Sweet Savory Comfort: Bacon Pierogi

We had a very laid back New Years celebration this year. We typically try to get together with our ASP friends. The gathering this year was in North Carolina. It just didn't seem possible after traveling to Mississippi and the arrival of our new niece, Sadie. I'm sure I'll post more about Sadie later. We decided to stay home and cook a meal together and relax, play some games, and watch Damages. There are three seasons of Damages on Netflix and we are hooked.

The recipe Ben and I chose to make is for bacon pierogies. I recently discovered Columbus Food Adventures and found this recipe on their website. I keep hearing more and more about pierogies. When I saw a recipe for a bacon pierogi, I knew we had to try it out. Columbus Food Adventures is based in Columbus, OH. They have tours in different parts of Columbus to try out different restaurants. They even have a taco truck tour. We may have to take this tour.

The recipe came out well. They were a lot of fun to make. It is time consuming, so I wouldn't make them often. After you boil them, you can freeze them to cook later. It would be easy to make a large amount one day for many future meals. I'll be excited to try other pierogi recipes.

Bacon Pierogi:

Dough

2 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup rendered bacon fat

In a large bowl mix all of the ingredients together. Knead until well combined. Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate the dough for 20-30 minutes. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to 1/8th-1/16th inch thick. Cut circles approximately 3 inches in diameter. We used a juice glass.

Filling
5 potatoes (we used russet potatoes and had too much filling. I would use 2-3 russet or 5 potatoes of a smaller variety.)
2 onions, finely chopped
8oz mild cheddar shredded
1/4 cup of fresh chives chopped
1lb bacon
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Boil and mash the potatoes but do not add any butter or milk.
2. Sauté the onions in butter until soft and translucent. They should not brown.
3. Bake the bacon on a cookie sheet covered in aluminum foil in the oven at 400° F for 20 minutes Drain/ dry the bacon fat and save for future use.
4. Finely chop the bacon
5. Combine all of the filling ingredients. We did this in a mixer.
6. Taste the mixture and add extra seasoning, or chives to taste.
7. Put a spoonful of the filling onto each circle and press the edges together to form a semi circle.

uncooked assembled pierogies

8. Cook the pierogies in large pan of boiling water for 5-6 minutes. Remove from the pan and drain. They can be put in the refrigerator, freezer, or cooked at this point. They will keep in the refrigerator for a few days. They can also be cooked from frozen.