Pierogies with Cheese and Potato

Ingredients

• 4 cups Flour (plus 1/4 cup extra flour for kneading)
• 2 small Eggs
• 1 cup Lukewarm Water
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
• 2 1/2 pounds (1.2kg) Potatoes (peeled and cubed)
• 1 small Onion (diced)
• 2 tablespoons Butter
• 2 cups Cheddar Cheese (grated)
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

1. 1

   --- Making Dough ---

2. 2

   Make a Well - mix flour and salt in a bowl and make a well in the centre

3. 3

   Add Eggs - add oil and crack eggs into the flour. Using a fork, stir into the flour

4. 4

   Form Dough - slowly add water while kneading, until the dough forms a shaggy ball

5. 5

   Knead - continue to knead dough on a lightly floured surface until dough is soft but not sticky. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes

6. 6

   Rest - cover dough with a bowl and rest for about an hour

7. 7

   --- Make Cheese and Potato Filling ---

8. 8

   Prepare Potatoes - while dough is resting, bring peeled Potatoes to a boil and cook until soft (about 15 minutes). Drain, allow to cool

9. 9

   Mash - place in a bowl and mash until smooth, set aside

10. 10

    Caramelize - fry diced Onion with Butter until caramelized. Add to the Mashed Potatoes

11. 11

    Add Cheese - add grated Cheddar to the Mashed Potato mixture and mix it all together. Season with Salt and Pepper

12. 12

    Cool - let Potato Filling cool before assembling

13. 13

    --- Making Pierogies ---

14. 14

    Roll Dough - on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough about ⅛" thin

15. 15

    Cut Circles - using a 3" cookie cutter, cut out dough circles. Remix dough pieces, roll out again and reuse the extra dough to make more circles. Cover the dough that you aren't using so it doesn't dry out

16. 16

    Filling - place 2 teaspoons of Cheese and Potato Filling in the centre of the dough circle

17. 17

    Fold - carefully fold in half to create a half moon shape. Pinch edges to seal shut. Careful not to have the filling touching the edges, or it will fall apart when cooking

18. 18

    Freeze - place Pierogies on a lightly floured baking tray and freeze for at least 30 minutes. Place the individually frozen perogies into a Ziplock bag and return to freezer for an future easy dinner

19. 19

    Cook - bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Place the Pierogies into the water and boil until they float to the top, about 5-7 minutes. Frozen Pierogies will take longer

20. 20

    Pan Fry - optional: place Pierogies in a frying pan with some butter. Fry for 2-3 minutes until golden brown

21. 21

    Serve - toss in a bowl with Butter, serve with Sour Cream and Caramelized Onions