Pierogies & Kielbasa

The softness of the pierogies.  The crunch of the onions.  The saltiness of the kielbasa.  How many more textures and tastes must we discuss before you decide that you've read enough and you MUST make this recipe?  This dish is probably one of my favorite meals to make.  Not because of the simplicity but because of the absolute outstanding taste.  

It's a pretty simple meal to make with minimal clean up, too.  You pretty much use two pans.  One to boil the pierogies and the other one does everything else.  I don't know about you but when I hear easy clean up, that's pretty much a selling point for me.

What you'll need:

Add 3 Tbsp. butter/margarine to a saute pan.  Make sure your pan is big enough because this is the pan we'll be cooking the kielbasa and the pierogies in.  Add in your chopped onion and saute them until caramelized and soft.  You can add in a pinch of salt to speed up the cooking time by a little bit.  And it also makes them a little tastier, too!

Remove onions from heat, place in a bowl and set aside.

Boil the pierogies according to the package, subtracting 2 minutes from the cooking time.  You don't want them overly soft.  Drain.  Add another tablespoon of butter into the saute pan that you just cooked the onions in and turn the heat on medium-high.  Add in pierogies, about 5-6 at a time.  Saute on each side until brown. About 3 minutes.  Turn over and repeat.

While the pierogies are cooking, slice your kielbasa.  I like to slice them about 1 1/2 inches thick and cut them at a slight slant.

When all the pierogies are cooked, set aside on a plate.  

Add another tablespoon of butter into your pan and add the sliced kielbasa in a single layer.  Cook for 2-3 minutes on medium heat until the ends start to curl downward and the middle starts to puff up.  Turn and cook another 3 minutes until browned.  You can add the remaining tablespoon of butter when the pan becomes dry and the kielbasa is starting to become darker, quicker.  Just add into the pan a little bit at a time.  Remove from pan and set on a paper towel covered plate to soak up any excess grease.

To serve, place your pierogies on a plate and spoon the sauteed onions over them and serve with kielbasa on the side.  Enjoy!

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Pierogies & Kielbasa Full Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 bag (or box) of pierogies
• 1 package polska kielbasa ( you can also use beef, turkey, or other kielbasa that you like)
• 1 whole red onion, chopped
• 6 Tbsp. butter/margarine

Directions:

Add 3 Tbsp. butter/margarine to a saute pan.  Add in your chopped onion and saute them until caramelized and soft.  You can add in a pinch of salt to speed up the cooking time by a little bit.
When cooked, remove onions from heat and place in a bowl. Set aside.

Boil the pierogies according to the package, subtracting 2 minutes from the cooking time.  You don't want them overly soft. Drain. Add another tablespoon of butter into the saute pan that you just cooked the onions in and turn the heat on medium-high.  Add in pierogies, about 5-6 at a time.  Saute on each side until brown. About 3 minutes.  Turn over and repeat.

While the pierogies are cooking, slice your kielbasa.  Slice them about 1 1/2 inches thick and cut them at a slight slant.

When the pierogies are done remove from heat and set aside.

Add another tablespoon of butter into that same pan again and add the sliced kielbasa in a single layer.  Cook for 2-3 minutes on medium heat until the ends start to curl downward and the middle starts to puff up.  Turn and cook another 3 minutes until browned.  You can add the remaining tablespoon of butter when the pan becomes dry and the kielbasa is starting to become darker, quicker.  Remove from pan and set on a paper towel covered plate to soak up any excess grease.

To serve, place pierogies on a plate and spoon over the sauteed onions.  Place kielbasa on a plate. You can also serve with sauerkraut or sour cream.

 Enjoy!