Last updated on March 12th, 2021
Oh, the delicious things we can create with our autumn harvest! Yesterday, for the third time in my life, I made Pierogi with Butternut Squash and Sage. Pierogi are filled dumplings of Polish descent. The dumplings are first cooked in boiling water, and then sautéed in melted butter until crisp. Ready for a new, exciting taste sensation? This video and printable recipe is for you:
Be sure to watch the video above. You’ll learn how to knead, fill, form, and seal the fascinating pierogi dough. The directions are easier to show than tell!
Here’s a photographic recap (you’ll find a printable version at the end of this post):
Prepare the Squash:
Halve and seed a medium-size (3 pounds or slightly less) butternut squash.
Brush the flesh with a little olive oil…
And then place the squash, cut-down-down, on a baking sheet. Bake at 400°F until perfectly tender — 40-50 minutes.
When cool enough to handle, scoop the squash innards into a medium bowl.
To the squash, add salt, pepper, and 5 large (or 7-10 small) chopped sage leaves.
Then grab a potato masher…
And mash the mixture until smooth. Set aside while you call your mother.
The Pierogi Dough:
Violently fling 2 cups all-purpose flour into a medium bowl.
To the flour, add 3/4 cup sour cream…
1 large, beaten egg…
1/4 cup olive oil…
And an extremely blurry 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt.
Stir with a stout spoon or wooden spatula until the flour is moistened, and a shaggy dough develops.
On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough until smooth. And be sure to watch the video above to see the kneading technique.
Wrap the dough in cling film, and let rest at room temperature for 20-30 minutes. Then call your insurance company, because a storm has erupted during your pierogi performance. As a result, the oldest pine tree on your property is now laying in the middle of a street, blocking traffic. And four sections of your cedar fence have blown over. (I’m not kidding here. All this destruction occurred while I was filming the aforementioned video.)
Filling and Forming the Pierogi
Storm or no storm, cut the dough in half, and roll it out to 1/8th-inch thickness.
Press out rounds that are 3 inches in diameter.
Transfer the rounds to a parchment lined baking sheet, and then roll and press out rounds from the remaining dough. You should end up with 12-15 rounds.
Top each disk with a tablespoon of the butternut squash mixture…
And fold them — as described in the video above — into half moons.
Working in batches, cook the pierogi in a large pot of boiling water until they float to the surface (about 3 minutes).
Then fish them out with a slotted spoon or “spider,” and place them on a parchment lined (or lightly greased) baking sheet. You can serve the dumplings just as they are now, topped with melted butter and a sprinkling of chopped sage leaves. Otherwise, proceed as follows:
Crisping the Pierogi
Put some butter in a skillet over medium heat.
When the butter melts and its foam subsides, sauté the dumplings in batches until brown and crisp — about 2 minutes per side.
Divide the pierogi among plates. Top with melted butter, chopped sage leaves, and — for an extra special treat — a drizzling of maple syrup!
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Here’s the printable:
Pierogi with Butternut Squash and Sage
Ingredients
For the butternut squash filling:
- A butternut squash that weighs 3 pounds or slightly less
- olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 5 large or 7-10 small sage leaves, cut into small-ish pieces
For the Pierogi Dough:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
For crisping the Pierogi:
- 2-3 tablespoons butter
Optional for serving the Pierogi:
- melted butter
- chopped sage leaves
- pure maple syrup
Instructions
Making the butternut squash filling:
- Center the oven rack; preheat the oven to 400°F. Halve and seed the squash. Brush the cut side with olive oil, and then place the squash halves cut-side-down on a baking sheet. Bake until perfectly tender -- 40-50 minutes.
- When cool enough to handle, scoop the squash innards into a medium bowl. Add the salt, pepper, and cut sage leaves. Mash and stir the mixture with a potato masher to achieve a smooth puree. Taste carefully to correct seasonings. Set aside.
Making, filling, and forming the Pierogi dough:
- Tip the flour into a medium bowl. Add the sour cream, egg, olive oil, and salt. Stir until a shaggy dough dorms. Then pour the dough onto a lightly-floured work surface, and knead until smooth. Wrap the dough in cling film and let rest for 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile, add 4 quarts of water to a large pot, and set it to boil.
- Cut the dough in half. Roll one half into a 1/8-inch thick circle. Use a 3-inch (not smaller!) biscuit cutter or drinking glass to press out rounds. Transfer the rounds to a parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat for the remaining dough -- you should end up with 12-15 rounds.
- Place one tablespoon of the squash mixture in the center of each round. Then stretch two ends of the dough up and over the filling, to form a half moon shape. Pinch edges to seal.
Boiling the Pierogi:
- Working in two or more batches, gently plunge the dumplings into the boiling water. Let them cook until they float to the surface -- usually 2-3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked dumplings to a parchment lined (or just lightly-greased) baking sheet.
Crisping and serving the Pierogi:
- Put the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When the butter melts and its foam subsides, fry the dumplings in batches until they are spotty brown and crisp -- about 2 minutes per side. Serve hot, topped with melted butter, chopped sage leaves, and, if you wish, a light drizzle of pure maple syrup.
Suzanne says
Might I suggest for a lamb or other savory pierogi using side sauces of balsamic reduction, sour cream, and Grey Poupon mustard. Yes, all on one plate, super yummy.
Your recipe looks amazing.
Trish says
Kevin, your video brings back memories of my Polish grandmother making pierogi for us kids and us waiting with sweet anticipation to eat them!!! That was 50 years ago and I must say you prepared them right!!! I did not get her recipe before she died and I was so happy to see it this morning. She filled them with dry cottage cheese [which is hard to find now] and sprinkled them with sugar. YUM! Thank you for the recipe; I will be trying pierogi this weekend!!!
Dale Korba says
I love pierogi and have made multiple times with only traditional fillings like mashed potatoes, mushrooms or sauerkraut. Can’t wait to try these!
❤️ From your Polska friend
Maraya says
When I was little, my parents took us to a restaurant that served potato pierogi with sour cream. Can’t wait to make these!
I wonder if it’s possible to cook them like Chinese potstickers – fry on one side in butter, turn over, add a little water, cover and steam, uncover and let water evaporate until bottom browns.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Suzanne – Love your idea of a balsamic reduction for meat-filled pierogi.
Hi Trish – Thanks for sharing the story about your grandmother. Sweet pierogi next on my list!
Hi Dale – Let me know how the pierogi turn out for you. (Deliciously, I hope!)
Hi Maraya – The Chinese potsticker fry/steam method might work out just fine here. Let me know!
Linda says
I make pierogi dough using flour, salt, baking powder, butter, sour cream and eggs. Fill them with potatoes , cheese and fried onions. Your butternut squash sounds good for the filling. My Mother made them using the cottage cheese and we would drizzle syrup over them. No matter what you use for filling, you can always count on them disappearing quickly from the platter. Thank you for sharing.
Joanne in Zone 6b says
In my father’s Polish family, pierogi were our traditional Christmas Eve dinner, and we made two types: potato mashed with fried onions and cottage cheese, lots of pepper, and salt, and prune (just steamed prunes, one or two per dumpling, depending on size.) Both were served with lots of melted butter. The dough did not include sour cream, and it was more like a noodle dough. My Italian mother used her hand-cranked pasta maker to roll the dough, and we cut the rounds with glasses, too. We made (and ate!) so many dozens. Now I buy frozen cheese pierogi my local grocery (or in the “before times,” fresh from a local Orthodox Church) and serve them drenched in melted butter and sautéed onions. Not homemade, but so delicious! I love butternut squash ravioli with sage butter, so I can imagine how wonderful your pierogi are.
pk says
Growing up, pierogi were a special treat due to the time it took to make them for a family of five! We filled with cottage cheese and served fried and covered with a ham gravy! Ymmm! Looking forward to this delightful variation!
Susan from Manitoba says
Where I live in the Canadian prairies, there is a large population descended from Ukrainian settlers. The perogies here are much smaller than the Polish ones you demonstrated, Kevin. They also can have savory or sweet fillings, and are much beloved at holiday meals, Church or Fall Suppers, and as regular home dinners.
Your recipe sounds so simple, and the great demo makes it look so easy.
Jayne says
I grew up eating Pierogi made by my Polish grandmother. I’ve never tried making them but I definitely will now. Planning on making them for Thanksgiving this year.
Andi says
Kevin (or fellow readers) –
Do these freeze well? I could see making a large batch for the season rather than on a meal-by-meal basis. If I wanted to freeze them, at what point in the process should that be done? Before boiling or after? Thanks.
Bobbi says
My Polish mother-in- law’s pieroghi dough recipe calls for:
4 cups flour
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup mashed potatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 egg yolks beaten and enough water to make 1 cup
She would kneed this on a floured surface until “tender”. This makes a large batch which she then filled with either seasoned hamburger and onion, mashed potatoes and cheddar, or cottage cheese. I don’t know what the mashed potatoes did for the dough, but everyone loved her pierogies!
Shell says
Delicious and perfect for autumn harvest. We were blessed with both acorn and butternut squashes in our garden. Can’t wait to make these! Your recipes always make me so happy, thank you!
Annette says
Will this recipe work with Gluten Free one for one flour? They look delicious!
Ky Tom says
Kevin,
Can’t wait to try your recipe for the dough. Your recipe looks like the recipe I need. I have been making pierogi for many, many years. Sometimes the dough is is not quite the right texture. Other times it is perfect what I call “silky”( a pliable stretchy consistency).
I always fry them with onions. My favorite traditional stuffings are farmers cheese, farmers cheese & mashed potato and sauerkraut&mushrooms.
I sometimes have to make my own farmers cheese now that I live in Kentucky, as it is hard to find. There was never a problem when I lived in New England.
Your recipe came just in time as I promised to make a polish dinner for a few friends before Covid-19.
Now we are ready to get together again .
Robin says
I REALLY have to be careful reading your blog posts. I was sitting outside watching the humming birds when read it this morning, printed off the recipe (12:18 P.M.), then immediately stood up, went to the kitchen and made them. I noticed I was eating my pierogis at 2:22 P.M.
I used canned pumpkin and some Italian sausage I wanted to use up. I loved it that I was doing some lovely, rustic cooking instead of watching T.V. as was my plan.
I liked them. I set a plate in front of the husband who was busy working, and walked away. Later he said: “Wow. Those were weird. What was that?
Me: I put the recipe in front of you so you’d know and I wouldn’t have to disturb you. Do you like them?
Him: I’m not sure yet.
By the way, for those of us that don’t have beautiful fresh herbs: 7 fresh sage leaves equal about 1 teaspoon of ground, dried sage.
You inspire me, Kevin though I wasn’t looking for any inspiration this morning 🙂
Anne-Marie D says
These look so delicious! I’ve just ordered the pastry cloth & potato masher so will be able to try this recipe next week! It’s windy and rainy here in Victoria, BC and I’ve spent the day in the kitchen, cooking, dehydrating & powdering apples, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries!! Your delicious recipes are so inviting especially now that we are nearing cooler weather. I loved how you peeled the butternut squash on your blog, so I ordered the y-shaped peeler, what a great difference it makes in prepping veggies. I thought that I had all the kitchen gadgets that I’ve ever needed, but your blogs have proved me wrong!!! 🙂 Thank you!!
Sheila says
Trish, our Italian Delicatessen & Polish butcher shop both carry the dried cottage cheese is the frozen section.
Bobbi, my MIL also used mashed potatoes to bind her stuffing. I took this advice & never looked back.
Kevin; We had a Polish couple that sold pierogie to fund their flea market excursions. They have retired so maybe I can pick up the baton.
Now can you teach us tamales?
Valerie says
Well now doesn’t this sound *exciting*….a must try for me!! Kevin….I am sure we all would like to have an update on your sweet little kitty???? Cheers, Valerie
Joe Allen says
Guess what, Kevin…. I’m watching! I like your videos.
Gail says
I’ve made them using a Pierogi maker. It’s wonderful & goes much faster. You have to look up where to purchase . Makes 6 at a time. Lay dough across . There’s a thing to indent dough. Put filling in each hole then another dough on top. Roll over with rolling pin. It seals dough. Done
Karen says
Tried using your dough in my skeleton skull baking pan and it worked great! Will make more “skull pierogis” for my grandkids when we see them this weekend.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Karen – Skull pierogis — what fun for Halloween!!!
Martha says
I just made these today and they were delicious. Your video was also a great help.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Martha – I’m so glad. Thanks for the 5 stars!
Kristi says
I made the pierogis on Saturday and posted the process on FB. The post went viral. I, of course, gave you the credit and posted the link to your blog in the comments. They were actually fun to make and wonderful to eat.
Thanks for making my rookie experience at pierogis so easy and delicious!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Kristi – I’m so glad the pierogi were a success for you. Also, thank you so much for sharing the details over on FB!!!