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Perfect Pierogi pizza is packed with garlic mashed potatoes, cheddar cheese, fresh yogurt, dry herbs and mozzarella cheese. My favorite Pittsburgh-area invention!
What is Pierogi Pizza?
Pierogi, the delicious dumplings of unleavened bread filled with potato, meat, or sweet food like fruit or cheese, are native to Poland and the Ukraine, where they’re considered a national food. Pizza, on the other hand, is consumed around the world, but is famous as an export of Italy, and of the city of Naples in particular. But, pierogi pizza, on the other hand, with its heavy use of mashed potato on an otherwise standard pizza, belongs to neither Polish or Italian cuisine, and was invented in the United States of America where the famous American “melting pot” allowed Polish and Italian migrants to convene, mix with one another and eventually produce this distinctive, if unorthodox, meal. Pierogi pizza is very carb-heavy and very starchy, but it’s fantastic winter warmer food and is sure to delight even the most discerning of palates.
Pierogi Pizza
This pizza might be considered an American take on the Italian concept of cucina povera, or “poor kitchen” cooking. Pittsburgh, the second largest city in the Eastern state of Pennsylvania, claims to have invented the pierogi pizza, and the dish is stubbornly representative of its Middle American roots. It’s hardy, practical and not particularly good for you, but it’ll fill your belly and give you enough energy to go to work in the morning. For a long time, that’s all that the American working class – which was comprised primarily of recent European migrants, many of whom in the post-war period were of Polish or Italian origin – ever demands of its cuisine. Although the trend in American food these days seems to be a dichotomy of organic, leafy, locally produced superfood and greasy fast food burgers, once upon a time every working household ate practically, and ate well.
Pittsburgh built its wealth on the steel industry, providing much of the metal to other manufacturing industries in the United States. Pittsburgh steel was renowned on a national and international scale for its workmanship and durability, and as a result Pittsburgh boasted a rough, working class reputation comparable to Liverpool, Manchester or Newcastle, the northern English powerhouses of the Industrial Revolution. Pierogi pizza would have provided Pittsburgh’s steel workers with the stamina and energy to do their physically demanding jobs day in and day out while simultaneously holding on to both their Old World heritage and the mingling of cultures in their American home.
How do you make pierogi pizza (TIPS)
Be wary that, when putting your pierogi pizza into the oven, the mashed potato will thin and spread out on the pizza base as it heats up. To prevent spillage, leave a moat of around three to four inches of pizza surrounding your mashed potato in the center. Although you can use frozen pizza dough for this pierogi pizza recipe, it’s best to make your own dough, as fresh dough always tastes the best. Make sure your onions aren’t too moist after being caramelized, as you’ll have more than enough moisture in your pizza from the mashed potato already, and you don’t want to saturate the pizza dough and make it all soggy. Excessive water leads to an excess of hot steam, which can even cause explosive bubbles to form in your topping and burst all over the oven, so be sure to remove as much moisture as you can from both the mashed potato and your onions.
More favorite pizza recipes:
Pierogi Pizza
Ingredients
Pizza
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cups cold mashed potatoes
- 1¾ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pound pizza dough
- 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 green onions, sliced
Garlic Sour Cream Drizzle
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 1 tablespoon milk
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Pinch black pepper
Instructions
- Caramelize the Onion: Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Set aside.
- Make the Potato Filling: In a bowl, mix the mashed potatoes, ¾ cup cheddar cheese, sour cream, onion powder, salt, and black pepper until combined.
- Make the Drizzle: Whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic, milk, salt, and pepper until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Assemble the Pizza: Preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C). Stretch the dough into a 12-inch round and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet or pizza peel. Spread the potato filling over the dough, leaving a ½-inch border. Top with the caramelized onions, bacon, remaining 1 cup cheddar, and mozzarella.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbly.
- Finish: Let rest for 2–3 minutes. Drizzle with the garlic sour cream sauce, sprinkle with green onions, slice, and serve.
Notes
- Use thick mashed potatoes, not runny mashed potatoes.
- Freshly shredded cheese melts best.
- For extra pierogi flavor, add 2 tablespoons chopped chives to the potato filling.
- A pizza stone helps make a crisp crust.
- If desired, serve with extra sour cream on the side.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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