Potato and Cheese Pierogi in Brown Butter with Bacon and Cabbage — Photo:
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle

Active Time:

1 hrs 40 mins

Total Time:

2 hrs 15 mins

Servings:

4 servings

Yield:

24 pierogi

This comforting potato and cheese pierogi recipe is a labor of love but the end results are absolutely worth it. These pierogi are creamy and cheesy on the inside surrounded by a pillowy and soft dough. The ultra-cozy dumplings are topped with bacon and cabbage infused with browned butter.

Flavors are built into every part of this recipe with the butter-based pierogi dough incorporating sour cream to layer in a light tang. The dough is filled with a rich filling made of boiled and mashed potatoes, Cheddar cheese, and more sour cream. Cooking bacon in the skillet is the first step for the topping, ensuring that the final result is full of smoky bacon flavor and textures as the other ingredients cook in the rendered bacon fat. Shredded cabbage is cooked until caramelized to deepen the rich flavors. Browned butter adds subtle nutty notes and another layer of savory flavors. This is a perfect recipe for people who love a small cooking project with satisfying results.

Ingredients

Dough

2 cups (about 8 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg, , lightly beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

Filling

1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces (about 3 1/2 cups)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
6 ounces Cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)

Sauce

4 slices bacon, chopped
2 tablespoons water
4 cups shredded green cabbage (from 1 medium head)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup unsalted butter
Thinly sliced chives

Directions

Prepare the Dough:

Stir together flour, salt, and egg in a medium bowl until a shaggy dough forms. Add sour cream and butter; stir to combine. Transfer mixture to a lightly floured work surface, and knead until supple and elastic, about 5 minutes. Shape dough into a tight ball, and cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel; let rest on countertop for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the Filling:

Place potatoes in a medium saucepan; add enough water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over medium-high; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, uncovered and undisturbed, until potatoes are very tender, about 25 minutes. Drain well; transfer potatoes to a medium bowl. Add butter, sour cream, salt, and pepper; mash using a potato masher until smooth. Stir in cheese. Chill, uncovered, in refrigerator for at least 10 minutes. (Mixture should be slightly warmer than room temperature when forming pierogies.)
Roll dough on a lightly floured work surface into a 20-inch round, about 1/8-inch thick. Using a 3-inch biscuit or cookie cutter, cut dough into 24 rounds (work scraps into a thin sheet as needed). Working with 1 round at a time, gently stretch to a 3 1/2-inch round, and place about 1 1/2 tablespoons potato mixture in center. Fold edges together to form a crescent shape. Press edges together firmly to seal. (Moisten edges with water to seal, if needed.) Transfer to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, and cover loosely with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel. Repeat process with remaining dough and filling. Keep pierogies covered while preparing sauce.

Prepare the Sauce:

Cook bacon and water in a large skillet over medium, stirring often, until well browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add shredded cabbage; cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft and starting to caramelize, 6 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper. Push cabbage mixture to edges of skillet, and add butter to center of skillet. Cook, stirring butter occasionally, until well browned, about 4 minutes; stir together with cabbage. Remove from heat; cover and keep warm.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high. Add perogies, 12 at a time, and cook until they float, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until puffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a colander using a slotted spoon, and drain. Repeat process with remaining perogies. Divide pierogies evenly among 4 plates, and top evenly with cabbage mixture; garnish with chives.

Tips

To pan-fry, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium, and add 4 to 6 boiled and drained pierogies. Cook, stirring occasionally, until crispy on each side, about 2 minutes per side.
Uncooked pierogies may be stored in a ziplock plastic bag in refrigerator for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

Potato and Cheese Pierogi