Pierogi

My mom used to always make pierogi and cabbage rolls (golabki) every year for Christmas. A lot has changed since I was a kid, but I'll always love the gift of still getting to share these little pan-fried cheesy potato dumplings with the people I love.

Note: you can substitute vegan cheese, butter, oatmilk, and sour cream for the dairy products -- they're delicious either way! I'm still working on the best alternative for normal bacon pieces.

• Dough:
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 cup lukewarm water
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp salt
• Mashed Potato filling:
  • 3 lb potato, peeled, x-large diced, and boiled (in well-salted water!) til fork-tender
  • ⅔ cup butter, sliced
  • milk
  • 6-8 cloves garlic, minced
  • Shredded cheese of choice
• sour cream
• green onion, thinly sliced
• bacon, cut into bits, sauteed (save the grease for frying the pierogi!)
• onion, small diced and sauteed in bacon grease with a pinch of salt until caramelized

For the dough:

1. Mix all ingredients into a dough and knead well.
2. Divide dough into four balls and let rest in a covered bowl for 30 min.

For the filling:

1. Mash together potato, butter, and garlic.
2. Add milk until potatoes are creamy but still hold their shape when rolled between hands.
3. Salt and pepper to taste.
4. Let cool until room temp, then mix in shredded cheese to taste.

Putting it together:

1. Roll dough out on a floured board and cut into circles.
2. Put filling, rolled into a football shape, on dough round. Fold dough over filling. Seal edges with a fork, using a bit of water in between as necessary, being careful not to puncture into filled portion of pierog.
3. Boil pierogi in salted water until they float, then pan fry in bacon-onion grease and butter until each side is golden brown.
4. Serve with bacon bits, caramelized onions, and sour cream.