Cabbage Rolls & Perogies
PEROGIES:
Filling:
These traditional perogies are filled with a very smooth mixture of potatoes and cheddar cheese with a little bit of finely diced sautéed onions.
Filling:
- 5 lbs. potatoes (large russet potatoes work best)
- 1 lb. brick of sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 1 onion, diced and sautéed in butter
Dough:
- 6 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsps salt
- 2 cups warm water (potato water from filling is the best)
- 2 Tbsp vegetable or olive oil
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
Make the Filling:
Peel and cut into potatoes into quarters. Boil in water until soft enough to mash.
Drain well. Reserve 2 cups of potato water for dough or use regular water.
Return potatoes to the pot and add the grated cheese and sautéed onion. Mash until smooth and all ingredients well combined. Place filling in the fridge to cool. Prep filling ahead of time and let it cool overnight if possible. Otherwise let cool for at least an hour or so while making the dough
Make the dough:
In a large bowl, sift flour and combine with salt. Mix together the water, oil and egg and pour half of this mixture into the flour. Mix and slowly add the remaining liquid. Knead by hand until flour and liquid are well combined. You can add a small amount of either flour or water, depending on the consistency of the dough. Dough should be pliable but not sticky. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and let sit at least 30 minutes
Assemble the Perogies:
Cut dough in half or in thirds, flour the table and roll to about 1/8 inch thickness.
Cut the dough in rounds using a biscuit cutter or a small, upside down drinking glass.
Fill each with about one tablespoon of potato filling and seal the edges of the dough together with your fingers making sure there are no gaps when pinching the edges
Bring a pot of water to boil and cook in small batched of 10-15 stirring gently to prevent from sticking together. Perogies are ready when they float to the top. Drain and toss with butter and serve with sour cream, fried onions and/or bacon bits
CABBAGE ROLLS:
Cabbage:
- 1 large head of cabbage
- 1 – 2 cups cooked ground beef, ground lamb or your favorite ground meat
- 2 1/2 cups partially cooked rice (cook it about three-fourths of the cooking time)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 onion, finely chopped
Sauce:
- 1 can (10 ounces) tomato soup
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 cup water
Put the whole head of cabbage in the freezer overnight. Set it out to thaw the next morning. Once thawed, remove the core from the cabbage and separate all the whole leaves.
Combine the cooked meat and rice in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Melt the 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepot. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add and mix the onion to the rice mixture. In the same saucepot, add all the sauce ingredients. Cook until butter has melted and incorporated into the sauce.
To make the cabbage rolls, cut large leaves in half and remove any tough stems. Put about 1 to 2 tablespoons of the filling onto the bottom of the cabbage leaf and roll it up, making sure to push the ends in to seal the roll. Place it into a lightly oiled baking dish. Repeat with remaining filling and cabbage leaves.