Homemade Sweet and Savory Pierogi

Posted by: Nicole Dula on Apr 21 2015

You guys know Megan, right? I assume you do because she’s the super fun gal behind the food blog, Take a Megabite. We go on lady dates from time to time, always getting a brunch appetizer. In addition to being fun to eat with, she’s also incredibly talented, kind, funny and a really good friend. I’m very lucky to live near her! We wanted to collaborate on something special and we came up with homemade pierogi. We dared to dream our dreams and came up with our own savory and sweet fillings. Between the two of us, you have 4 pierogi filling ideas!

Megan brought pink wine+pink champagne+vegan sprankle blondies to my house, which got our #pierogipicnic started off right. There was a point when counting pierogi circles and champagne didn’t mix well, but it was so fun. We spent most of last Saturday with flour on our hands and faces, making 120 pierogi total. We froze a bunch for pierogi emergencies.

My savory pierogi filling was roasted scallion+sharp cheddar+bacon+potato and my sweet pierogi filling was strawberry-rhubarb jam+ricotta (!!!) The scallions, cheddar and bacon played so nicely together and the jam+ricotta pierogi taste just like blintzes.

Megan made blue cheese+sharp cheddar+bacon pierogi plus macerated strawberry+goat cheese. ALL THE CHEESE. Adding blue cheese is a total genius move and I told Megan that many times. At least 3 times per glass of pink wine. Her strawberry and goat cheese pierogi have a fresh and tangy flavor, perfect for spring.

We have a large Polish community in metro Detroit, so you can get some pretty great potato and cheese pierogi around here, but I have to say, our pierogi are my favorite. We boiled them for a few minutes and then popped them in a hot skillet so you get that crispy outside while the middle is soft and flavorful. They’re the perfect carb on carb treat. When the first batch was ready, we started dancing around the kitchen shocked by how good these were.

I was a little sad that my jam didn’t want to stay inside the pierogi while closing them up, but the hot pink jam spilling out made for pretty pictures and none of them popped open during cooking. These pierogi don’t need anything extra, but I couldn’t help myself and dipped the savory ones in sour cream and I drizzled the sweet ones with lemon glaze and dipped them in extra jam for all the wins.

The recipe for my sweet and savory pierogi is below and make sure to check out Megan’s pierogi on her blog!

Print Recipe

Pierogi Dough

Makes 30, recipe from Serious Eats

We made two double-batches or a quadruple batch. A double batch of the recipe below fits in a stand mixer nicely. I really, really like Wallaby organic European-style sour cream, if you can find it.

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg
1 cup sour cream, not non-fat
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Instructions

Put pierogi dough ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook. Mix on low until dough begins to pull away from the sides. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes and up to 48 hours.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and turn out onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll the dough out with a rolling pin into a sheet about 1/16-inch thick. Using a 3 or 3 1/2-inch circular cookie cutter or the top of a glass, cut the dough into circles. Roll the excess dough into a new dough ball, let rest for 5 minutes, roll out and repeat. Roll out as many pierogi as you can and discard any small scraps.

Print Recipe

Potato, Roasted Scallion, Cheddar + Bacon Pierogi Filling

Enough filling for 30 pierogi, adapted from The Kitchn

After the pierogis are filled, you can freeze the pierogi. To freeze, place pierogi in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer the frozen pierogi to a freezer bag and freeze for up to three months. Pierogi can be cooked straight from the freezer, boiled for 3 minutes. If you have extra filling, add an egg and a couple of tablespoons of flour and make potato pancakes!

Ingredients

1 bunch scallions
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3-4 strips bacon (optional)
1/2 pound small red-skinned potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
1 tablespoon sour cream
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar
unsalted butter or bacon grease for skillet
extra sour cream for serving
fresh Italian parsley, chopped for serving

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. On two rimmed baking sheets lined with foil, put scallions on one and bacon on the other (or try it all on one baking sheet, but omit olive oil and toss scallions in bacon fat once it starts to render, reserve rest of bacon fat for cooking pierogi in skillet). Drizzle scallions with 1 tablespoon of oil. Roast both for 15-20 minutes, rotating halfway through cooking time for even browning. The bacon should be crisp and the scallion ends should be a bit crisp while the whites are soft. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and allow both bacon and scallions to cool.
Scrub the potatoes clean and place them in a 2- or 4-quart sauce pan. Cover with an inch or two of water and set over high heat. When the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and generously salt the water. Simmer until the potatoes are tender when pierced by a fork, 6 to 10 minutes depending on the size of your potatoes.
While potatoes cook, trim root ends of scallions and roughly chop. Chop cooled bacon, too.
Drain potatoes and add to a large bowl. Remove the peels or leave them on like I did and mash the potatoes with a potato masher or a dinner fork. Add the sour cream and salt, and continue mashing until the potatoes are smooth. Stir in chopped scallions and bacon. Taste and add more salt if needed.
Get a large pot of water boiling and get out a large cast iron skillet. Roll 2 teaspoons of filling into a ball and add to 3 inch pierogi dough circles Twist or crimp the ends to close or use a fork to seal the pierogi.
To cook the pierogi, salt the boiling water and boil about 8-10 pierogi at a time for 2-3 minutes and drain in a colander or remove using a slotted spoon and put right into hot skillet with butter or bacon grease. Be careful, water will sputter a bit.
Heat 2 teaspoons of unsalted butter or bacon grease in the skillet over medium heat. Add boiled pierogi to skillet in one even layer, not overlapping, and cook for about 2 minutes per side or until golden brown. Continue until all of the pierogi is done. Serve immediately with extra sour cream and sprinkled with chopped parsley.

Print Recipe

Strawberry-Rhubarb Jam + Ricotta Pierogi

enough filling for 30, adapted from this strawberry rhubarb fool recipe

I recommend doubling the strawberry-rhubarb jam to have extra on-hand! Use a fork to seal the pierogi because it’s the easiest way to contain the filling inside. For freezing directions, refer to savory filling recipe notes above.

Ingredients

1/2 pound rhubarb stalks, chopped
1/2 pound strawberries, hulled and quartered
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
2 strips of organic lemon peel
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
unsalted butter or bacon grease for skillet
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Instructions

Mix the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, 1/4 cup of water and lemon peel in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat until it starts to bubble. Turn the heat down a little and cook at a low bubble for 20 minutes or so until the mixture reaches a jam-like consistency and is no longer watery. Transfer the jam to the refrigerator on a pot holder for at least 2 hours or if you’re in a hurry, transfer to the freezer for 20-30 minutes.
Get a large pot of water boiling and get out a large cast iron skillet.
Add 1 teaspoons of jam and 1 teaspoon of ricotta to each 3 inch pierogi dough circle and use a fork to seal the pierogi.
To cook the pierogi, salt the boiling water and boil about 8-10 pierogi at a time for 2-3 minutes and drain in a colander or remove using a slotted spoon and put right into hot skillet with butter or bacon grease. Be careful, water will sputter a bit.
Heat 2 teaspoons of unsalted butter or bacon grease in the skillet over medium heat. Add boiled pierogi to skillet in one even layer, not overlapping, and cook for about 2 minutes per side or when golden brown. Continue until all of the pierogi is done.
Whisk together powdered sugar and lemon juice until you have a glaze. Serve drizzled with lemon glaze and with extra strawberry rhubarb jam for dipping.

11 Notes Leave a Note

Mentioned on: Floral Crown Workshop with Made Floral | Dula Notes
Cindy said on April 21, 2015 at 10:59 am :

carb parties are the best parties! And pink wine never hurts. I miss you gals so much!

- Nicole Dula said on April 21, 2015 at 11:07 am :
  
  Miss you, too, Cindy!! Carb parties + pink wine 4 life!
  
Rachael S. said on April 21, 2015 at 1:11 pm :

You and Megan need one of these! My husband is part Ukrainian and he & his family make these all the time! I love all these flavor combos & pink wine, of course. (we also live outside the D!) http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00A4F14KQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?qid=1429635930&sr=8-5&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&keywords=pierogi+maker&dpPl=1&dpID=41Jba1OamDL&ref=plSrch

The perfect comfort food!

- Nicole Dula said on April 21, 2015 at 1:17 pm :
  
  Rachel! I’ve always wanted to buy something named “Hunky Bill” 🙂 That’s amazing. I bet it makes the most perfect little pierogi!
  
Stephanie said on April 21, 2015 at 4:24 pm :

Yum, these look so tasty! I’ve had many pierogis here in Grand Rapids for Pulaski day. I absolutely love these ideas for a twist on the typical potato and cheese. 🙂

Stephanie
petitepastels.blogspot.com

- Nicole Dula said on April 21, 2015 at 9:07 pm :
  
  Thanks, Stephanie! We had fun mixing up the fillings, but the potato and cheese will always be classic 🙂
  
Sues said on April 21, 2015 at 8:08 pm :

What awesomely creative pierogi fillings!! Sounds like such a fun day 🙂

- Nicole Dula said on April 21, 2015 at 9:08 pm :
  
  We had a blast! Thanks, Sues!
  
Stephanie Shelby said on April 22, 2015 at 3:39 pm :

Piero.m.g.
These are making my mouth water!

- Nicole Dula said on April 22, 2015 at 3:54 pm :
  
  So glad you love them!

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