Shortcut Pierogi Recipes

SHORTCUT POTATO ONION PEROGIES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Cut in the butter using a fork until pieces are very small. Stir in the water and mix until well blended. If the dough is too sticky, stir in a little more flour until you can knead it on a floured surface. Knead the dough for 2 to 3 minutes. Cover, and let rest for 10 or 15 minutes.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into circles using a cookie cutter or large glass. Set aside while you prepare the filling.
• To make the filling, prepare the mashed potato flakes according to package directions. Set aside. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions; cook and stir until soft and transparent. Remove from the heat, and mix in the mashed potatoes.
• Place one tablespoon of the pierogi filling onto each circle of dough. Fold circles over and pinch the edges to seal tightly so that no filling will escape while they boil. They can be frozen at this time if you like.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Carefully drop several perogies into the water. They are done when they float to the top. Continue the process with remaining perogies. You can also fry the perogies in some butter with onion before serving if you like.

SHORTCUT PIEROGI RECIPE

Steps:

• Bring large saucepan of water to boil. Meanwhile, mix potatoes, cream cheese spread and pepper.
• Cut won ton wrappers into circles with 3-inch biscuit cutter; brush edges with egg white. Spoon 1 Tbsp. potato mixture onto center of each wrapper; fold in half. Press edges together to seal. Add, in batches of 12, to boiling water in large saucepan; cook 2 to 3 min. or until pierogies float to surface. Drain in colander. Rinse with cold water; drain well.
• Melt 1 Tbsp. butter in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add 12 pierogies; cook 2 to 3 min. on each side or until golden brown on both sides. Remove from skillet; cover to keep warm. Repeat with remaining butter and pierogies. Serve with sour cream.

SKILLET PIEROGI WITH SAUSAGE AND BROCCOLI

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up into small clumps with a spatula or wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Remove to a large plate, leaving the drippings in the pan. Add the pierogi to the pan and cook, turning, until browned and heated through, about 5 minutes. Remove to the plate with the sausage.
• Add the onion, oregano and a big pinch each of salt and pepper to the skillet. Cook, stirring, until the onion is softened and just beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Push to one side of the skillet; add 1 more tablespoon olive oil and the broccoli to the open side. Season the broccoli with salt and let cook, undisturbed, until it starts to brown in spots, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir the broccoli into the onion and cook until the broccoli is bright green with crisp-tender stems, 5 minutes.
• Add the bell pepper to the skillet and cook until just softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Return the sausage and pierogi to the skillet and add the garlic and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Cook, tossing, until well combined. Season with salt and pepper and stir in 2 tablespoons Parmesan.
• Divide the pierogi and vegetables among plates or shallow bowls. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan.

PIEROGI

Steps:

• Make a well from the flour. Add eggs and about 1/2 cup of water. The amount of water will vary according to the weather. You want to make a stiff dough. Divide it into 3 equal portions and knead until silky smooth.
• Fillings: We usually make cheese and kapusta (sauerkraut), but you can use meat, potatoes, or even fruit.
• Saute onion in butter until just soft. Add kapusta and brown. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Allow time for the filling to cool before assembling pierogi, otherwise they will fall apart when cooked. If making more than one filling, this one can cool while you prepare the others.
• Mix well.
• To assemble and cook pierogi: Roll out a portion (or half portion, if space is limited) of the dough on a floured surface as thinly as possible -- somewhere between a wonton and a thin pizza. Put about a tablespoon of filling on the dough and use a large plastic cup (a big gulp-type cup works really well) to cut a circle around the filling. Dampen half of the circumference of the circle with a bit of water on your finger and fold into a dumpling. Boil the dumplings a dozen at a time in a big pot of salted water until they float -- no more than 3 minutes. At this point you can freeze them in bags for later use. To prepare for serving, brown the pierogi in a skillet using a bit of butter. If you want to be really traditional you can use bacon grease. Alternately, you can bake them in a casserole, spraying both the casserole and the pierogi with a butter flavored spray, and putting a few pats of butter on top of the dumplings.

PIEROGI CASSEROLE

Steps:

• In a skillet, saute onion in butter until tender; set aside. In a bowl, combine cottage cheese, egg and onion salt. In another bowl, combine potatoes, 2/3 cup cheddar cheese, salt and pepper. Place 3 noodles in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Top with cottage cheese mixture and 3 more noodles. Top with potato mixture, remaining noodles and sauteed onion. Top with remaining 1/3 cup cheese. Cover and bake at 350° until heated through, 25-30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

SHORTCUT PIEROGI CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Heat oil in large skillet on medium heat. Add onions and garlic; cook 5 min. or until tender, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Add Neufchatel and milk; stir until Neufchatel is completely melted and mixture is well blended.
• Combine pierogies, ham and peas in 2-qt. casserole sprayed with cooking spray; top with Neufchatel sauce and shredded cheese.
• Bake 40 min. or until heated through.

MOCK PIEROGI

Steps:

• Boil potatoes until tender. Drain and add cheese and butter. Mash until smooth like thick mashed potatoes. Season with salt and pepper as desired. Add a little milk if needed.
• Lightly flour a cookie sheet.
• Using one wonton skin, put one teaspoon of filling into center. Use water to wet two sides of the skin.
• Fold over and seal lightly with a fork; place on cookie sheet.
• Repeat until all the wonton skins are used. Place half of the won tons, in a single layer and not touching, into the freezer.
• Simmer the half cup of butter and onion over low heat until onions are translucent.
• Boil pierogi for about three minutes; drain. Serve with the fried onions.
• Place the frozen pierogi in an air tight bag. To use, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook them for about 7 minutes. Serve with a fresh batch of fried onions.