Pierogi Ruskie (Potato and Cheese Pierogi) Recipe (2024)

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Walt Nadolny

I have been making them for years usually on Christmas eve. Both daughters, now grown, have made it into a festive assembly line. One tip use Farmers Cheese, It is widely available and imparts a lovely salty, slightly sour note. We usually make 6-8 dozen and they never seem to make it to the freezer.

Evelina

Coming from a Polish family here...you want to use farmers cheese for the filling, not cottage or sour cream!! Also, my family’s secret: add in some crumbled feta cheese. It adds the most incredible flavor, I promise! You will need at least two people to help move the assembly of this recipe along, if not it will take 2-3 hours

Helena

I (first gen American) learned to make pierogi from my mom. Being in Chicago, we have no problems getting ingredients so we use the "Typ 390" Polish flour (low protein, can use Italian 00 as a close sub.) Our recipe is: 1 kg flour, 1 lg egg (beaten), good pinch of salt, 2 heaping tbsp of sour cream, as much ice water as needed to form a smooth springy dough. It produces the most tender pierogi dough imaginable.

GT

Another good filling is kapustka (sauerkraut) warmed with a little salt pork or bacon. My busia (grandmother) always, always pan-fried her pierogi. This dough is perfect. Just be sure to adjust the amount of water if you’re making the pierogi on a rainy day. Thank you for running this recipe.

nyrkr

Oh my god were these spectacular. What a great recipe to pop up just when I had leftover mashed potatoes! Other than that, I followed the recipe, using a mix of cottage cheese and sour cream in the filling. They turned out beautifully. The buttery onions, sour cream and chives as a garnish were SO delicious. I could eat these every day. But I won't because I HAVE SELF CONTROL...I HAVE SELF CONTROL...I HAVE SELF CONTROL...

Nellie Armstrong

My grandmother always used the water from cooking the potatoes to make the dough. Just saying.

Agata

Farmers' cheese is by far the best substitute for the cheese used for ruskie pierogi in Poland. Skip the egg in the dough, don't bother cubing potatoes, but instead cut them into a few pieces and once cooked put through the mincer with farmers' cheese. Roll the dough as thin as your dumpling-making skills allow - your acclaim as a pierogi maker is judged by the fineness of the wrapper - thick-doughed pierogi really don't taste right. Otherwise, I can attest this is an authentic recipe!

Sue

I make and freeze pierogi in large batches for quick dinners when I don't have much time to cook. I always cook them straight from the freezer, in a covered skillet. I brown them on both sides in a very small amount of oil, then add a bit of water to the pan and let them steam. They come out magnificently, and no need to wait for water to boil or dirty an extra pot.

Dan

I cheat a bit by cutting the dough into squares and folding into triangles-no scraps of dough. I also finish the crimp with the tines of a fork, flipping over to crimp both sides. I find the pierogi soak up less oil when frying if I let them sit for about 10-15 mins after boiling. Will 1" potato cubes really take 25 mins to cook? No wonder the directions don't explicitly say to mash them. Yes, farmers cheese is classic, but I have even used shredded cheddar. I like to dip them in Dijon mustard.

Julie

Delicious! This was my first time making pierogies and they came out great. I would triple the batch to freeze some, as it's a lot of work for such a small amount of pierogies. These took me about 3 hours to make on my own.

magda

Majority of polish recipes do not call for any fat to be added to the dough - just flour, salt, hot (almost boiling) water and egg. You can use 1-2 tablespoons of neutral oil, but it is not necessary. I find the dough more elastic when fat is skipped.

Corin

You boil, then fry.

Edyta

Side note - farmers cheese is the beat for it. I do not recommend using Cream cheese or sour cream

Deborah

I highly recommend the use of a pasta machine, if you have one, to roll out the dough. I prefer thin wrappers, and the machine really helps.

Jean

In step 4, you did not mention that the potatoes should be mashed. Use a ricer if you have one, it gives you a more even texture. If you use cottage cheese, it should be drained and pressed through a sieve. I am of Polish descent, and have never had a Christmas Eve without pierogi!

Anastasia Raba

Is it really just a 1/2 lb of potatoes? That’s like one potato… confused! Help!

MB

My mother-in-law (RIP), a first-generation Ukrainian American in Scranton PA made at least 12 dozen of these to distribute in tin pie plates to friends and family at Christmas time. She used cream cheese (not butter)in the dough; proportions of potato/onion/cheese in the filling is honestly “to taste”. For vegan/dairy sensitives in our family what worked well: in dough replace egg/butter with SoDelicious Coconut Milk yogurt (1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp); Tofutti vegan cream cheese in the filling

Victor

What exactly is "heavily salted water"?

Jane

In eastern PA deep fried pierogies are bar food. No county fair there is without a deep fried pierogi stand, run by ladies of a local church. Once a year the Ukrainian Church ladies sold them by the dozen. We always came home with at least four bags. Filling was always potato and “sharp” cheese. I’ve yet to learn what that is. I made this recipe for the first time this week. It’s excellent! Tastes like home. Fried onions in butter, browned pierogi, and added about 1/2 c water to steam. Yum!

Steve Wilson

My wife grew up near Pittsburgh and in that community pirogies were a staple and much loved. I saw this recipe and decided to give it a try for her to enjoy. Pulled it off first time so it is not that hard to do. Will still try something a little different next time. Could not find the cheese recommended so substituted mascarpone. I think a little stronger substitution would be in order. Even thinking about a little jalapeño. After the boil a browning trip in butter and garlic is in order.

Anneliese

Question: 1/2 lb of potatoes? Using my kitchen scale, that is exactly one potato (actually a little less than one potato). Mixed with two cups of sautéed onions seems off. Any help is appreciated.

Richard X

Follow the recipe. After caramelizing the onions, you'll have an amount that will comport with the quantity of potato. Seems off? you ask. No, it doesn't. Again, follow the recipe. Read the other notes if you need reassurance.

Alvin S.

My first time making pierogis and the recipe was wonderful! Easy to follow, easy to execute as long as you have some basic cooking experience (eg: working with dough).I added some extra flour to make it the right texture, maybe another quarter cup, but everyone's flour and environmental conditions are different.Just one note, because I was nervous, take it out soon after they start floating. I thought they looked raw still, but when I tried one it was perfect. Chewy and firm, but still soft.

Jenny

Halve the potato mix or double the dough. I have a lot of potato mix left over.

Jeanne

Pierogi making is an annual event for a dozen plus relatives. We use Kitchen-aid lasagna roller for the dough. 500g flour, 1 cup water plus 2-3 T more, 3 T butter or oil and 1 t salt. Let dough rest 30 minutes but we usually make it the night before and wrap each ball in saran wrap and chill. Bring to room temp for use. We have tried different dough recipes over the years - with eggs, sour cream etc - this is the best. We make 70-100 dozen and using the roller makes it so much easier.

liz swink

being 2nd generation Polish, my family (the women anyway) always made pierogi. We never used melted butter in the dough, and when I tried this recipe, it was a revelation. I will never go back! When frying them (always), we used minced salt pork with the butter and onions to coat the pierogi. Really really good.

jared m

Three things: 1) this recipe slaps. 2) it will go faster if multiple people fill the pierogis (duh) 3) you won’t be sad if you tuck a little kraut in with the filling and 4) if you live somewhere without good cheese options- crumbled feta smashed up with sour cream works really well, no complaints. Ok this was 4 things.

Deborah

The proportions didn't seem right to me, 8 oz potatoes to 24 oz onions, so I cut the onions to 8 oz and it was perfect. I did sub feta for the other cheese options. I still got about 23 pierogis, about what the recipe called for. No sour cream so I took Greek yogurt, added s&p, a splash of rice vinegar and another of Tabasco and it was pretty good if I do say so myself.

Emily W

As a few other commenters have mentioned, these are best with farmers cheese (I have used ricotta to good results). Always pan fry with onions and butter after boiling. Some additions:- it can be helpful to use a pasta roller to get the dough incredibly thin. - the dough can usually be re-rolled another time or two. When it starts getting tough/overworked than stop- uncooked pierogi freeze well. Thaw in boiling water- experiment with fillings. One of my faves has been roasted pumpkin

Christine

Could I roll the dough out in a pasta machine? Would that work?

Lori

has anyone tried this with another flour for gf?

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Pierogi Ruskie (Potato and Cheese Pierogi) Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Should you boil pierogies before frying them? ›

However, it's not a must—you can also cook frozen pierogies right in the skillet without boiling them—and they will turn out delicious. But, if you're a stickler for tradition, bring a pot of salted water to a boil, drop the pierogies in and wait for them to float. It takes around 3 minutes.

Why are pierogi called ruskie? ›

It is likely that “pierogi ruskie” were created by Poles living in Ukraine at the time. These pierogi therefore obtained their new moniker – ruskie - after WW2, when thousands of Poles were forced to leave their homes in Western Ukraine and relocate to the West of Poland.

What is the difference between Ukrainian and Polish perogies? ›

Varenyky is the more commonly used term in Ukraine, often eaten with sweet fillings, while pierogi are the national dish of Poland. Different to pelmeni as they are usually vegetarian, varenyky and pierogi can be served fried in butter, usually as an appetiser or a dessert.

Is it better to cook perogies in butter or oil? ›

How To Sauté / Pan-fry Pierogi: Lightly grease the frying pan with neutral oil or ideally – butter. If you plan to top pierogi with some chopped onion, bacon or kiełbasa pieces, now it's a good moment to add them to the pan and fry them for a few minutes.

How to make frozen perogies taste better? ›

Using freshly frozen homemade pierogies is perfect too. Or you can even let frozen ones thaw just a little bit. You want to make sure they are fully tossed or brushed with olive oil, covered in some salt, pepper and garlic. Then top them with the onions and roast!

What do Polish people eat with pierogies? ›

Pierogi are a traditional cuisine usually served with smetana (“sour cream") or with butter and onion, however they may also be included in a soup.

Are pierogies Polish or Ukrainian? ›

pierogi, one or more dumplings of Polish origin, made of unleavened dough filled with meat, vegetables, or fruit and boiled or fried or both.

Are perogies Russian or Ukrainian? ›

The perogy has roots in Poland, Russia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Ukraine, with slight differences between each country on the names and fillings. Ukrainian perogies, known as varenyky, can be stuffed with sweet or savoury fillings.

What do Germans call perogies? ›

German-speaking regions

The common term Pirogge (pl. Piroggen) describes all kinds of Eastern European filled dumplings and buns, including pierogi, pirozhki and pirogs.

What do Russians call perogies? ›

The name differs depending on the region, with states further east such as Russia preferring the term vareniki, while those further west, such as Poland and Slovakia, use the term pierogi.

What is the most popular type of pierogi? ›

Ruskie pierogi are probably the most popular kind of pierogi in North America and Poland. The other popular pierogi in Poland are filled with ground meat, mushrooms and cabbage, or for dessert an assortment of fruits (berries, with strawberries or blueberries the most common).

How many perogies per person? ›

Melt a tablespoon of butter in a pan on medium heat, then fry up as many pierogies as you want. (Six per person is plenty.) Flip them every few minutes until they're browned on all sides. Serve with scallions and a dollop of sour cream.

What state eats the most pierogies? ›

One region eats more pierogis than the rest of the country

The "Pierogi Pocket" region encompasses five midwestern states: Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey. A few cities — including Chicago and Detroit — are also included in this area, according to The Pierogi Experiment.

What to eat with potato and cheese pierogies? ›

The best side dishes to serve with pierogies are boneless pork ribs, caramelized onions, carrots and potatoes, teriyaki pork chops, roasted Brussels sprouts, taco casserole, sautéed mushrooms, cucumber salad, borscht, applesauce, cabbage rolls, kielbasa, sautéed spinach, coleslaw, and corn on the cob.

How long to boil frozen pierogies before frying? ›

For a 16 oz (450 g) package of around 12 frozen pierogi, boil at least 2 US qt (1.9 l) of water in a large pot. Add the frozen pierogi and boil them until they all float, and then for 1-2 minutes more—typically 5-7 minutes total. Either drain the pot or scoop out the cooked pierogi with a slotted spoon and serve.

What's the best way to cook perogies? ›

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add pierogies. Cook 4-5 minutes or until they float the top, drain. In a large NON-STICK fry pan, melt the butter with the olive oil. Add onion and drained pierogies and season to taste with salt and pepper or House Seasoning.

How do you crisp pierogies in a pan? ›

Prepare the Pierogi: In a frying pan, simply add a bit of butter or oil before arranging the pierogi in a single layer, making sure they don't overlap. Pan Fry the Pierogi: In the pan, fry the pierogi for 3-4 minutes on each side until they turn a golden brown and get crispy.

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