Stebila family pyrogies
Uncle John and Aunt Irma Last night my aunt Irma and uncle John came over for dinner and I made pyrogies. I haven’t made them in a few years now, and I must confess I was a bit rusty. My dough was too sticky and rolled out too thick, the potato filling was a little too watery, I undercooked them like I usually do (though not quite as undercooked as previous times), and top it all off I forgot to put one ingredient in the brownies. But for my uncle who doesn’t cook at home and hasn’t had pyrogies in probably 10 years, they were pretty good.
In case you’d like to give them a try, here’s the Stebila family recipe, handed down for generations, or at least from my grandma to my mom and I. My cousin Jonathan and I were taught by the master many years ago, as you can see in this picture.
Pyrogies
Filling – Ingredients
- 4 lb. potatoes
- 8 slices sharp cheddar cheese
- salt and pepper
- 6 heaping tbsp. of Kraft grated cheddar cheese product (blue package)
- 1 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese (optional)
Filling – Instructions
- Cook and mash potatoes.
- Add other ingredients. Mix well until all are melted.
- Let cool.
Pyrogies – Ingredients
- 1½ cup water
- 1 tbsp. salt plus 1 tsp. salt
- 4 eggs
- 5½ cups flour
Pyrogies – Instructions
- Mix ingredients together until well blended.
- Roll dough out on floured surface until ¼” thin.
- Cut in 2″ wide strips and then into 2″ squares (approximately).
- Put filling on each piece.
- Fold up and seal edges tight. (Recommend folding squares into triangles).
- Put each pyrogy on floured surface until ready to use.
- Boil large pot of salted water.
- Add pyrogies and stir carefully to prevent sticking.
- Return water to boil and cook for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Drain and rinse with a little cold water.
- Melt ¼ cup butter and pour over. Salt to taste.
Makes 50-70 pyrogies.
Reheating instructions
Pyrogies can be reheated by pan-frying them with butter until hot and slightly golden on the outside. For a less artery-clogging meal, reheat in the microwave for about 3 minutes on 60%; put a small glass of water (¼ cup) in the microwave as well to provide moisture; flip half-way through.
Comment by Cecilia
I remember when you, Matt, Laura and I made these back in the Columbia Lake Townhouse days! They were very tasty. I must warn others that the fluorescent colour of the “cheese product” can be a little shocking at first.
Comment by joe
Hah, I love it how you describe it as “Kraft grated cheddar cheese _product_”. Lesley and I made grilled cheeses with the PC brand cheese from the grocery store, ewww! Back in the day, cheese would melt into a stringy mess. Now, it’s more of a gel.
… I wonder what a person has to do to good cheese to turn it into “cheese product” 
Comment by Mobile Yuppie
I found your recipe on Google while searching for other Kraft “anonymous cheese-rendering (or containing) powder” recipes. It’s definately an interesting taste, and its preeeeetty good.
Here’s one for you:
Kraft Chili Cheese Fries (for dormies)
1 cheese packet from Mac & CHeese
3 4 tables spoons of butter
1 dinty-moore chili cheese can
Fries from Tommy Burger
Microwave the butter and mix it with the cheese until it’s “cheese-like”. Heat up the Dinty Moore chili. Throw both of them on your fries, and enjoy your ghetto-deluxe-dormie snack.
Comment by Patrick
I’ll pass these on to liz. Maybe we can try our hand at them!
Cheers,
P
