Pierogi, What's that?

As I was making lunch today, which happened to be a few pierogi's, I couldn't help but be reminded of the first time I served these to my fiance. Not long after we first started dating I made him dinner and I was ecstatic to be having pierogi as a side. But my fiance just looked at me like I had 2 heads, he had no idea what I was talking about! I was stunned! That's when it occurred to me that many people, not just my fiance, might not know what a pierogi is. So I decided I would share my knowledge with you.

I grew up with many Polish and Czech influences. Dinners could be pork cheeks and potato dumplings (YUM!), kielbasa, or a dessert of kolache! Which some of these may also sound quite foreign to some of you. But they are all so good and were certainly staples in my home growing up. So it never crossed my mind that I may be introducing someone to these foods.

Now what is a pierogi you may ask. Well a pierogi is basically a dough filled with some sort of potato filling. The dough is usually the same, or quite close, from one pierogi to the next. Its the filling that make them unique. The most common filling is probably potato and cheese. But you can get just about any filling you can think of: potato and bacon, potato cheese and onion, potato and broccoli  you can even find meat pierogi's. The best part is they are sold at most local grocery stores, but they are oh so simple to make at home as well.

Plus there are just as many ways to cook them as there are fillings! I prefer to saute mine in a skillet with a little butter and oil. They get nice and crispy this way. But you can boil them, microwave them, stick them in the oven, etc. And to be honest, they are good no matter how you cook them! Oh and toppings! My favorite is a little sour cream, with some green onions and parsley, perfect! But you can top them with sauteed onions, salsa, pasta sauce, melted butter, pretty much whatever you want!

I encourage you to go to the store and buy a box of these yummy treats. Or maybe try making a batch yourself! I would love to hear about your experiences!