National Pierogi Day – October 8th

Despite the fact I grew up in the Midwest where there was a large Polish and Eastern European population, I did not have a pierogi until I was 40 years old. A co-worker loves them and shared his leftovers with me. His recipe is straightforward and delicious. I have served them with sausage or made into a casserole with cheese because why wouldn’t you want to add cheese to delicious little dumplings filled with potatoes.

Basic Pierogis

Course: Side Dish

Keyword: pierogi, pierogis

Servings: 2

Ingredients

1 stick butter
1/2 onion, diced
1 pkg. frozen pierogis
salt and pepper

Instructions

Cook pierogi in boiling water according to package directions.
Melt a stick of butter in a frying pan and saute onions and garlic until tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Drain pierogi and saute quickly with melted butter and onion.

Recipe Notes

I like to brown them a little more with the onions. Mrs. T’s package says you can saute them in butter for 8 minutes per side instead of boiling them. Since I am not a huge fan of onions I also tried them with butter and parmesan cheese, delicious!

Origins of the Pierogi

Pierogi originated in Eastern Europe and is Poland’s national dish They can be filled with potato, sauerkraut, ground meat or cheese. Pierogi may be served with a topping, such as melted butter, sour cream or fried onion, or a combination of those ingredients. Pierogi were traditionally prepared for holidays such as Christmas, Easter, and weddings. Each holiday had its designated pierogi flavor. Polish families still enjoy the traditional Cabbage, Sauerkraut, and Mushroom pierogi flavor on Christmas Eve. The largest edible pierogi was made during Pierogi Fest in Whiting, Indiana and weighed 92 pounds.