Varenyky taste delicious anytime of the year, but they’re especially warming in the winter season. You can also make this meal with any type of filling, including sweeter options like fresh blueberries or more savory like cabbage and onions. Enjoy and don’t forget to share them with the ones you love!
This is a large batch recipe that makes 65 varenyky. You can break it down into smaller portions for a smaller project.
Ukrainian Potato & Cheddar Varenyky
- 2h 30m
- Ukrainian
Ingredients
- 5 cups flour
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 cup or so water not cold
- 2 cups grated, sharp cheddar
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 6 onions, diced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 12 medium yellow potatoes, peeled
- salt & pepper to taste
- chopped fresh dill (optional garnish)
Instructions
Dough
- Bring half a large pot of water to a strong boil.
- Mix flour, sour cream, eggs, and cooled butter.
- Slowly add water in increments. Set in kneading machine on low setting for 5-7 minutes until dough forms. (If by hand, knead a few minutes longer). The dough should feel silky and not as dense as bread dough. Set dough aside, covered, in the refrigerator for use later.
Potato Filling
- Caramelize your diced onions in a pan with 2 TBS butter until golden brown and soft. I like to start with this step first, and then let the onions rest on the side to use as I need them.
- Cut and boil peeled potatoes until done. Drain water and add butter, grated cheddar, half the caramelized onions, and salt & pepper. Cover with lid to melt. Then use a potato masher to combine the mixture well.
Assembly
- Meanwhile, roll out a portion of the dough with flour above and beneath the dough to easily pull it up. Make sure to not roll out the dough too thinly, it should be thick enough to be stretched out without any holes forming.
- Use the top of a glass at least 3″ in diameter to cut out as many circles in your flattened dough as you can fit. Recombine discarded dough to roll out with a new batch later.
- Use a spoon to portion even amounts of potato filling into a single dough circle. To make the dumpling, stretch out top and bottom of dough circle to create an oval, place scooped mixture in center, and then attach top and bottom pieces of dough to form a “half-moon” around the potato filling. Finish by pinching the dough closed very tightly from edge to edge. Fold in and pinch in corners.
- Boil varenyky for 8-10 minutes, or until they rise to the top and simmer in the rolling water for a few minutes. Continually top off water and keep it boiling as you cook each batch after punching and sealing, in batches of about a dozen.
- Serve freshly boiled with remaining caramelized onions and a dollop of sour cream. Add fresh chopped dill on top as an optional garnish.
- To freeze: organize batches of cooled varenyky into freezer gallon bags with some onions and butter to keep them from sticking. You can easily fit a dozen into a single bag. Freeze, and then reheat by boiling or frying and enjoy!