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Step up your pierogi game with the irresistible twist of Sweet Potato Gruyère Pierogi. Treat your taste buds to a party!

 

There is nothing more comforting or delicious, to me at least, than a homemade pierogi.  The potato and cheese filling surrounded by tender and crispy dough is something that takes me back to my youth.  Pierogi are by no means a southern recipe so they didn’t come from Dad’s side of the family. 

 

Mom brought pierogi to our family dinners.  I think the recipe stems from some ancestors that lived on the border of Russia and Finland.  Russia has their own version of pierogi, or as we always called them perogi.  Their dumplings are filled mainly with potatoes and served with fried onions and bacon, which is how we usually serve them.  Very similar to these bacon, cheddar, caramelized onion, and potato pierogi.

 

 

What are pierogi and where do they come from?

 

Pierogi are filled dumplings made with a non-yeast or unleavened dough.  The dough is wrapped around the filling and then boiled until the dough is cooked and they rise to the surface of the water.  Most pierogi I’ve had are savory, but you there can be some sweet filling in there, too.  Typically, they’re filled with potatoes but some stuff them with meat, sauerkraut, and vegetables.  The sweet pierogi are usually stuffed with fruits and berries.  And then there’s spinach mushroom pierogi casserole made with either frozen or leftover pierogi.  We never really had leftovers.  LOL

 

Where they come from is more of a mystery.  I believe dumplings originated in China.  Those are also tops on my list of comfort foods.  With all the travel that occurred one could surmise that the Chinese method of making dumplings traveled the globe and as it landed throughout the world the method and filling adjusted to incorporate local tastes and ingredients. 

 

How they became prominently related to Eastern Europe, Poland in particular, is a bit of a mystery.  Some theorize that the dumplings landed in Poland around the 13th century.  These Chinese dumplings became widely popular and thoroughly incorporated in the cuisine of that region.  So much so that most people just associate pierogi with Polish cuisine.

 

 

What are traditional fillings for pierogi?

 

Pierogi filling can be as diverse as the culture that makes them.  One common theme throughout all these countries is potatoes like these twice-baked potato pierogi.  Almost every country that makes pierogi fills them with some form of potatoes.  Other regional varieties include:

• Poland – quark which is a soft cheese and fried onions
• Ukraine – cottage cheese, boiled beans, meat or fish, and fruits like currants or cherries
• Germany – they boil or bake theirs and fill them with spinach and soft cheese
• Hungary – jam and/or cottage cheese
• Romania and Moldova – jam, cherries, and cottage cheese or dill seasoned cheese
• Slovakia – salty sheep’s milk cheese
• Bosnia and Herzegovina – minced meat
• Slovenia – theirs are made with buckwheat flour and filled with cottage cheese, millet, and fried onions

 

 

What are some tips to making pierogi dough?

 

For me, I add the 2 cups of flour and then continue to add more about 1/2 cup at a time until the dough is no longer sticky to handle.  This will vary depending on the humidity level.  It might take more flour if it’s more humid.  Once the dough forms you will need to knead it until it becomes smooth and elastic. I usually add more flour during this kneading time, too, to keep it from sticking. 

 

When the dough is nice and smooth, then you want to let it rest.  Sometimes I put it in the fridge until I’m ready to make the dumplings.  This allows the dough to relax and make it easier to roll out and shape. Also, when rolling out the dough, work in small batches to make it more manageable. Aim for a thin and even thickness so your pierogi have a uniform texture when cooked.  There are silicone bands you can put in your rolling pin or silicone guides to place on your work surface to help you roll the dough out evenly.  I highly recommend one of those for perfectly even dough. 

 

 

Don’t be afraid to pull the dough over the filling.  It’s stretchy for a reason.  I usually scoop a little potato onto the dough then pick up the pierogi and pull the dough around the filling.  Then I use a little water on the edge to make sure they seal completely.  I press them with a fork to seal them, but some like to pinch them closed.  I had a dumpling maker but couldn’t find it.  I might have donated it since I didn’t use it too often. 

 

Ingredients for this pierogi recipe

 

The only “fancy” ingredient in this Sweet Potato Gruyère Pierogi recipe is the Gruyère cheese.  The rest are staple ingredients for our house.  We always have some kind of leftover potato in the fridge.  In this case it was sweet potatoes, so I mashed those with a little butter, salt, and pepper to make the filling.

Ingredients:

• Sour cream
• Butter
• Half and half
• Flour
• Salt and pepper

 

 

Making the pierogi dough

 

Combine the sour cream with the half and half, butter, 2 cups of flour, and salt and pepper to taste.  Stir the ingredients together using a dough whisk or wooden spoon.  The benefit of a dough whisk is the three coils that can easily combine batter and dough easier than a wooden spoon.  If the dough is still ragged, then continue to add flour a 1/2 cup at a time until it pulls away from the sides and starts to form a solid dough.

 

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and continue to incorporate flour as you knead the dough until the dough is no longer sticky and forms a smooth dough.  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

 

While the dough is resting combine the roasted and peeled sweet potato with the butter, salt, and pepper until combined.  Stir in the Gruyère cheese until thoroughly mixed.  Set aside until ready to make the pierogi. 

 

 

Making the sweet potato and Gruyère pierogi

 

Remove the dough from the plastic wrap and cut it into quarters.  Work with one quarter a time making sure to wrap the remaining dough and keep it refrigerated.  Roll the dough out to 1/4-inch thickness.  Dip your cutter in flour frequently to keep it from sticking.  Also, when I press down, I twist the cutter to make sure the dough is completely cut.

 

Spoon a teaspoon of filling onto each circle.  Using your finger wet the edge of the dough before pulling the dough over the filling.  Press the tines of a fork around the edges to seal the pierogi.  Repeat with remaining pierogi dough and filling.  Make sure to flour the pierogi before putting them on a plate as they might stick.

 

 

Cooking the sweet potato pierogi

 

Carefully drop the pierogi into boiling water.  Have a pan over medium-high heat with melted butter ready to brown the pierogi as they come out of the water.  When the pierogi float to the surface, grab a slotted spoon and move them from the boiling water to the frying pan to brown the pierogi for added flavor. 

 

Mom usually has onions in the pan for added flavor, but I wanted to the sweet potato filling to be the star.  But feel free to add onions to the pan and even bacon if you want.  Or fancy it up with some shallots and pancetta. 

 

What do sweet potato and Gruyère pierogi taste like?

 

Sweet and tender and salty and crispy.  The roasted sweet potato filling is flecked with the rich and salty Gruyère cheese.  The dough is tender and delicious but also crispy and rich from being sautéed in butter.  I was looking for the dallop of sour cream I always garnish with mine.  Sadly, I didn’t have any extra after making the dough.  I love that sour and creamy garnish for all my pierogi!  But that might have masked the deliciously delicate flavor of the sweet potatoes.

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