Lazy Pierogi Recipe

When it comes to comfort food, recipes including potatoes and cheese are often second to none. There's just something so soothing about digging a fork into warm mashed potatoes dressed up with cheese. Or, better yet, digging your fork into a tender dumpling packed with cheesy potato filling.

Typically, pierogis are made by filling a homemade dough with potatoes, cheese, onions, and other filling ingredients. But the dough can be a labor of love, and you just might not have the time or patience to put it together. That's where lazy pierogis come in. "These skip the step of having to make the dough," says recipe developer and food photographer Petar Marshall. "And you can customize the filling to prepare any type of pierogi you'd like."

With just five ingredients, it's simple to whip up a batch as the perfect side dish for dinner or as a quick and easy lunch.

First things first: Grab all of your ingredients and have them ready on your counter. This will make the process so much quicker and simpler.

For this lazy pierogis recipe, you'll need wonton wrappers, five medium potatoes, peeled or with skins left on, half of a diced onion, two cloves of garlic, and one cup of shredded cheddar cheese. You can add salt and pepper to taste and choose to serve these pierogies with garnishes such as a dollop of sour cream and chopped green onions.

"For the potatoes, we used medium red potatoes, but you can definitely swap those out," says Marshall. "Using other options such as russet or Yukon gold is great too."

The first step to making the filling for your pierogis is to cook the potatoes. According to Marshall, you can choose to boil the potatoes if desired, or you can take a shortcut and microwave them. Use a fork to poke holes in the potatoes, and then place them in a microwave-safe dish. Pour a bit of water into the dish, and put a damp paper towel over top. Pop the potatoes in the microwave for 10 minutes to allow them to cook, turn the potatoes as needed, and cook for another five minutes until they're tender. You want them cooked enough so they can easily be mashed.

While the potatoes are cooking, drizzle a saucepan with olive oil and sauté the garlic and onions. "This will add great flavor to your filling," says Marshall. "But if you want a quicker pierogi, you can skip the garlic and onions and just stick with potatoes and cheese."

Once the potatoes are fully cooked and tender, they're ready to be used as a base for the filling. Remove the dish from the microwave and transfer the potatoes to a large mixing bowl. Use a fork or a potato masher to mash the potatoes.

When the potatoes are mashed, add in the sautéed onions and garlic. Next up, stir in the cheddar cheese. Season the filling mixture with salt and pepper to taste.

Once the filling is prepped, it's time to assemble the pierogis. "Using wonton wrappers for this recipe allows you to skip the step of making dough, giving you warm pierogis even faster."

Lay wonton wrappers out on a flat surface and scoop a spoonful of filling onto one side of each wrap. To seal the wonton wrapper, dip your finger in a bit of water and rub it on the outer edges of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper over to form a triangle, and seal it with your fingers to close it.

After all of the pierogies have been prepped, they just need a quick pan-fry to finish them off. Drizzle a bit of olive oil into a pan and warm it up on medium heat. Quickly pan fry the pierogies, about five at a time, until they're golden on each side.

Once the pierogies are cooked, they're ready to serve. Dish them up with sour cream and chopped green onions for garnish.