Pierogi with Chive Filling and Cheese Sauce

Pierogi, pierogi…what an interesting name.

Martha Stewart, for example, likes to make them and talk about them quite often.

Have you noticed?

It’s kind of the national food of the country her parents came from – Poland.

These cute, boiled dumplings with various kinds of fillings are spread and enjoyed over vast regions of Europe and America too.

Well, who knows, maybe also somewhere else.

If you know more, feel free to let me know.

I’d be very thankful.

Now I’m really curious – do you know them?

Do you like them?

Would you give them a try?

Or would you rather hide around a corner scared?

Well, I gave them a try, and not just once, and you know what?

They are yummilicious…

These are the ingredients I used to make very simple pierogi.

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.

2. Add the egg and the butter.

3. Using a pastry blender or a fork, incorporate the butter and egg into the flour until crumbs form.

4. Add the water.

5. With your hand, gather all the ingredients into a ball and knead until it’s rather smooth (for about 4 minutes).

The dough will be a little sticky. To make the kneading easier, dip your hand in some flour.

6. Now place the dough ball onto a well-floured working surface and roll it out into about 1/5 inch (0.5 cm) thickness.

7. Then grab a 3-inch (7.5 cm) cookie cutter – or a glass (see? I like the easier solutions so much – probably because I have no clue where my cookie cutter is right now) and cut out cute circles.

The glass or the cutter cuts into the dough much more easily if you dip it into some flour before.

8. Now we are going to magically turn the dough circle into pierogi.

For these very special purposes, we need the filling.

There are dozens of recipes for scrumptious pierogi fillings out there – sweet or savory. What I think is that this one might be the easiest of them all. Because all you have to do is just open your cream cheese container.

TA DA!

In case you would like to prepare your own flavored cream cheese filling, just go ahead and combine about 3/4 cup plain cream cheese with 1/4 cup plain yogurt, add about 1/2 cup chopped chives and salt to taste. Easy!

9. Place a small spoonful of the filling into the center of each circle.

10. Fold over.

11. And with your fingertip press the edges together to seal.

You can also use a fork to crimp the edges.

I used this gadget.

I love it from the deepest depths of my heart.

One day, I might break loose and write a poem about the pierogi press.

It’s my sweetheart from the first day we met.

I’m sure you’d love it too…

…if you saw this.

Amazing.

The best helper ever!

Hello little cuties.

You are having a bath soon!

12. To cook the pierogi, fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil.
13. Add the pierogi and cook – I recommend cooking them in three batches.

At first, your pierogi will sink. Stir them a little so that they don’t get stuck to the bottom. After a couple of minutes they will rise to the top – from this point on let them cook for additional 2 more minutes.

14. Using a spoon, remove the pierogi from the pot.

15. Drizzle some vegetable oil over a plate or a bottom of a pot and transfer the beauties there.

Toss them around every now and then (while the second and third batches will be cooking) so that they don’t get dry.

16. Meanwhile, you can prepare the sauce.

Again, it’s unbelievably simple and easy.

But then, I am afraid I am never going to come up with something difficult.

So…in a small saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour and whisk until the mixture starts to bubble.

17. Then add the broth, milk…

…and the cheese.

Stir until combined.

Bring the sauce to a boil, stirring constantly. Then remove the saucepan from heat.

18. Oh, and then I added the sweet paprika powder.

I just thought it would create a nice color contrast between the pierogi and the sauce.

Yummy.

Pierogi taste best when served warm (and with love, preferably).

Enjoy, dear friends.

(This recipe makes 22 pieces of pierogi and I guess you won’t spend more than one hour preparing it.)

 

24 thoughts on “Pierogi with Chive Filling and Cheese Sauce

  1. 1
    Tes says:

    Wow these pierogi are so adorable! They sound so yummy. I’m thinking of making this for snacks in the afternoon. 🙂 yeah!

  2. 2
    Abby says:

    A pierogi press! I’m off to search eBay for one of my very own. 🙂

  3. 3
    pixelpu says:

    i spent my holidays the last two years in poland (this year again) and so i know them very well and also like them very much. the sweet version for desert is adorable too!

  4. 4
    Asia says:

    I absolutely love pierogi. Well, I’m Polish:) I can give you loads of pierogi recipes!:)

  5. 5
    Lora says:

    Love the flavors. Great comfort food!

  6. 6
    Asia says:

    I’ll send you an e-mail in a few days:)

  7. 7
    Memoria says:

    Haha!! You’re too cute!! I loved this post. It looks like you had fun making these and writing about the experience. I must try these out.

  8. 8
    Nicole says:

    That looks delicious. Once I cut the circles, I always run the rolling pin over them again to make the dough thinner. Just a personal preference.

    My favorite is pierogi z kapusta (sauerkraut).

    The filling is very easy. I saute some sliced onions in butter, then add in sauerkraut and some pepper and heat everything through.

    You want to very briefly rinse the sauerkraut before you put it in the pan, and give it a good squeeze to get most of the liquid out.

  9. 9
    kjell says:

    LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Pierogi!
    I lived in Poland for a year and a half and this was definitely one of my faves!.
    Thanks for sharing. You make it look so easy. When I make it I feel like it doesn’t quite turn out the way it’s supposed to.
    However, I did just buy the press a month ago and am sooooo looking forward to using it.

    My best,
    Kjell

  10. 10
    Jackie says:

    hey! they look yummy! I love the filling idea!

    Just for the record, you can use the OTHER side of the pierogi press to actually cut out the circles of dough, and then lay the dough in the crimped edge side, fill it, and then just fold the two sides of the pierogi press together as per usual. I have a set of these – small medium and large (or, cornish pastie size! – I AM English!)

    well done you for the idea – thank you got to try it!

    Jackie

  11. 11
    baobabs says:

    Looks absolutely delicious! I haven’t had the patience or time to do periogi since, but my favourite is potato and bits of porchetta periogi served with butter and thyme sauce!

  12. 12
    Peggy says:

    Love the accompanying sauce for these guys! sounds fantastic!

  13. 13
    Jesy says:

    This is the best perogie recipe ever! The pasta is so easy and quick to make. I did make different filling though. The first time I did potatoes with ricotta and cheddar and the second time I used sweet potatoes and peas. Soo good!

  14. 14
    mirjana says:

    They are amazing!!easy for preparing and so yummi…

  15. 15
    ania1410 says:

    in Poland we use diferent cheese. you can make it from milk, if I find the recipe I’ll give it to U.
    I love pierogi with strawberrys and wild cheryys or berrys with creme and sugar.

    You can make it with minced meat or mushrooms.
    my fav are pierogi with white cheese and potatos. serve it with bacon and onion 🙂

  16. 16
    Anonymous says:

    Hi,

    I’m Linda. I grew up and live in Holland but my roots are in Algeria.

    I love your blog. I have already made several things from your recipes and it got really great reviews from my family and the inlaws. Esspecially those chocolate muffins with chunks of chocolate. When they are just out of the oven i instantly put a rolo in de middle of it. Then you can see it melt and when you pul it apart you see the caramel oozzzzz out of it. The folks are just crazy about them and almost fight over them.

    I also like this recipe and intend to make them this weekend. My only question is if you can freeze them?? And if it can be done do you freeze them before boiling or afterwards?

    Thanks a lot and i wish you well.

    Linda

    • 16.1
      ZoomYummy says:

      Hi Linda. I am really glad you like this little place.

      Oh, I love those chocolate muffins as well. What a GREAT idea to put a rolo in the middle – that has to be truly amazing.

      And as for the pierogi – I have never actually tried to freeze them, but if I had to decide, I’d choose to freeze them before cooking.

      Happy cooking and baking to you!

      Love,
      Petra

  17. 17
    Elle says:

    I LOVE me some pierogi. The bf is Bulgarian, and they make something similar, so I usually start out making some traditional pierogi & end up with a Frankenstein dumpling from the motherland, lol. One of the best things I’ve found, though, is to use sour creme in the dough. Not a bunch, but a little. Can’t wait to try this one out, though. Maybe it’ll replace my favourite ol’ potato & onion pierogi. Thanks so much!

  18. 18
    Pat says:

    my polish grandmother used to make these frequently. My favorite is the saurkraut, after they boil, we used to melt a little butter in a frying pan, fry some onion and then put the perogie in the pan and fry lightly. We also used to serve the sour creme on the side, not in the dough. We used to freeze them before boiling.

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