Varenyky (Perogy, Pierogy) lovers will agree that you don’t have to wait for any special occasion to crave these delicious dumplings, so anytime is the right time to have them.

With Christmas Eve just around the corner, many Eastern Europeans will be making varenyky (pierogi, perogy) for their Christmas Eve 12-course meatless meal.

Making them from scratch is an involved process, but it’s totally worth the effort, since the manufactured ones don’t stand a chance when compared to the real thing. You will agree if you taste them both.

I already posted detailed step-by-step directions (click this link) for making the dough and the varenyky.

Many of you have asked about the different fillings one may use to fill these dumplings.  You can use anything you like as a filling, even meat or seafood, but I will post a few of the more traditional ones.

Potato and Cheese filling for varenyky (click on this link, then scroll down towards the bottom of that post for the list of ingredients and directions).  This is the most popular filling of all, and loved by everyone.  One cup of mashed potatoes makes 10 walnut-size potato balls for filling.

Farmer’s Cheese filling for varenyky.

Use at least 1 lb of farmer cheese (I love the Friendship brand, which is easily found at Wegmans supermarket, but I also found it locally at Shop Rite grocery store).  I tried “farmer cheese” from a Dutch Market, but it was kind of grainy and bitter, so I am sticking with the Friendship brand.

Using a mixer or food processor, beat it for a minute or so to make it a little creamier.  For a savory cheese filling, add one or two raw egg yolks, a pinch of salt, ground black pepper to taste, 3 tsp. dry cream of wheat, 2 Tbs. potato starch.  You can also add some chopped chives or fresh dill to enhance the flavor of the cheese filling.

If you prefer your cheese filling sweetened, then add 1-2 egg yolks, vanilla extract, potato starch, cream of wheat, and powdered sugar.  You can even mix in some raisins, dried cherries, or chopped prunes.

Savory Cheese varenyky may be served with tomato sauce, just like ravioli, or with onions sautéed in butter.  The sweet cheese varenyky are best served with melted butter, or butter and sugar (white or brown).  Some people like to top them with whipped cream.

Blueberry filling for varenyky (click on this link to find the ingredients and directions for this filling).

Actually, you can use any fruit you like, such as chopped apples, rhubarb, strawberries, strawberries mixed with chopped rhubarb, cherries, plums, etc.

Green Cabbage filling for varenyky.

My mom used sauerkraut for her varenyky filling, but my mother-in-law taught me how to make the green cabbage filling, and these are my husband’s favorite.  He prefers these over the potato ones.

To prepare this filling,  remove a couple of the damaged outer cabbage leaves and discard them.  Cut the cabbage head into quarters, then chop up coarsely.  Add chopped cabbage to salted boiling water, bring back to boil, and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  When the core ends of the cabbage pieces are almost done, drain off the water by pouring it all out into a colander, letting it cool off.

Take a handful of cabbage at a time, and squeeze out as much water as possible, or use cheesecloth for easier handling.

Again, take a handful at a time of the squeezed-out cabbage, place it on a cutting board, and chop it up fine.  You will notice that the chopped cabbage still has lots of moisture, so you need to squeeze it out again to make it drier.

In a large saucepan, saute one chopped onion until lightly golden, add the chopped cabbage, flavor it with salt and pepper, and saute for 10 minutes. Cool off before using for filling.

For easier handling, you may mix in 1/4 cup of mashed potatoes (optional) or farmer’s cheese to the cabbage.

You apply the same process for sauerkraut as you did for the green cabbage, except for cooking it.  You rinse out some of the original juices from the kraut, squeeze it out, and place it in a medium pot of cold water, add a little salt and a bay leaf, bring it to a boil, and cook for 15 minutes. Discarding the leaf once it has finished cooking.  Then follow the same process as for the green cabbage.

Some cooks like to add some sautéed mushrooms to their cabbage, and to the sauerkraut filling.

Here is my sauerkraut filling for varenyky, which consists of cooked and drained sauerkraut, sautéed with onions and shredded carrots, and flavored with salt and pepper. Please check this link for more details.

Buckwheat filling for varenyky.

This is not a very popular filling these days, but it was quite popular in the old country.  The majority of farmers planted buckwheat for the grain, as well as helping the bees with the abundance of pollen from its flowers to make buckwheat honey.  Buckwheat is very healthy to use as a hot cereal, a side dish for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, as a filling for cabbage rolls (holubtsi) or varenyky.

Cabbage rolls filled with steamed buckwheat, flavored with sautéed onions and mushrooms.  It is a very popular dish for a traditional Ukrainian Christmas Eve meal.

Buckwheat can easily be found in the Kosher section of your favorite grocery store or any European specialty food store.

Follow the package directions for cooking this grain, because it gets mushy if overcooked.

It is best to flavor it with salt, ground black pepper, and sautéed onions. You can also add sautéed mushrooms, farmer’s cheese, or a couple of spoons of mashed potatoes to this filling.

Here is not a very traditional varenyky filling, but some do enjoy  Sweet Potatoes (Yams).

Sweet Potatoes make an interesting filling, and some prefer them over the regular potatoes. These are best served with melted butter and brown sugar.

To prepare the sweet potato filling, peel a couple of sweet potatoes and cut them into chunks, and place them in a medium saucepan filled with enough cold water to submerge. Bring to boil, and cook until still slightly firm.  Do not overcook, or they will be too watery. Drain off water, and keep the pot uncovered to let the excess water evaporate.  Add unsalted butter and some cinnamon (optional), and mash them to a smooth paste without lumps. Cool off before filling.

Spinach with Feta Cheese filling.

Rinse 20 oz of fresh spinach, drain, and chop.  Keep in a colander and set aside.  Heat 2 Tbs. of olive oil in a large frying pan and sauté 1 large onion, chopped. Add 1 chopped garlic clove and saute for a minute.  Add the chopped spinach and saute, stirring frequently, until most of the water evaporates.  Place it on a sieve over a bowl, pressing gently with a spoon to drain any additional liquid.  Mix 1 cup of crumbled Feta cheese into the spinach mixture and adjust salt and pepper to taste.  Cool before using.

Now you are ready to roll up your sleeves and start making varenyky with your favorite filling.

Please let me know which filling is your favorite, or share your favorite filling recipe.  Thank you!