Cowboy Dumplings
This recipe is a Cowboy twist on the delicious Polish Pierogi. Pierogi are made with a fresh dough, stuffed with potatoes, cottage cheese, or meat, and served with butter and sour cream. It’s a perfect food, if you ask me. This recipe combines a traditional dough and a Cowboy twist on the filling.
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Pierogi Dough
This recipe will make 3-4 dozen dumplings. That seems like a lot, but I promise these things go very fast. They’re delicious, and every person can easily put down a dozen of these. You can also make these and freeze them before it’s time to fry them, so you can save future you some time and freeze whatever you don’t use for a rainy day.
Tip: Fry up your bacon ahead of time, and reserve the grease. The bacon grease will add incredible flavor to the dough.
Combine the flour, garlic powder, and salt. Make a well in the center. Beat the eggs really good with a mixer or whisk. Beat until they’re smooth and frothy – this is important for the consistency of the dough.
Pour the beaten eggs and cold water into the well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the cooled bacon grease, and combine well. Give a little stir, and then start to fold the ingredients all through until you get a nice, shaggy dough. If you need a little more water, add it 1 tablespoon at a time.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about five minutes. The consistency at the end should be a smooth dough that does not crack or crumble.
Grease a bowl and let the dough sit for about 40 minutes. While the dough sets up, it’s time to make the filling.
Used in This Recipe
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Mesquite Smoke Seasoning
$9.50 – $22.00 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Cowboy Dumplings
The filling for this recipe is where this stops being a pierogi and starts being a cowboy dumpling. I am going to use some mashed potatoes in here, but am adding some meat and some chilies. We want these to stick to your ribs and keep you full until the next meal!
Sautee your diced onion in some butter. Roughly chop the cooked bacon. Mix with the mashed potatoes & about two tablespoons of Hatch Red & Green Chilies. Add about half of the cheese – I’m using cheddar but you can use any type of cheese you want as long as it is finely shredded. Add salt & pepper, or if you have some, our Mesquite Smoke Seasoning goes really well with these flavors.
Stuff the Dumplings
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil while you’re cutting and stuffing the dumplings.
Roll out the dough over a floured surface until it’s about 1/8″ thick. Grab your 3″ cookie cutter (you can make these larger if you want!) and cut out as many circles as you can. Roll the remaining dough out and repeat the process until you’ve used it all.
Place about a 1/2 tablespoon of filling inside each circle. Fold over and crimp close with a fork, your finger, or any fancy type tool you might have. Don’t get too fancy on me, though.
Tip: Place a small bowl of water nearby. After stuffing each dumpling, run a small circle of water around the edge of the dumpling with your finger. This will help the edges adhere when you crimp them together.
Cook the Dumplings – Boil & Fry
Add about four dumplings at a time to the boiling water. Boil them until they float to the top of the water, about 3-4 minutes.
After you remove the dumplings from the water, allow them to rest on a towel for a moment to cool off and dry. Then, saute in butter or bacon grease (or both) until they’ve reached your desired color of golden brown and reach your preferred texture. They’re truly made to order.
Tip: Serve the pierogies with crumbles of bacon, sauteed onions, sour cream, or Cowboy Chutney.
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Cowboy Dumplings (Pierogis) – Cowboy Kent Rollins
Ingredients
- 6 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 ½ cups cold water
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 6 tablespoons warm bacon grease
- 6 tablespoons butter divided
Filling
- 2 to 2 1/2 cups mashed potatoes
- 5 tablespoons chopped green chilies
- 6 slices bacon cooked and diced
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 yellow onion diced
- Cowboy Chutney optional for dipping
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt and garlic powder. Stir in the water, eggs and bacon grease until it forms a shaggy dough.
- Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead for about 4 minutes. Shape into a ball and place in a greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let set for about 40 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add 3 tablespoons of butter to a cast iron skillet and when it is melted add the onion and cook over medium heat, until tender.
- In a medium bowl combine the mashed potatoes, green chilies, bacon, cheese and onion.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and roll out to ⅛ – inch thick. Cut out 3-inch circles.
- Fill each circle with about 1 tablespoon of the potato mixture in the middle of the circle. Fold the circle over and crimp the edges. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
- Fill a stockpot half full of water with 2 teaspoons of salt and bring to a boil. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the dumplings, a few at a time to the water and boil for about 3 minutes, or until they float to the top. Drain from the water and place in the hot skillet. Fry on both sides for about 4 minutes, or until golden brown. Place on a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining dumplings. Serve warm with Cowboy Chutney, if desired.