side or longer if more browning is desired.
• Continue boiling and browning pierogi in batches as needed.
• Transfer to a plate and spoon buttered onions over top. Garnish with sour cream and chives.

RUSSIAN VORENIKI (VARENIKI, PEROGIES) RICOTTA CHEESE AND ONIONS

Steps:

• DOUGH PREPARATION--------------.
• In a medium size mixing bowl, add eggs, milk, whipping cream and salt and whisk well to blend.
• Add baking powder and stir in gently.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine flour and egg mixture and mix well to incorporate.
• Add additional flour if necessary so that dough does not stick to the bowl or feel sticky.
• Form dough into a ball and knead about 10 times.
• Divide dough in half, form into balls, wrap each ball in plastic wrap and set aside.
• FILLING--------------.
• Squeeze out as much liquid from Ricotta cheese and discard.
• In a large mixing bowl, add Ricotta cheese and beaten eggs and mix well to blend.
• Add chopped green onions, salt and black pepper and mix to incorporate.
• Break off pieces of dough and form into balls about the size of a golf ball.
• On a floured surface, roll out each ball to a round about 1/16 inch thickness, turning at least once during rolling.
• Place dough into a 5 inch"MINI FORM" and make sure that the dough projects over the edges.
• Spoon about 2 tablespoons of filling into the centre, lift one edge of the"MINI FORM" and lightly press push the filling down.
• Now fold the"MINI FORM" completely over and squeeze tightly.
• Remove any excess dough by running your finger around the folded edge and set dough aside to be use again.
• Continue to form the Voreniki until all dough and filling are used up.
• If you have any filling left over, cover and refrigerate to be used within 2 days.
• TO COOK--------------.
• Fill a pasta cooker or a large cooking pot 3/4 full with water and bring to a rolling boil.
• Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of salt to the water.
• While the water is boiling, drop 6 formed Voreniki, stir once carefully with a slotted spoon so that the Voreniki do not stick together.
• Cook for 3 minutes total as they will rise to the surface after cooking for about 1 1/2 minutes.
• Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl.
• If desired, sprinkle some melted butter over the Voreniki.
• DO NOT add melted butter if you are going to freeze the Voreniki.
• Serve immediately with additional melted butter, a dollop of sour cream or yogurt and a sprinkling of chopped green onions or chives.
• To reheat, you can drop them again into boiling water for about 1 1/2 minutes.
• You can also fry the Voreniki in a small amount of butter, cover and fry on medium-high for 1 minute on each side or until lightly browned.
• TO FREEZE--------------.
• Place on a tray or cookie sheet in a single layer and freeze.
• Then package them in zip-loc bags or vacuum seal in bags in desired amounts.
• To reheat frozen Voreniki; let thaw for about 1/2 hour and then fry in a small almount of butter as noted above.

STUFFED SHELL PIEROGIES

Steps:

• Cooks potatoes until soft, drain. Add cheese, salt & pepper and mash until smooth.
• Melt margarine or butter in large skillet. Add onions and cook 10 to 15 minutes until tender but NOT browned. Spread half the onions over the bottom of a 13x9 baking dish. (May take 2 pans)
• Stuff each shell with heaping tablespoon of the potato mixture, close edges.
• Arrange in single layer over onions, spread remaining onions on top (you can use two pans or freeze the pierogies for later use).
• Bake at 350 degrees uncovered 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through.

RICOTTA-STUFFED POTATOES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Bake potatoes about 1 hour or until tender.
• Cut each potato in half crosswise; scoop out inside into large bowl, leaving a thin shell. Mash potatoes until no lumps remain. Stir in cheeses, 1/4 cup parsley, the pepper and egg until well blended.
• Increase oven temperature to 400°F. Cut thin slice from bottom of each potato half if needed to stand upright. Place shells on ungreased 15x10-inch pan with sides; fill shells with potato mixture.
• Bake about 20 minutes or until hot. Garnish with additional parsley and bell pepper.