When the paper’s football contest starts, I see more people in the office than usual. On Fridays they visit me and Betsy to bring in their contest forms and will stay to talk or just to pet Betsy. One such visitor always thinks to let me know when he finds a good recipe. Dickie Jennings shared an easy sheet pan dinner recipe using frozen pierogies. I had never had pierogies but I like dumplings, so I knew I had to try them.
Pierogies are a type of filled dumpling. They are made with a flour-based dough and can be filled with savory or sweet ingredients, with potato and cheese, sauerkraut, or fruit being common fillings. Pierogies are typically boiled and then pan-fried, often served with toppings like fried onions or sour cream.
Pierogi history is tied to Eastern and Central Europe, possibly originating from China via the Silk Road and arriving in regions like Poland and Ukraine by the 13th century. A popular legend claims Saint Hyacinth (c.1185-1257) introduced the dish to Poland in the 13th century. He is the patron saint of Poland, Lithuania, weightlifters and those in danger of drowning. He is the patron of weightlifters due to a miracle where he was able to carry a large statue of the Virgin Mary with surprising ease while fleeing an invading army. He is the patron saint of those in danger of drowning, which is linked to a miracle where he led his companions across a river by walking on the water. His feast day is August 17.
There are two pierogi legends about St. Hyacinth, one of them is about his visit on July 13, 1238, to Kościelec. During his visit, a hailstorm broke out, destroying crops and leaving people with the prospect of famine. Hyacinth told them to pray. The next day, the crops were miraculously restored. The people then treated Hyacinth to pierogi made from those crops as a token of gratitude. The second legend mentions Hyacinth feeding people with pierogi during a famine caused by the Mongol invasion of 1241. The Polish exclamation “Święty Jacku z pierogami!” (“St. Hyacinth and his pierogi!”) is a phrase said in hopeless circumstances.
Initially considered peasant food, they became a staple across social classes and first appeared in a Polish cookbook in 1682.
Pierogi were brought to the United States and Canada by Central and Eastern European immigrants. They are particularly common in areas with large Polish or Ukrainian populations, such as Pittsburgh, Chicago, and New York City along with its New Jersey suburbs. Pierogi were at first a family food among immigrants as well as being served in ethnic restaurants. In the post–World War II era, freshly cooked pierogi became a staple of fundraisers by ethnic churches. By the 1960s, pierogies were a common supermarket item in the frozen food aisles in many parts of the United States and Canada, and are still found in grocery stores today.
I have decided that I love pierogies! Potatoes, cheese and pasta. What’s not to love? Whether you bake, air fry, or sauté them they taste great and are so easy.
While I could make my own pierogies (Martha Stewart has an easy recipe) this week’s recipes, one sweet and two savory, use frozen pierogies.
KIELBASA & PIEROGIES SHEET PAN MEAL
Ingredients
14 oz pack kielbasa
1 onion, sliced
3 bell peppers, sliced
2 lb bag frozen Pierogies
1/4 tsp each salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes
1 tsp each garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika
1 tbsp minced garlic
Olive oil
Directions
Slice your peppers, onions, and kielbasa. Measure out your seasonings and set aside. Spray a large sheet pan with cooking spray and add the frozen pierogies to a large bowl. Add some olive oil to the pierogies and toss or stir until they are coated in oil. Add a little less than half of the seasoning blend to the pierogis and place them on the sheet pan. Next, add the sliced peppers, onions, and kielbasa to the bowl and season them with the rest of the seasoning blend, the minced garlic, and a little bit more oil. Once they are well coated in seasoning and oil add them to the other side of the sheet pan. Bake at 400 degrees F for about 25-30 minutes. Flip the Pierogies about half way through cooking and give the veggies a quick stir. You can also broil it for a couple of minutes if you want to get it nice and browned.
CHEESY BEEF & PIEROGIES CASSEROLE
Ingredients
1 2lb Family Size bag Mrs. T’s 4 Cheese Medley Pierogies
1/2 lb ground beef
1 1/4 cup tomato sauce
3/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
Olive oil
Directions
Preheat oven to 400ºF. Brown ground beef in a pan on medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Then, add 1 cup of tomato sauce, 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper. Evenly spread 1/4 cup of tomato sauce in the bottom of a baking pan. Then, add the pierogies in an even layer. Top with the ground beef mixture and 1/4 cup of shredded cheese. Bake on 400º for 18 minutes.
APPLE AND CHEDDAR PIEROGY CASSEROLE
Ingredients
1 box Mrs. T’s® Mini Classic Cheddar Pierogies
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes, plus melted unsalted butter, for brushing pierogies
1/4 cup apple juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 large Honeycrisp apples, peeled and thinly sliced
3/4 cup packed brown sugar, divided
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat the bottom of a 9” x 13” baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Combine apple juice and cornstarch in a small bowl. Combine cornstarch mixture, apples, 1/2 cup sugar, cinnamon and salt in large skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until apples are tender and a thick sauce forms, about 6-8 minutes. Combine the flour, oats and remaining sugar in a large bowl. Add the cubed butter and combine with a fork until coarse crumbs form. Transfer the apple mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with 1 cup of the cheese and oat mixture. Top with perogies and brush with melted butter. Sprinkle evenly with remaining cheddar. Bake until pierogies are crisp, light golden-brown and fully heated through, and cheese is melted, about 18-20 minutes. Feel free to serve with your favorite vanilla ice cream.