Best Perogies With Various Traditional Fillings Recipes

PIEROGI (TRADITIONAL POLISH DUMPLINGS)

Steps:

• Pass farmer's cheese and cooked potatoes separately through a food grinder or food processor.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook mushrooms and onions until soft, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Combine farmer's cheese, potatoes, mushroom mixture, sour cream, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Mix together and set filling aside.
• Place flour on a clean work surface and make a well in the center. Crack both eggs into the well. Add butter and a few tablespoons of the warm water. Mix with your hands, gradually adding more warm water, 1 tablespoon at a time, as you go. Knead well, continuing to add more water as needed. Knead until dough is soft and smooth, adding more flour to the work surface as needed.
• Cut off 1/4 of the dough and roll out to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Cut out circles using a glass or a round pastry cutter, saving the excess dough for your next batch.
• Fill each dough circle with 1 teaspoon of filling. Fold dough over into a half-moon shape and pinch edges together to seal. Cover with a clean dish towel so pierogi won't dry out and repeat with remaining dough and filling.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle boil. Add the pierogi in batches, about 20 at a time, and cook until they float to the surface, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain in a strainer. Repeat with the remaining pierogi.

PEROGIES WITH 3 DIFFERENT FILLINGS

Steps:

• To make dough: In large bowl, whisk together flour and salt.
• In medium bowl, whisk together milk, sour cream and eggs.
• Stir into dry ingredients just until a soft, rough dough forms.
• Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead for about one minute or just until smooth.
• Divide into quarters and wrap each quarter in plastic wrap.
• Let rest for 20 minutes.
• Makes enough dough for about 90 perogies.
• To make Mushroom Filling: Saute onion in butter until tender.
• Add mushrooms and cook together for about 10 minutes.
• Add salt and pepper.
• Remove from heat and beat in egg yolks and optional dillweed.
• Chill thoroughly in fridge.
• Makes enough to fill one dough recipe.
• To make Potato& Roasted Garlic Filling: Cook potatoes until tender.
• Mash when done.
• Meanwhile, in small saucepan, heat oil on medium-high heat.
• Add garlic and reduce to medium-low heat.
• Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until garlic is tender but not browned.
• Mash garlic and add to mashed potatoes.
• Blend in milk, cream cheese, salt and pepper.
• Stir just until smooth.
• Cool to room temperature.
• Makes enough to fill one dough recipe.
• To make Potato, Cheddar, Bacon& Onion Filling: Fry bacon until very crisp.
• Crumble and set aside.
• Cook potatoes until tender.
• Mash when done.
• Meanwhile, discard all but 1 tbsp bacon fat.
• In remaining tbsp, cook onion until soft.
• To hot mashed potatoes, add shredded cheddar.
• Mix until cheese is melted.
• Add cooked onion and crisp bacon.
• Stir just until combined.
• Cool to room temperature.
• Makes enough to fill one dough recipe.
• To fill perogies: On lightly floured surface roll out one of the quarters of dough into a 17 inch circle.
• Using pastry brush, brush off excess flour.
• Using a 3 inch round cutter, cut dough into circles.
• Make circles as close together as possible to minimize the number or rerolls (dough gets tougher each time you reroll it).
• Wrap scraps in plastic wrap and place back into fridge.
• Either choose to make all one type of perogy or adjust each filling recipe to make a variety.
• Place rounded 1 tsp filling in center of circle.
• Fold dough over filling to form semicircle.
• Pinch edges together firmly to seal.
• Dust perogy lightly with flour and place on baking sheet.
• Cover with dish towel as you continue to make the perogies.
• Once all 4 quarters have been used, reroll all scraps and continue until no filling remains.
• To cook perogies, place in slowly boiling water until they float to the top (rapidly boiling water may break them apart).
• Do not crowd.
• To prevent sticking once cooked, toss gently with a little veggie oil or butter.
• Perogies may be served now with sour cream or placed in a single layer on a baking sheet.
• Once cooled to room temperature, freeze until firm.
• Package in freezer bags.
• To reheat, either place frozen perogies in gently boiling water until heated through or place frozen perogies in frying pan and fry on both sides until golden brown.