Wednesday, November 3, 1999; Page F11

Pirogi With Potato and Cheese Filling
(Makes about 100 pirogi)

Pirogi (also spelled piroghi and several other ways) can be served as an appetizer or a side dish. If you make them a little larger, you can serve several as an entree. Pirogis also can be baked or deep-fat fried, but perhaps the most common preparation is simply tossing them in a pan of onions sauteed in butter and frying them until crisp and golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Top with a dollop of sour cream.

This recipe from Tina Burpee appears in "A Faithful Feast," a community cookbook compiled by the members of St. Mark Orthodox Church in Bethesda.

For the filling:
5 pounds potatoes, peeled
1½ pounds cheddar cheese, grated
2 medium onions, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the dough:
6½ to 7 cups flour, plus additional for working the dough
3 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1½ teaspoons salt
1½ cups water

For the filling:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the potatoes and simmer until tender when pierced with a fork.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine the cheese and onions.

Drain the potatoes, add them to the bowl and, using a wooden spoon, quickly mash the potatoes into the mixture, combining them thoroughly with the cheese and onions. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and set aside for a few minutes to melt the cheese.

For the dough:
Place 6½ cups of the flour in a large bowl and make a well in the center of the flour. Place the eggs, sour cream and salt in the well and then gradually work the flour into rest of the ingredients, adding the water a little bit at a time until a dough forms. If the dough seems too sticky, you can add up to additional ½ cup of flour.

On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough until smooth. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the dough to 1/8 inch thick. Cut the dough into 3-inch circles, keeping the cuts close together to utilize as much of the dough as possible. Place the circles separately on a tray or work surface; don't overlap.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

To form the pirogis: Place 1 teaspoon of the filling near the middle of each circle. Fold each pirogi in half and pinch the edges together to seal. (You may wrap the pirogis tightly and refrigerate them for up to 3 days or freeze them for as long as 2 months.)

Drop several pirogi in the boiling water at a time and simmer until they rise to the top of the water. Transfer to a colander to drain.

To finish the pirogis you can saute them in butter with onions over medium-high heat, bake them in a 350-degree oven until they puff slightly, about 5 minutes, or deep-fry them in oil.

Per pirogi: 78 calories, 3 gm protein, 10 gm carbohydrates, 3 gm fat, 14 mg cholesterol, 2 gm saturated fat, 87 mg sodium, 1 gm dietary fiber