Perogies Stuffed with Pumpkin, Bacon, Potato and Cheese

Perogies Stuffed with Pumpkin, Bacon, Potato and Cheese

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup pureed pumpin, fresh or canned (I recommend fresh of course)
• 1 1/4 cup potato (about 3 small potatoes), peeled and quartered
• 4 slices of bacon, baked and chopped
• 1/4 cup monterey jack cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup muenster cheese, grated
• 2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 tbsp butter, melted
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 egg and 1 tbsp of water (egg wash)
• flour for dusting
• 1/2 cup of butter (sautéing)
• 1 large spanish onion, sliced
• sour cream and chives for garnish

Instructions

• We will start with the filling. First things first, in a small pot, cover your potatoes with water until just covered. Bring to a boil, and remove from stove when the potatoes are tender enough to stick a knife through them without any toughness.
• Strain the potatoes, and mash with a potato masher or fork. Add a tablespoon or two of milk, if you are having trouble.
• In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the potato, pureed pumpkin, bacon, and cheeses. Mix these together until well combined, and set aside at room temperature until ready to use.
• Next, we will start working on the dough for our perogies. In a large bowl, combine the flour and the salt. Whisk together.
• In another bowl, combine the wet ingredients for the dough: eggs, egg yolk, butter, sour cream, and vegetable oil. Whisk these ingredients together as well.
• Mix the wet ingredients into the dry, stir together until combined and not “grainy.” Cover with a damp towel, and set aside to rest for 25 minutes.
• Once, you have let your dough rest for 25 minutes, break the dough into two pieces. Roll the pieces into balls. Set one ball aside, and set the other ball on a well floured surface. Roll the dough out to about 1/8 of an inch thick.
• With a medium-sized cookie cutter, begin cutting circles into the dough. Be sure the cookie cutter is also floured, or else the dough tends to stick. Put the left over dough aside to roll out later. Do the same with the other dough ball.
• Now that you have your perogie rounds, place about a teaspoon of filling into each round. Try not to place more than a teaspoon, or it tends to ooze out when you fold them over.
• With a pastry brush, brush the outer edges of the perogie rounds with the egg wash. Fold one half over the other and crimp the edges, then press with a fork to seal completely. Place however many perogies you will be consuming on a baking sheet and freeze for 2 hours. The rest of the perogies, place in freezer bags to save for later use (Zach and I made 12 total for the 2 of us – that was more than enough). When 2 hours has passed, start a stock pot of boiling, salted water on the stove.
• Meanwhile, in a sauté pan over medium-low heat, melt a stick of butter with the onion. Add a pinch of salt and allow the onions to begin sautéing.
• Remove your perogies from the freezer, and start boiling your perogies. I did 4 at a time as to not crowd the pot, and it worked perfectly. Boil until the perogies float to the top, then remove. This should only take a couple of minutes. Set on a paper bowl to dry, then move the perogies to the sauté pan with the onions and butter. When the perogies are just beginning to brown, remove from heat.
• Serve with sour cream and chives and enjoy!