Three Cheese Pierogies with Cider Caramelized Onions & Apples
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 14 large pierogies 1x
- Category: Eastern European, Meatless Mondays
- Cuisine: Dinner
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Talk about the epic Meatless Monday meal! And what’s great is that you can make the pierogies over the weekend, pop them in the fridge before cooking them, and then cook it all up Monday evening! That way you get a delicious Meatless Monday meal without all the work on a weekday!
I love pierogies. I used to work at a power plant that had several Polish joints nearby. One of them was more of a breakfast/lunch place, and they had the most amazing homemade pierogies.
I’ve generally just gone for store-bought pierogies. Costco actually sells some pretty good pierogies. But, there is nothing like homemade pierogies! And they’re really not difficult… they’re just a bit of work. But trust me… worth it!
There are so many ways to approach pierogies. I added yogurt, sour cream, and buttermilk to the dough to give it a hint of tang. Then I filled them with three cheeses loaded into the potato mash. You can either use your hands to fold the pierogies in half and pinch the edges, or use a dumpling maker, which just makes it so easy! If you want to make the pierogies ahead of time, stop after you’ve filled, folded, and pinched them. Just cover them and pop them in the refrigerator until you’re ready to cook them!
So many recipes call for you to boil and then serve the pierogies, but I always find that you just have this slimy wet blob on your plate. Gross! I boil the pierogies to ensure the dough is cooked through, but then I throw the pierogies on to a frying pan to sear the outside and give the pierogies a nice crisp outside.
Now, the topping. Have you ever eaten apple slices topped with cheddar cheese? If you haven’t, you’re missing out. Cheese and apples compliment each other so well! And, tis the season for apples! Caramelizing onions and apples and then pouring in apple cider for the onions and apples to soak up, you have this lightly sweet, lightly tangy topping. I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of doing this sooner! And actually, it was rather a last minute decision because I had two pathetic looking apples that didn’t have much more life on them ~ use them or lose them. I am so happy I did!
Top this with a dollop of sour cream and you have a belly warming vegetarian dish that is to die for!
Ingredients
Pierogi Dough
2½ cups flour
½ cup yogurt
½ cup buttermilk
2 TB sour cream
1 egg
1 tsp salt
2 TBs butter, divided (to fry the pierogies)
Filling
3 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1” chunks
1 cup shredded cheddar
1 cup shredded Asiago
4 oz cream cheese
2 TB butter
salt and pepper
Topping
3 sweet onions, sliced
2 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ¾” chunks
⅔ cup apple cider
1 TB fresh rosemary, minced
1 TB olive oil
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Sour cream to serve
Instructions
Make the Dough
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt. Add the yogurt, buttermilk, sour cream, and egg, mixing until well combined. In the bowl or on a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for several minutes. If it’s too sticky, add a sprinkle of flour. Return to the bowl, cover, and let sit while you make the filling.
Make the Filling
Place the potatoes in a pot and fill with cold water. Add a tablespoon of salt. Cook over medium heat until the potatoes are tender ~ 30 to 40 minutes.
When tender, drain the potatoes and return to the pot. Over a low heat, add the butter and three cheeses to the pot. Using a potato masher, mash and mix the potatoes with the butter and cheeses until smooth and well combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Make the Topping
In a large pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add the onions. Lightly salt. Stir periodically. After 5 minutes, add the apples. Continue to stir periodically until the onions start to caramelize ~ 20 to 25 minutes. Add the rosemary, cooking until fragrant ~ about 1 minute. Add in half of the apple cider and cook until the onions and apples fully absorb the liquid. Repeat with the remaining liquid. Turn the heat to low while you finish the pierogies.
Make the Pierogies
Heat a large pot of water over medium heat.
On a well floured surface, roll the dough to about ⅛” to ¼” thick. The dough tends to pull back; that’s okay. Use a 4” biscuit or round cookie cutter to cut out circles. Gently roll out each circle to be ⅛” thick. Scoop 1 tablespoon of filling into the center of each round. Fold over and pinch the sides firmly along the edges. Alternatively, you can use a dumpling press.
Working in batches, boil the pierogies for 3 minutes. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Place as many pierogies as you can in the pan without overcrowding (about 5 or 6). Cook for about 2 minutes per side, or until lightly golden on both sides. Remove from the pan and repeat, adding an additional tablespoon of butter if necessary.
Plate the pierogies and top with the onions and apples and a dollop of sour cream.
Enjoy!
Keywords: Meatless Monday, Eastern European, Pierogies, Pierogies and Onions, Pierogies and Apple Cider, Pierogies and Caramelized Onions
