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This week / Dinner / No. 38
Potato and Cheese Pierogi with Bacon
38THIS WEEK
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Dinner

Potato and Cheese Pierogi with Bacon

Polish pierogi ruskie: soft dumplings filled with mashed potato, farmer's cheese and sweet fried onion, boiled and topped with crisp bacon bits.

Prep1 hr
Cook20 min
Total1 hr 20 min
Serves6

What you'll need

Mixing bowl setFor mixing and marinating
12-inch cast-iron skilletFor searing and oven finishes
8-inch chef's knifeFor all the chopping

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Ingredients

  • For the dough: 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 3/4 cup warm water
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil or melted butter
  • For the filling: 1 1/2 lb russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 8 oz farmer's cheese (twaróg) or dry-curd cottage cheese
  • 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • For serving: 6 oz slab bacon or thick bacon, cut into small dice
  • sour cream (optional)

Steps

  1. Make the dough: mix the flour and salt, add the egg, water and oil, and knead until smooth and soft, about 5 minutes. Wrap and rest 30 minutes.
  2. Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender, then drain and mash. Fry the onion in the butter until golden, about 10 minutes. Mix half the onion into the potatoes with the cheese, salt and pepper and let cool.
  3. Roll the dough thin (about 1/16 inch) on a floured counter and cut 3-inch rounds. Put a heaping teaspoon of filling on each, fold over, and pinch the edges firmly to seal.
  4. Fry the diced bacon in a skillet until crisp, then stir in the rest of the onion.
  5. Boil the pierogi in a large pot of salted water in batches. Once they float, cook 2 to 3 minutes more, then lift out with a slotted spoon.
  6. Toss with the bacon and onion and its fat. Serve with sour cream if you like.

TipFreeze uncooked pierogi on a floured tray, then bag them. Boil from frozen, adding 2 minutes.