Move Over Chips — These Dumplings Are The Perfect French Onion Dip Partner

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Die-hard French onion dip lovers are always looking for more ways to enjoy their favorite lush, versatile condiment. It can be stirred into baked mac and cheese, dolloped over a hot baked potato, or used as a sandwich spread, but its perhaps most-ubiquitous pairing is with crinkle-cut potato chips. Something about the salty potato vehicle functions as the ideal partner for creamy, onion-y dip ... that is, until now. You can level-up your dip game with another potato-centric dunker: pierogi.

Not only do Polish pierogi and French onion dip offer a low-key culinary trip around Europe, dunking dumplings in onion dip also offers fun, playful novelty. Meanwhile, the salty, savory flavor of the moisture element complements the mild potato and cheese filling of those tender pierogi. In the Midwest (ever heard of Cleveland Pierogi Week?), it's customary to dress these Polish dumplings in sauteed onions and a dollop of chilled sour cream. By dunking pierogi in French onion dip — itself a combination of sour cream texture and onion flavor — the process is expedited and the payoff is delicious. 

To serve, you could dollop a spoonful of French onion dip directly on top of a plate of warm pierogi. The chilled dip will slightly melt in the heat, spreading across the dumplings for a moist, flavor-packed bite. Or, serve the dip on the side for dunking. It's the ultimate comfort meal at the end of a long week.

A dunk in some luscious French onion dip can revive long-stored batches of homemade pierogi, which may be suffering from a mild case of freezer burn. If you're craving some homemade pierogi inspo, our pan-fried potato and cheddar pierogi recipe is a great place to start. On the flip side, that creamy onion dip is also one of the quickest, most effective ways to elevate store-bought frozen pierogi to homemade-level delictability. Simply cook the frozen pierogi according to package directions, then dip away. For bolder flavor, foodies could even opt for Mrs. T's Loaded Baked Potato Pierogi, which are stuffed with aged sharp cheddar, sour cream, chives, potatoes, and bacon — all flavors which would pair fabulously with French onion dip.

Here at Tasting Table, Daisy Sour Cream is our all-time favorite store-bought French onion dip brand, for the record. Its dimensional sweet-salty-acidic-umami flavor can cut through the richness of the dumplings. Don't feel like leaving the house? Whip up this super simple three-ingredient onion dip. All it takes is scallions, sour cream, garlic powder, and about five minutes.

Word to the wise: Crispy fried pierogis offer firmer structural integrity than ultra-soft boiled ones. If you plan to go the dipping route, frying is a better prep choice. To do it, just saute the pierogi in a skillet with a little bit of oil until the outsides are golden brown. If you're feeling ambitious, you could also caramelize some fresh onions in the same still-hot pan, or cook up some sliced kielbasa to complete this Polish-style meal.