Yinz Pierogies!

There are many ways to spell pierogi and as I discovered, there are many ways to make pierogies. Do you use sour cream in the dough? Do you fill them with just potatoes or mix it up with other ingredients? Do you pinch them closed with your fingers or use a fork?

Growing up in Pittsburgh, I am a die-hard pierogi fan and can differentiate between a homemade pierogi versus Mrs. T’s with my eyes closed. My husband and I have spent countless Fish Fry seasons trying to find the best homemade pierogies in the Burgh. This year I decided to try and make my own pierogies.

Right next to my obsession with pierogies is my obsession with Turner’s French Onion Dip. I discovered it in college and have been addicted since. I decided I would replace sour cream in a pierogi recipe with the dip. And I wasn’t disappointed. These pierogies have all the nostalgia of a homemade pierogi combined with that perfect french onion dip flavor, making them one of my favorite pierogies in Pittsburgh.

(Not sure where to out these. Either in blog or recipe steps. In the video you can make them a pop up on like a burst or something. Like you see in promotional videos or what not lol) Pro tips: Flour your hands before you knead to keep the dough from sticking. Don’t over flour your dough. Just keep kneading it and it will come together. Don’t over cook your pierogies, pull them out of the water just as the begin to float. And if pinching them shut isn’t your jam, go ahead and use a fork. I won’t judge.

Makes 12+ pierogies, you can easily double or triple the recipe as needed.

Ingredients:

Dough:

1 large egg

6.5 ounces Turner’s French Onion Dip Find It

1 cup all-purpose flour

Pinch of salt

Filling:

12 ounces diced, boiled potatoes (roughly 2 cups chopped)

3 ounces Turner’s French Onion Dip (one more ounce for a stronger chip dip flavor)

1/4 tsp salt

Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Prepare the filling. Take your potatoes that have been roughly chopped and boiled in salt water until soft. Add chip dip, salt and pepper to taste and mash until desired consistency.
2. Make the dough. Beat together egg and Turner’s French Onion Dip until smooth.
3. Sift flour and salt into egg mixture, stir to combine. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until firm and smooth.

Pro-tip #1 Flour your hands before kneading to prevent the dough from sticking to you.

Pro-tip #2 Don’t over flour the dough, keep kneading, it will come together. Too much flour makes the dough bready when cooked.

4. Roll in 1/8 inch thickness and cut roughly 3″ rounds using a biscuit cutter or a drinking glass.
5. Fill each round with a small spoonful of mashed potato filling. Lightly brush the edges with water, fold in half and pinch multiple times to seal. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Store in the freezer by dusting lightly with flour and placing them in a labeled Ziploc bag. Or cook right away.

Pro-tip #3 You can pinch them shut with a fork if you’d rather.

6. Cook the pierogies. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pierogies and cook for 1-2 minutes, just until floating. Remove and serve, or melt some butter in a pan and pan fry a minute on each side until golden and crisp.

Pro-tip #4 Don’t overcook the pierogies! Pull them out of the water just as they start to float.