Potato and cheddar cheese Pierogi
These pillowy pockets of dough filled with mashed potatoes and cheddar cheese make a wonderful meal or side dish. These freezer-friendly pierogi are a great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes. The dough is easy to make and filling them makes a great project for the kids!
My daughter was introduced to pierogi one day for school lunch and came home to say she loved them! After trying a couple of different recipes I was hooked on this one from King Arthur Baking Company.
Why you will LOVE these pierogi?
- Freezer friendly!
- Quick Meal or Side Dish!
- A great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes!
- Kids will eat them!!
- So much better than store-bought!
WHAT ARE PIEROGI?
They are filled dumplings made by wrapping unleavened dough around a savory or sweet filling. They are usually boiled and then fried. Some savory fillings are potato, cheese, and sauerkraut, while sweet fillings vary from prune to apricot.
Savory pierogi are often served with melted butter and fried onions or bacon. They can be served as an appetizer, side dish, or entrée.
Pierogi were brought to the region by eastern European immigrants. In 1952, Mrs. T’s pierogi started in Shenandoah, PA, and is the largest distributor of pierogi in the country.
INGREDIENTS
Dough
- All-purpose flour
- Salt – I used Diamond Crystal Kosher salt
- Egg – helps bind dough together
- Sour Cream – I used full fat or you can substitute Greek Yogurt any percentage will work.
- Unsalted Butter – room temperature
Filling
- mashed potatoes
- shredded cheddar cheese – I used sharp cheddar
- salt
See recipe card for quantities.
Dough
First make the dough as it takes some time to rest.
Mix together the flour and salt. Add the egg to the flour to combine until it looks shaggy.
Work in the sour cream and room temperature butter with a dough blender until the dough comes together in a sticky ball.
Knead and fold the dough with your hands until the dough becomes less sticky but still moist. Wrap the dough well in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 48 hours.
Filling
Mix together cheddar cheese and mashed potatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Taste and adjust salt as needed. Set aside.
Prepare the wrappers
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper to lay finished pierogies. Remove dough from the refrigerator. Lightly flour your work surface, roll out the dough until 1/8 inch thick. Using a 3-inch cookie cutter punch out 16-18 disks of dough.
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat.
Place 1 1/2 – 2 teaspoons of filling on each circle of dough. Gently fold the dough over, forming a pocket around the filling. Pinch the center edge of the dough together and work your way down on both sides, pinching the dough over the filling and pushing in the filling as needed. Make sure the potato mixture does not break the seal. If needed dap some water to help seal edges.
TIP: You will want to work quickly as dough can dry out and it will be harder to seal.
At this point, the pierogi can be frozen for up to 4 weeks or refrigerated overnight. 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.
Heat a 12 inch skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of butter.
To cook the pierogi, add a single layer of pierogi to the pot of boiling water. No more than 10 at a time to prevent sticking. Boil until they rise to the surface, about 2 minutes, then cook another 2 to 3 minutes until puffy. Frozen pierogi may need an additional couple of minutes. Use a slotted spoon to drain and transfer to a buttered pan.
Cook until crisp and golden, about 2 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining pierogi, adding more butter as needed.
Tips for the best Potato and Cheddar Cheese Pierogi
- Allow the dough to rest for at least 30 minutes before rolling.
- Try your filling and adjust for seasoning.
- Make sure to salt your water for boiling.
- Keep dough covered with a damp paper towel to prevent drying out.
- Dip fingers in water to help seal the dough while forming the pierogi if needed. Make sure they are sealed so they don’t explode when boiled.
- Freeze pierogi after you make them to cook later – makes for fast meal during the week.
- Goes great with steak or ham! Add a vegetable and dinner is done.
- A popular way to eat pierogis is to add sautéed onions. Melt 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter in 12-inch skillet over medium-low heat. Add one large finely chopped onion with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cook until onion is caramelized, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and set aside. Add to pan while pierogi are sautéing to warm through and serve.
What goes with Potato pierogi?
Ham
Steak
Kielbasa
Pork Chops
Brussel Sprouts
Onions
Sour Cream
Chopped cooked bacon
No need to boil prior to freezing. Freeze after sealing dough with filling.
Potato and cheddar cheese pierogie
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 cups all purpose flour (255 grams)
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup sour cream or greek yogurt (113 grams)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter room temperature.
Filling
- 1 cup mashed potatoes (227 grams)
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese (113 grams)
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons butter for pan frying
Instructions
To make the dough:
- Mix together the flour and salt. Add the egg to the flour and combine. The dough look shaggy at this stage.
- Work in the sour cream and soft butter with a dough blender until the dough comes together in a slightly rough, sticky ball.
- Using your hands, knead and fold the dough until the dough becomes less sticky but still quite moist.
- Wrap the dough well in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or up to 48 hours.
To make the filling:
- Combine the mashed potato, cheese and salt. Taste and add more salt if necessary.
Prepare the wrappers:
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment to lay finished pierogies. Lightly flour your work surface, then roll out the dough until 1/8-inch thick. Using a 3-inch cookie cutter punch 16-18 disks of dough.
- Place 1 1/2 – 2 teaspoons of filling on each circle of dough. Gently fold the dough over, forming a pocket around the filling. Pinch the center edge of the dough together and 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 use dap some water to help seal edges. At this point the pierogies can be frozen up to 4 weeks or refrigerated overnight.
- Heat 12 inch skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of butter.
- To cook the pierogi, add a single layer of pierogi to the pot of boiling water. No more than 10 at a time to prevent sticking. Cook until they rise to the surface, about 2 minutes, then cook another 2 to 3 minutes until puffy. Frozen pierogies may need an additional couple of minutes. Use a slotted spoon to drain and transfer into buttered pan.
- Add boiled pierogi in a single layer to pan and avoid overcrowding. Cook until crisp and golden, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining pierogi, adding more butter as needed.
