Recipe: Pierogi's with Cabbage and Kielbasa

While my mom's side of the family is Italian, (her maiden name is DiLuciano...other last names are Bove, Rosso, and I'm sure a few more. on that side) my dads side of the family is from Slovakia (his last name is Bozich, my great great grandmother's last name was Lasiski). I love having the heritage I have even though much of it seems to have gotten lost through the generations, which is sad. It's almost as though when families migrated to the US, they wanted to leave who they were behind. Maybe not entirely, but to some degree. I wish my family still spoke Italian (how fun to learn). 

 I love how many European Countries have similar dishes with their own twist. We have friends who are Romanian and it's funny how Romanians have a version of Stuffed Cabbage that is different than what my dads family made. My MIL is Swiss and she makes Bratzeli, which is a version of the Italian Pizzelle. 

Some of my favorite foods from the Slovakia region of Europe are Pierogi and Kielbasa. YUM!!! This recipe is a combination of both of those along with another favorite, cabbage! I think I could've eaten the entire dish myself. 

I have made homemade pierogi before and they are wonderful, but somewhat time consuming, so usually I buy them from the store. I like Mrs. T's brand. Their story on their About Page is kind of interesting. They have a variety of flavors which is great because you can change up your dish however you'd like, but I usually stick with the Classic Cheddar since that's what my youngest likes the most. This is one of those recipes that doesn't need measurements because it's all according to your preference and taste.

Ingredients:

1 or 2 boxes of Pierogi (depending on how many you will be serving)
1-2 Polish Kielbasa, sliced
chopped onion
Roughly Chopped Cabbage
Butter and Oil
onion powder
garlic powder
salt
black pepper
cayenne pepper

Instructions:

1. In a skillet, add about 1 tbs. oil. Add onion and kielbasa. Season with seasonings to taste. Cook on medium high until onions are soft and kielbasa develops a bit of a "crust" or just heated through. Remove from pan. 

2. Add another 2 tbs. oil and about 1-2 Tbs. butter (depending on whether pan is non-stick or not will depend on how much you need). Add frozen pierogi to pan (I suppose you can boil them first, but I like as few steps as possible). 

3. Cook, turning periodically until pierogi are soft and heated through, and slightly brown. Add back in to pan the kielbasa and onion, add in the cabbage and stir till slightly wilted. 

Serve and enjoy! It's a simple, quick dish that can be made in 30 minutes or less. 


With Joy UNquenchable,