I am floored.
Today’s recipe just knocked me on my you-know-what when I tasted it.
I mean, I knew it was going to be good (pierogi are ALWAYS good), but the flavor here is just…crazy. Crazy, crazy good.
I love pierogi. I have fond memories of eating the frozen ones crisped in butter with sautéed onions. A dollop of sour cream completed the experience. Simple but so comforting.
I started making my own pierogi a few years ago, and while the freezer section version will always have a place in my heart, there is nothing like fresh pierogi.
When brainstorming this year’s St. Patty’s Day recipes (I always have to share some being the Irish girl that I am!), I knew I wanted to do a twist on a pierogi. Polish meets Irish! A fun mash-up recipe, if you will.
And that’s exactly what we have here.
It starts with a fresh pierogi dough (so much easier than you’re probably thinking) made with flour, yogurt, egg, salt, and a little butter. Simple but incredibly delicious.
The fresh dough cooks up fluffy and tender and very flavorful in and of itself. It’s an extra step, but it’s really, really worth it in the end.
The filling is a classic mashed potato with a ton of Irish cheddar mixed in (this is my favorite).
Irish cheddar is so special. It has a sweet grassiness that is different from American cheddar. I’m sure it has to do with how the cows are fed. It is nutty almost like a gruyere but still has that classic sharp cheddar flavor. It’s absolutely delicious. And it works WONDERFULLY in the mashed potato filling here.
I mean, how bad could cheddar mashed potatoes be?
To send these over the top, I also make a batch of caramelized onions flavored with stout beer. Oh my goodness. SO good.
The stout beer adds richness and a touch of bitterness, which complements the sweet onions so well. They are delicious on their own, straight out of the pan. But paired with the cheesy and warm potato pierogi? Oh. My. Gosh.
I told you: these knocked me on my you-know-what.
This is a recipe that takes time. I’m not going to sugarcoat it for you. If you want homemade fresh pierogi, you need to prepare yourself for some time. The process is not particularly difficult or complicated, but there are a lot of steps.
Caramelize the onions first since that takes the longest. While that’s happening, make your dough and let it rest. Make your potato filling. Roll out the dough and cut into circles. Fill and form the pierogi. Boil the pierogi in water. Crisp the pierogi in butter.
It’s a lot. It takes time. But again, no step is HARD. And they’re all important!
And the end result? TOTALLY 100% worth it, in my opinion.
We love these served crisped in butter, with a dollop of sour cream (or yogurt) for dunking, and some of the stout onions slathered on every bite.
These are so wonderful. I hope you make them! St. Patty’s Day or ANY day!
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Irish Cheddar Pierogi with Stout Caramelized Onions
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 20–22 pierogi (roughly 4–5 servings) 1x
Description
These Irish Cheddar Pierogi with Stout Caramelized Onions are a mash-up of Irish and Polish traditions, and they are absolutely delicious! Creamy, cheesy potato filling inside fluffy homemade dough, crisped in butter, and served with the richest stout caramelized onions on top! All that’s missing is a pint of stout!
Ingredients
For the Onions:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 large sweet onions, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ cup stout beer
For the Pierogi Dough:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup full-fat yogurt
- 1 large egg
- Egg wash, for sealing
For the Filling:
- 1½ cups mashed potatoes (see NOTE)
- 1 cup shredded Irish cheddar cheese
- Salt and pepper, to taste
To Serve:
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt
- Chopped chives
Instructions
For the Onions:
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the oil.
- Add the sliced onions and salt and cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes or until the onions are soft and translucent.
- Add in the brown sugar and stout and stir to combine.
- Reduce the heat to low and cook the onions, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes or until deeply caramelized and soft.
For the Dough:
- While the onions are cooking, make the dough by mixing the flour and salt together in a mixing bowl.
- Add the yogurt, melted butter, and egg to another bowl and whisk to combine.
- Pour the yogurt mixture into the flour and stir until a ball of dough forms. Place the dough on the counter or a cutting board and knead it for a minute or so with damp hands until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- Place the dough back in the mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes.
- For the Filling:
- Mix together the mashed potatoes, Irish cheddar, and season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
To Assemble:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- After the dough has rested, roll it out on a lightly floured surface until it is ¼-inch thick. Using a three-inch biscuit cutter or glass, cut out circles of dough.
- Place roughly 2 teaspoons of the filling in the center of each dough circle. Brush the edges with egg wash and then fold the dough over the filling, sealing the edges with your fingers. I like to press the edges together with the prongs of a fork to ensure that they are really sealed well.
- Set formed pierogi on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper.
- Continue until all the pierogi are formed.
- Boil the pierogi, in batches, in the water for about 2 minutes or until they float to the top. Remove with a slotted spoon and return to the sheet tray.
To Serve:
- Place the caramelized onions in a serving dish and wipe out the skillet.
- Place the skillet over medium heat and add the butter. Once it is hot and starting to bubble, add in 6-8 pierogi at a time (the amount will depend on the size of your pan). Cook for about 1 minute per side or until they are crisp and golden.
- Place the pierogi on a serving plate, drizzle over any leftover butter from the pan, and sprinkle with fresh chives. Serve immediately with the stout caramelized onions and sour cream/yogurt on the side for dipping.
Notes
- This is a great recipe for using up leftover mashed potatoes. I’ve also made these using a huge shortcut – mashed potatoes from the grocery store! Look for them in the refrigerated prepared foods section. They make this recipe a breeze! Otherwise, you can use your favorite mashed potato recipe. Just make sure the potatoes are not piping hot when you form the pierogi; the dough will not hold together well if the filling is too warm.
- You can assemble these and freeze them for a later use. Once the pierogi have been formed, place them on a sheet tray and freeze for at least two hours. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container. You cook them exactly the same way, but you may need to boil them for an extra minute or two if cooking them straight from the freezer.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: dinner
Hi There. I'm Molly. I'm a food-obsessed, self-taught cook and I can't wait to share my passion for all things culinary with you. My love for egg yolks is just the tip of the iceberg!
wonderful, wouldn’t have had a clue how to make these otherwise, love what to me seems like a cross between a calzone and a large ravioli and love the filling in this recipe, thank you!
SO glad to hear!
Wow! SO good and so much yumminess going on. Loved these. They are a bit of work but it’s totally worth it come dinnertime!