Use Up Extra Mashed Potatoes In This Comforting Polish Dish

If you love European cuisine and want to try your hand at cooking up a little comfort food, start with something potato-based. One Polish dish in particular is filled with warmth and great taste, and just so happens to be an excellent way to use up leftover mashed potatoes. Pierogi are simple and delicious dumplings that start with a dough made from minimal ingredients. They can be filled with a number of savory items, among which include mashed potatoes.

Tasting Table spoke with an expert, cookbook author and food writer Natasha Kravchuk, to get her tips for making the perfect pierogis. Of using up leftover mashed potatoes, Kravchuk says, "I would just re-mash them up a little bit by hand to loosen them up, but I wouldn't reheat them." She notes that the advantage of repurposing your leftovers is that they cool to a slightly firmer texture, making them an ideal filling for the traditional dish. Another tip is to only use homemade mashed potatoes made from actual potatoes rather than instant flakes or similar, as these pre-cooked varieties will not achieve the proper consistency.

Kravchuk explains that, even if your mashed potatoes contain an addition of dairy or similar ingredients, they can be easily transformed into picture-perfect pierogi filling. A little bit of creativity goes a long way here and you can consider other additions to truly make this dish shine. Just be sure to start with a scratch-made dough for your homemade pierogi recipe for optimal mouthfeel.

While potatoes are a well-known pierogi filling, you can add other complementary ingredients to your dumplings for a more complex and satisfying flavor. For example, a little bit of caramelized onion can go a long way to provide some sweetness as well as a contrasting texture alongside your potatoes. Use sweet yellow onions or red onions for a unique twist on the dish.

Another common go-with for potato-filled pierogies is cheese. If you have an especially creamy batch of leftover mashed potatoes to work with, add a portion of shredded cheddar cheese to the mix for a streamlined version of a pan-fried potato and cheddar pierogi recipe. Even a bit of farmer cheese or cottage cheese can effectively accent your mashed potato-filled pierogies.

To bulk up your homemade pierogies with more protein, try adding cooked mushrooms to your leftover mashed potato filling. A mixture of cooked mushrooms, sauteed onions, and some melty cheese can elevate the basic potato-forward dish into an even more robust version. For those who love cruciferous vegetables, a bit of caramelized cabbage and onions can be a tasty addition to your mashed potatoes for a bright and wholesome batch of pierogies. You can pan-fry, boil, or even air-fry your pierogies. Serve the dish with a mix of sour cream and fresh dill for dipping and enjoy every last delightful bite.