Recipe: Potato and Cheese Perogies

Perogies are such an easy addition to a meal – and I absolutely love them. We ate them fairly often when I was growing up, and that habit hasn’t changed now that I’m out on my own.

What has changed, though, is my desire to make them myself. Don’t get me wrong, we did grew up with homemade perogies; my mom would make them once in a while, or we’d get some from another family member. But making perogies by hand is a time-consuming project, and so it’s often easier to just buy them from a store.

But, if you do have some time to set aside, then homemade perogies are definitely worth the effort. And once they’re made and frozen, all you have to worry about is boiling some water.

One of the nice things about perogies is that you can fill them with just about anything you want – potato, meat, fruit, jam… it all depends on what role you want them to play.

These Potato and Cheese Perogies are a fairly basic side-dish recipe. And, as a bonus, it’s easy to mix it up, depending on your own tastes. Which is why the seasoning I use in the recipe isn’t fully measured out – just put in as much or as little as you like.

This recipe makes about two dozen, but it’s fairly easy to double it if you want a full stock in the freezer. Then, once you have a supply of frozen perogies, all you need to do is bring water to a boil, drop the perogies in, and let them boil until they float to the top.

From there, I like to toss mine in butter and top them with some sour cream, but they’re also good with a side of ranch dressing or ketchup, or fried in some butter and onion.

Potatoes and Cheese Perogies Recipe

Ingredients

3 cups flour
1 cup water
1 tsp salt
1 egg
2 tablespoons oil
Six medium-sized potatoes
1/2 to 1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons milk
Salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste

Directions

Chop and peel potatoes. Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Bring water to a boil, and then allow to boil until potatoes are soft.
Drain potatoes and transfer to a large bowl. Add butter and milk. Stir, and then mash until mostly smooth. Add cheddar cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Mix until fully combined. Set aside to cool.
Mix egg, oil and water together in a large bowl. Gradually mix in the flour, a little at a time. Once everything has come together and formed a ball, set aside for 10 minutes.
On a floured surface, roll a portion of the dough until desired thinness is reached (approximately 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch). Using a cookie cutter or glass, cut out circles. Place approximately 3/4 to 1 tablespoon of potato mixture on the middle of each circle. Fold the circle in half, pressing the edges firmly so they won’t separate when boiling.
Line a tray or cookie sheet with parchment paper or a tea towel. Fill tray with perogies, making sure they don’t touch each other. When first layer is full, place another sheet of parchment paper or tea towel on top. Repeat layering process.
Allow perogies to freeze overnight, and then transfer to a ziploc bag. Keep perogies frozen until you’re ready to cook them.