NOTHING beats a homemade meal.
I have been in the kitchen quite a bit lately. I am slowly building up my clientele in Georgia and looking for an extra job as well, but when the job search isn’t going well, and I’m hunting hard, I need the nourishment that only comfort food can bring. That’s why I decided to make myself none other than a Mennonite dish that I grew up with at home.
Wareneki, or vareyky, is a family favorite. It’s very much like perogies for those of you who are NOT Mennonite or have no idea what I am talking about.
This is a meal that I have grown up having at holidays, at grandmas, for special occasions….and for normal days when mom felt like spending some extra time in the kitchen! (I say that, but she always seems to whip up a recipe in 20 min or less…I still haven’t figured out how she does it!)
It just tastes so delicious! (It’s probably the cream and butter gravy)
Of course I called my mom and discussed the recipe with her before making it. Sadly, it seems I have to do this more often than not when it comes to making Mennonite recipes. Since I didn’t grow up in a home where we ONLY had mennonite dishes, I never memorized these recipes and I have messed up my fair share of recipes. (ever had brick buns? because I’ve made them…)
You can make Wareneki several different ways and while I was researching I consulted my FAVORITE blog for all things Mennonite, Mennonite Girls Can Cook, and they educated me on several versions I had NEVER heard of before! I grew up eating the ones with the cottage cheese mixture so that is what I was craving. If you feel compelled to make these, message me for my moms secrets that are not shared in the recipes online!!
I made such a mess making these. It’s pretty ridiculous how messy I am in the kitchen. There. was. flour. e.v.e.r.y.w.h.e.r.e. I used my favorite vintage owl cup to cut and seal them and there was such a satisfying PLOP when I dropped them into boiling water to cook.
I can tell you that eating these are NOT healthy and I definitely put both Tony and I into a food comma almost immediately after devouring way too many of them. It probably doesn’t help that I made fried sausage, caramelized onions, and cream gravy to eat with them. Oh and I have to share as well that this meal paired delightfully with our favorite hefeweizen beer!
I also got to enjoy them the next day by frying the leftovers. This was always my favorite way of eating them as a kid! Yum!
