Peroghies are a prairie staple – these little dumplings have been feeding families affordably for generations, and are the epitome of comfort food around our house.

W recently pointed out that most peroghies are more potato than cheese, and nowhere near as cheesy as they could be. I can see his point – unlike other dumplings, peroghies tend to be more starchy and potato-heavy, when in fact the potato should act more as a carrier for other ingredients. I sometimes transform leftover roasted chicken, gravy and potatoes into peroghies, but it’s cheese that goes best with the bacon and onions (which, let’s face it, are the best part), and so I set to making a batch of extra cheesy peroghies using chunks of the Alexis de Portneuf cheeses currently residing in our fridge.

The beauty of a peroghy is that you can add just about anything to the filling – it’s a great way to use up the last of the cheese ends. I generally use aged cheddar or Gouda, but there are no limits when it comes to cheese – if you love blue, crumbled blue cheese in a peroghy would be divine. Ditto a mild goat cheese like semi-soft Paillot de Chèvre or firmer Caprano chèvre, or even a super creamy brie, La Sauvagine or Sir Laurier – any cheeses that go together on a plate would definitely get along nestled in mashed potatoes and wrapped in dough. (Depending on where you live and what’s available, Pacific Rock is a hard ripened cheese with rich, nutty, buttery flavour – and if you’re a fan of smoked Gouda, its creamy texture and smokiness is surprisingly fantastic in a peroghy – try adding some sautéed mushrooms and a pinch of rosemary to the mix, too.)

This lovely dough is a smaller scale version of one I inherited from my friend’s baba Nettie – it can be easily doubled for a larger batch, or if you’re inviting a few friends over for a peroghy bee around the kitchen table. Measurements for the filling are pretty flexible – for maximum cheesiness, just make sure you have about as much grated/crumbled cheese – any combination you see fit – as you have mashed potatoes. Grated cheese will take up more space than crumbled cheese or soft cheeses like Brie that you can cut into pieces and just stir into the mashed potatoes – use your best judgement, erring on the side of too much cheese (which we all know is impossible).

If you want to make a big batch and freeze your peroghies, lay them in a single layer on a baking sheet, and transfer to freezer bags once they’re frozen. They can be tossed into boiling water straight from the freezer, and will only take an extra minute or two to cook. I like to have a big skillet of cooked, crumbled bacon and onions at the ready, so I can transfer just-boiled peroghies with a slotted spoon right to the pan to brown them a bit and coat them in those tasty bacon drippings – the smoky bacon, sweet caramelized onions and creamy cheese is completely divine. Truly – does it get any better than this?

Bacon Double Cheese Peroghies

AuthorJulie

Yields1 Serving

Dough:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra as needed

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 cup canola oil

1 large egg

1 cup recently boiled (very hot) water

Filling:

2 cups mashed potatoes

2 cups grated Alexis de Portneuf cheese of your choice

salt and pepper, to taste

Extras:

1/2 lb bacon, chopped

1 large onion, diced

sour cream, for serving

In a large bowl, mix together the flour and salt. In a smaller bowl, stir together the oil and egg; add to the flour mixture and stir until it’s sort of rough and shaggy looking. Pour in the hot water and stir until the dough comes together. (It should be slightly tacky, but not too sticky - if it is, add a bit more flour.) Cover with a tea towel and let rest for half an hour.

Meanwhile, stir together your mashed potatoes and Alexis de Portneuf cheese. If you like, add some cooked, crumbled bacon to the mix as well. Season with salt and pepper.

When you’re ready to make peroghies, on a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out 1/4 inch thick and cut into rounds with a glass rim or round cookie cutter. Pile a large spoonful on each round and gather the dough around it, pinching it to seal - it’s a nice, soft dough, so this is easy to do even when they look overstuffed.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil while you cook the bacon in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. When it’s partially cooked and the fat is rendering off, add the onion and cook until both are crisp. When the water is at a simmer, carefully drop in the peroghies, without crowding the pot too much, and cook for 5 minutes, or until they float to the surface, plus an additional minute.

Remove the peroghies with a slotted spoon, draining them well, and put them into the pan with the bacon, onion and drippings. Cook them in batches for a few minutes, until browned on both sides. Serve with sour cream. Serves 4-6.

Categorycheese

Ingredients