Pierogi: The Best Comfort Food You May Not Know You Could Make

We could all use some delicious comfort food these days and tasty pierogi fit the bill. This Eastern European dumpling-style meal boasts a scrumptious filling of cheese and mashed potatoes, with a savoury twist in the form of nutrient-rich mushrooms. Hearty and flavourful, this dish is easier to create than you might realize and worth the trip to the grocery store

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 18 minutes
Makes: 40 pierogis

Ingredients:

Pierogi dough:
• 3 cups (750 mL) all-purpose flour
• 2 cups (500 mL) full fat (14%) sour cream

Filling:
• 1 tbsp (250 mL) salted butter
• 1 cup (250 mL) finely chopped onion
• 1/2 lb (8 oz) crimini mushrooms, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp (2 mL) each salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) mashed potatoes
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) shredded cheddar cheese

Garnishes:
• 1/2 cup (250 mL) sour cream
• 1/4 cup (80 mL) sliced chives
• Sautéed button mushrooms

Directions:

Pierogi dough:

1. In a large bowl, stir together flour and sour cream with a wooden spoon until the dough begins to come together.
2. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface. Knead gently with your fingertips for 2 to 5 minutes taking care not to overwork it. Knead until the ingredients are blended and the dough is slightly smooth on the outside.
3. Gather into a ball, wrap in plastic, and let rest for a minimum of 20 minutes.

Filling:

1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in onion and cook for 3 minutes.
2. Mix in mushrooms, salt and pepper.
3. Cook stirring for 5 minutes until mushrooms and onions are caramelized.
4. In a medium-sized bowl mix together cooked mushrooms, mashed potatoes and cheese until well combined.

Making pierogi:

1. Use a rolling pin to gently roll out 1 tbsp (15 mL) of dough into a 3-inch round disk on a well-floured surface. Repeat to make around 40 disks. Keep covered as you work so they don’t dry out.
2. To fill, hold dough disk flat in your palm and spoon 1 tbsp (15 mL) of filling into centre. Fold the round in half to enclose the filling. Seal the pierogi by pinching the edges together with a fork. Repeat process to make around 40 pierogi total. Keep pierogi covered until they are all filled and ready to cook.
3. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Drop the pierogi into the boiling water in batches of 5-8, stirring occasionally. Once they float to the top, cook for another 3 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove pierogi from the boiling water.
4. Melt butter in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Without crowding the pan, add drained pierogi and cook until golden brown on both sides, around 1 minute per side.
5. Serve either as individual bites for an appetizer or in a bowl for a full meal. Garnish with sautéed button mushrooms, a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of diced chives.

Find more information at mushrooms.ca.

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