Fried onions and bacon with perogies is a classic idea, for your run of the mill perogies. But what if you mashed in more flavour in your potato fillings with an extraordinary dip filling? Well, you would get what I not only refer to as the Elevated Perogi, but also the ‘Extraordinary Cheese Perogi’!
I cannot begin to describe the flavour other than incredible, delicious and awesome. I use 3 Epicure blends to recreate the flavours of the Epicure dip inside my perogi filling – 3 Onion, Lemon Dilly and CCB (Cheddar, Chives & Bacon).
With 3 Onion you get all that robust flavour of onion without the crying or endless chopping. It’s a game changer in my house during meal time rush. I have seasoned meat, sauces, soups and vegetables with this popular mixture. It’s my no fuss go to spice.
Lemon Dilly is vibrant and bold with a little hint of lemon. It’s actually my favourite of the 3 blends. I use it to make my Tzatziki sauce, rub it on chicken or to flavour soup. I have even used it with lemon and oil to create a not too shabby salad dressing.
CCB is made from Parmesan cheese, chives and a simulated smoky bacon made from pinto beans. WOW! I never knew pinto beans could taste like bacon. I actually prefer it to real bacon. This gem I use in mashed potatoes, lots of dips and sauces and in salad dressings.
These 3 superstars make my incredible cheese and potato filling. I boil and mash my potatoes, add 2 tbsp of each blend, along with cheese, cream cheese and sour cream and it creates this scrape the bowl until it’s gone mixture! And my dough is super easy using only 3 ingredients. This is not only gluten-free but it is also an egg free perogi.
Never take my word for it! You need to create this for yourself using this recipe:
Dough:
2 cups gluten-free flour (I use the Our Compliments brand which is a mixture of corn & tapioca flours, and potato starch)
1 cup sour cream (I use the lactose free version to cut down on dairy)
1 tsp of salt
– blend dry ingredients, make a well in the bowl and spoon in your sour cream.
– work first stirring and then with your hands to mix the wet and dry together.
– then roll into a ball and refrigerate at least an hour before using.
Filling:
6-8 large potatoes to boil and mash
3 tbsp of sour cream
2 tbsp of CCB
2 tbsp 3 Onion
2 tbsp Lemon Dilly
3 tbsp of cream cheese
1 cup grated old cheese
– boil and mash your potatoes
– add remaining ingredients to your pot/bowl and beat until it makes a smooth mixture (while potatoes are hot, cheese ingredients will melt making mixing easier)
Creating the Perogi:
I like easy and little fuss version of creating a perogi. I use my chopping mat as my base and add a little flour to it, grab a small amount of the cold dough to roll, and use the rolling pin to get a thin layer. I use a round glass to cut my circles and then spoon in a tsp-tbsp of filling into the centre of the circle. I just press edges to seal and voila! This dough stretches nicely to accommodate the filling and seals without issues.
The elevated flavours come out so brilliantly and they are so filling. Enjoy!