What Is the Best Way to Cook Perogies?

Pierogies are small pockets of dough filled vegetables, cheese or fruit. There are a number of healthy ways to cook pierogies -- it depends on the texture you prefer. Frozen pierogies do not need thawing prior to cooking. Sour cream is a popular topping for pierogies, but to keep this dish low in fat and calories, top them with non-fat cottage cheese, yogurt or applesauce.

Boiling pierogies gives them a soft and tender texture without adding any extra calories, as does heating pierogies in the microwave. Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil, then place about 12 pierogies in the boiling water for 5 to 7 minutes. Once they float, they're done. Cook pierogies in the microwave by covering them with water in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover the bowl loosely with a plastic cling wrap and microwave on high for about five minutes. Drain and serve immediately after either cooking method.

Sautéing and grilling pierogies results in a crisp, browned outer shell. These cooking methods are also healthy as long as you use non-stick cooking spray instead of oil or butter. Sautee pierogies by first coating the pan with the cooking spray, and then heat the pan over a medium heat. Place the pierogies in the heated pan. Cook and turn until they brown on both sides; this usually takes about eight minutes. Cook pierogies on a countertop grill by lightly spraying both sides of the pierogies with non-stick spray then placing on the preheated grill for about five minutes.

Baking pierogies makes them crisp on the outside and puffy on the inside. Bake pierogies by preheating the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and placing pierogies on a baking sheet. Spray the sheet and both sides of the pierogies with a thin coat of non-stick cooking spray. Bake for at least 18 minutes or until they are browned and puffy, turning halfway through the baking time.

The nutritional information of pierogies varies depending on the size of the pierogi, the filling it contains and the exact ingredients in the dough. A single 114 gram serving of potato and cheddar cheese pierogies, which consists of three pierogies, contains 170 calories, with 25 of those calories from fat. The total fat content is 2.5 gram, with 1 gram of saturated fat. Each serving contains 5 gram of protein, 33 gram of carbohydrates, 510 milligrams of sodium and 5 milligrams of cholesterol.