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Looking just like kopytka, the pierogi leniwe are classic Polish dumplings made of farmer’s cheese. Easy to make in less than 20 minutes, here is my babcia’s Polish lazy pierogi recipe.
Why Is It Called A Lazy Pierogi Recipe?
Pierogi leniwe are made with only three main ingredients – cheese, flour, and eggs. They’re easy enough to whip up for a quick dinner any time you want, or for a quick snack when the kids come home from school.
In fact, these cheesy dumplings can almost be thought of as an express dinner. That’s why they’re called pierogi leniwe and the kluski leniwe recipe is an all-time favorite with many Polish households.
What Shape Are Lazy Pierogi Made In?
The traditional Polish lazy pierogi recipe calls for the pierogi to be diamond-shaped just like the popular Polish kopytka. You create the shape by rolling the dough out a quarter-inch thickness. Cut the dough into long log that are about an inch thick, and then into smaller diamond-shaped pieces that are half an inch wide.
What Kind Of Cheese You Use In Pierogi Leniwe Recipe?
The cheese traditionally used for making pierogi leniwe is called Twarog (ser biały). It is a type of farmer’s cheese or cottage cheese. See my homemade farmer’s cheese recipe.
There are many Polish dishes with ser biały (white cheese). Some of them are:
- Polish cheesecake (sernik)
- baked apple with farmer’s cheese
- spreads for bread (for example mackerel spread, Polish egg spread and gzik)
- pierogi ruskie (dumplings with cottage cheese and potatoes)
- Polish sweet cheese
- Polish sweet cheese pierogi
Tips For Making This Lazy Pierogi Recipe
- You can use a potato masher to mash the cheese fine or run it through a mixer.
- Make sure you add the pierogi leniwe to water that is already boiling.
- Depending on the size of your pot, boil only 10 to 20 pierogi at a time.
- While the pierogi leniwe are boiling, stir the water a few times to ensure they don’t stick to the bottom.
- Once removed from the pot, drizzle melted butter on the kluski leniwe so that they don’t stick to each other.
Pierogi Leniwe Recipe: Frequently Asked Questions
What Does Leniwe Mean?
Leniwe is a Polish word that means lazy.
What Is The Difference Between Kopytka And Pierogi Leniwe?
Kopytka and pierogi leniwe look similar in shape but they are different. Kopytka are made with flour, eggs, and potatoes, while pierogi leniwe are made with flour, eggs, and cottage cheese, or farmer’s cheese.
Kopytka are usually served as a savory dish along with goulash etc, while lazy pierogi are served sweet.
How Will I Know When The Pierogi Leniwe Are Cooked?
The pierogi are cooked when they rise to the surface of the pot.
I Can’t Find Farmer’s Cheese? Can I Use Any oOher?
If you can’t find cottage cheese or farmer’s cheese, use any other full-fat or semi-fat cheese to make these delicious pierogi leniwe.
How Should I Serve The Pierogi Leniwe?
Serve the pierogi leniwe with a topping of crumbs fried in butter.Other toppings you can use are
- cinnamon
- sugar
- sour cream
- fresh fruits (for example blueberries, strawberries, raspberries)
- Polish goulash
- Polish mushroom sauce
- tomato sauce
- Polish fried sauerkraut (kapusta zasmażana)
How Do I Prepare The Breadcrumbs As A Topping?
To use breadcrumbs as a topping, add a few tablespoons of the breadcrumbs to a pan with equal tablespoons of butter and fry them for a few minutes.
Pierogi Leniwe Polish Lazy Pierogi Recipe
Yield: 15 servings
Pierogi Leniwe Polish Lazy Pierogi Recipe
The pierogi leniwe are classic Polish dumplings made of farmer's cheese or cottage cheese. Easy to make in less than 30 minutes, here is my babcia's Polish lazy pierogi recipe.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 16 oz (500g) of farmer's cheese
- 1 cup (140g) of all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs
- water, as required
- salt, to taste
- oil, asrequired
Optional Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons crumbs
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
How To Make Pierogi Leniwe Dough?
- Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks.
- Using a fork, mix egg yolks with farmer's cheese. Make sure, there are no lumps.
- In a separate bowl, beat egg whites with a bit of salt until stiff.
- Start adding the egg whites' foam to the egg yolks mixed with cheese really slowly. Stir in one direction only.
- When you are done, repeat the process with flour. Add it really slowly, mixing all the time. You may use a spatula or hand to mix.
How To Form Pierogi Leniwe?
- Flour a pastry board (or a worktop) and place the dough there.
- Cut the dough in half.
- Using your hands, roll out the first piece of the dough into a long log shape. It should be about 1 inch thick.
- Cut the roller into smaller pieces (each should be about 1/2'' long).
- Repeat with the second piece of the dough.
How To Cook Pierogi Leniwe?
- Pour the water with a bit of salt into the big pot. Bring to boil.
- When the water is boiling, carefully throw your lazy pierogi into the pot. You won't be able to boil them all in one go, depending on the pot, throw 10-20 each time.
- Carefully stir the water with a spoon to make sure the dough doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Using the slotted spoon, take out your lazy pierogi as soon as they go up to the surface of the water.
Notes
- Make sure the water is boiling before you add the pierogi leniwe to it.
- Top with fried breadcrumbs.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
15 Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 451Total Fat: 34gSaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 119mgSodium: 1039mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 0gSugar: 3gProtein: 25g
These data are indicative and calculated by Nutritionix
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Did you like this pierogi leniwe Polish lazy pierogi recipe? Let us know in the comments below!
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11 Responses
I love Polish food. My grandparents on both sides came from Poland. When I was young I used to help my grandma make dough. She had hers and I had mine. I loved it. I wished I had my mom write the recipes down.
Reply
Thanks for your comment, Barbara. Polish food is awesome, right? 🙂
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Thank you so much for this recipe! My grandmother came from Poland and used to make these, but she passed when I was very small. I have tried to replicate the recipe, but was never really able to. These look exactly like hers. I can’t wait to try it out (as soon as I get some farmer’s cheese)!
Reply
I am so happy to read that! Happy cooking, Karyn 🙂
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I can’t find farmers cheese anywhere here. I live in South Dakota. Any close substitutes that I can use?
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When I don’t have farmer’s cheese, I make kopytka, the taste is pretty similar:
https://polishfoodies.com/kopytka-polish-gnocchi-recipe/Reply
So these wouldn’t taste good sautéed with onion and butter, like we do with the traditional potato and cheese pierogies?
Reply
Hi Dianne,
This would taste great sautéed with onion and butter!Reply
Wow our lazy perogi is quite different..hears how my gram made it:
1 lg. Can of Sour crout
1 can of mushrooms
1 stick of butter
1 bag of kaluski noodles
Pour 1 can of water over Sour crout and strain. Melt the stick of butter in pan add Sourcrout and mushrooms and add teaspoon sugar. Simmer for an hr. Add kaluski noodles to boiling water cook for 12 min drain. After Sourcrout cooks mix with noodles and this is our lazy perogiReply
That’s interesting! What are kaluski noodles?
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Mary, That’s much closer to my Mom and Babci’s recipe. The others were much more work!
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