Zanhard's Recipes

Vegetarian
Prep Time: 90+ minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Serves: Lots!

Filling Ingredients:

• 5 lbs russet potatoes
• 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste
• 1 bunch green onion

Dough Ingredients (this makes ~2.5 batches because I found 1 batch wasn't nearly enough for all the filling):

• 3 eggs
• 2 cups water
• 5 cups flour

Toppings (choose whatever you like):

• 1 pkg bacon / sausage (optional)
• 1 small container sour cream
• 1 sweet onion, caramelized

Steps:

1. Peel the potatoes. Place them into a pot of water with some salt to boil. Boil for 15-20 minutes until soft with a fork.
2. While water is boiling, cook the bacon to medium crispy and set aside on some paper towel to drain absorb the fat.
3. Shred the cheddar cheese into a bowl and set aside.
4. Wash and then use scissors or knife to cut the green onion into small rounds and set aside.
5. Put flour into a bowl. Put water and eggs into another bowl and whisk together. Pour the egg/water mixture into the flower bowl and mix thoroughly.
6. Knead the dough then cover with saran wrap to prevent it drying out and let it rest for ~10 minutes.
7. Once potatoes are done boiling, strain them and then put in the cheddar cheese and green onions while still hot and mash them to an even consistency.
8. Cut off a piece of the dough and roll it out to ~ 1/8“ thick. Use a 3” diameter circle (I used a cup) to cut circles out of the dough. Place the scraps of dough left over back into the bowl with the rest.
9. Use a ~1oz trigger release spoon (think ice cream spoon where you push the button to eject the ball of ice cream) to scoop some potato and place into the center of each of the dough rounds.
10. Stretch the dough circle gently, then stretch it around the potato filling and pinch tightly closed.
11. Place the done pierogi onto a lightly oiled cookie sheet.
12. Continue until all of the filling is used up.
13. Pierogi nog being eaten should be put into the freezer on the cookie sheets for at least 1 hour before placed into a freezer ziploc bag for future consumption.
14. To cook pierogi, bring to a boil until they float. Once floating, cook for an additional 3 minutes.
15. Use a straining spoon to put the pierogi into a frying pan with some oil in order to brown the outside.
16. Serve with desired toppings and enjoy.