The #1 Frozen Entree to Buy at Costco, According to a Food Editor

With these pillowy potato dumplings in my freezer, I can put dinner on the table for my family in minutes.

Reviewed by Dietitian Emily Lachtrupp, M.S., RDReviewed by Dietitian Emily Lachtrupp, M.S., RD

Stroll through the freezer aisles of your local Costco and you’ll find a wide assortment of meats, vegetables, fruits, treats and prepared meals ideal for stocking your freezer. But once you’ve added some frozen berries, chicken and sorbets to your cart, swing around to pick up my absolute favorite frozen food at Costco: Kasia’s Pierogi. These potato-and-cheese dumplings complement any meal and are so satisfying that they can easily play center stage for dinner. Here’s why I think you need to give these pillowy soft potato dumplings a try next time you're shopping at Costco.

They Taste Authentic

Some of my friends think it’s funny that I buy frozen food since I’m a well-trained cook and I write about food and develop recipes for a living. But with all that time cooking and writing about food during the day, I’m often spent by the time dinner rolls around. Yet I have a family to feed, and I insist we eat together at the end of each day, share a meal and reconnect. So I am unapologetic about using good-quality frozen food that helps me put dinner on the table quickly.

Quick is the operative word when it comes to Kasia’s Pierogi. They take a matter of minutes to prepare, which is much, much faster than making homemade pierogi. I typically only make homemade pierogi for special occasions because they are quite labor-intensive and time-consuming. First, you have to whip up the mashed potato and cheese filling, which you could make with leftover mashed potatoes—but only if you plan ahead. Then you have to prepare the wrappers by making a simple flour dough. Finally, you have to spend time filling those tender wrappers with the potatoes and cheese, pinching the edges just right so they don’t burst open when cooked. It is not that making pierogi is difficult; they just take a lot of time, especially for a weeknight dinner. Kasia’s Pierogi are the best alternative to homemade. These are real, authentic-tasting potato dumplings, made with russet potatoes, baker’s cheese and a bit of yellow onion.

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They Are Versatile

Costco sells a big container of frozen pierogi for $11.49, which is a great price considering we’ll get at least four meals out of it. They are sold in three separately sealed 14-ounce packages, so it’s easy to open them one at a time and leave the rest in the freezer for another meal.

There are a couple of ways to cook pierogi, whether homemade or store-bought. You can either drop them in lightly salted boiling water and cook them until they are tender and hot, typically when they float to the surface. Or, my preferred method, you can pan-fry pierogi in a large skillet over medium-low heat with a bit of olive oil or butter. When pan-fried, the potato dumplings develop a slightly crispy and toasty exterior that is divine. This method takes about 10 minutes, but when I’m in a hurry, I’ll just boil them and have dinner ready in about 3 minutes.

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So how do I like to serve Kasia’s Pierogi? I keep it super-simple and top them with sour cream and thinly sliced chives. My wife, however, loves when I sauté some onions in the same skillet I use to cook the pierogi. This adds a lovely flavorful and sweet element to the dish. My daughters like it when I serve them with a fried or poached egg on top. I often include broccoli or another green vegetable for a side dish.

If I’m feeling really ambitious, I’ll pan-fry the pierogi until golden and crispy and then build a simple sauce with onions, garlic and frozen peas. Then I’ll stir in a couple of dollops of sour cream for a luscious, creamy component. I’ll top it all with an over-easy fried egg for a satisfying and delicious meal, all ready in about 15 minutes thanks to these quick-cooking frozen pierogi. If this kind of meal makes your mouth water as much as mine is while writing about it, then pick up a package of potato-and-cheese Kasia’s Pierogi next time you're at Costco.

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Read the original article on Eating Well.