Pagach – aka Pierogi Pizza – is pizza crust topped with cheesy mashed potatoes and buttery sautéed onions and then baked until it’s golden brown and delicious. How could that not be good?
Up here in Northeast Pennsylvania, Pagach (or pagash as it’s sometimes spelled) is very popular. It’s a dish of Slavic origin (Polish in my case). You’ll find it in most local pizza shops, and many of our moms and grandmas often made it at home.
If you’ve never heard of it or tried it, you are in for a real treat!
And I do mean treat! Pagach (we pronounce it paw-gotch; some say puh-gosh) is some serious carb-a-licious, cheesy comfort food. It’s totally addictive, and you will definitely want to eat more than one piece.
I think it’s worth every single calorie!
Pagach is sometimes referred to as Pierogi Pizza because the potato and cheese topping is pretty much the same potato and cheese filling that’s stuffed into pierogi.
I’ve had Pagach two different ways: one with the potatoes stuffed between a top and bottom crust, and one with just a bottom crust with the potatoes spread on top. Also, some have onions, and some don’t. Most use cheddar cheese, and some use mozzarella (or both).
Everyone seems to have their own way of making it!
The recipe that I’m sharing with you today is the way my mom and dad always made it (and the best way as far as I’m concerned) – just a bottom crust with a cheesy potato and sautéed onion topping that’s baked, and then you spread on more buttery onions and cheese and broil it until golden brown.
My mom was the cook in our house, but this is one of a few recipes where my dad would actually get in the kitchen with her, and they would cook it together while my sister, brother and I watched and waited with anticipation.
We couldn’t wait to eat it (I sure do miss those days)!
In their earlier days of making pagach, mom and dad used thawed frozen bread dough as the crust, which was very good.
Later on, they started using a store-bought pre-baked Sicilian-style pizza crust, which not only made it better because the crust was much more sturdy and crisp, it also made it a much easier recipe since there was no dough to fuss with!
INGREDIENTS YOU NEED:
- Pre-baked rectangular Sicilian-style pizza crust (see note below)
- Potatoes (I use Russets or Yukon Golds)
- Butter
- Onions
- Extra sharp cheddar cheese
- Milk
- Salt and pepper
Note: Pre-baked pizza crusts are usually found in the refrigerated/dairy section of the supermarket near the mozzarella cheese.
HERE’S A QUICK LOOK AT HOW TO MAKE PAGACH (PIEROGI PIZZA):
TIPS & TIDBITS:
- Properly seasoning the potato topping is key to the success of this recipe! If it is bland, you will very likely be disappointed. Be sure to salt the water when you are cooking the potatoes and, once you have prepared the potato topping, give it a taste it and add salt and pepper as needed.
- If you’ve got an Instant Pot, you can cook the potatoes in there as you would for Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes (except don’t add the butter and milk).
- I highly recommend using extra-sharp cheddar cheese (yellow or white) because it adds a lot more flavor to the potatoes than a mild, medium or even a sharp cheddar.
- If you aren’t into onions, you could leave them out, but they sure do make it extra yummy!
- When adding the milk, add only enough to help the potatoes be a little more easy to spread onto the crust. They should be tighter than mashed potatoes. Be careful not to make them too loose and runny.
- When the pizza comes out of the oven, carefully remove it from the pan to a wire rack to rest for a few minutes before slicing. This will help keep the crust crisp. If you let the pizza sit in the pan, the bottom will steam as it cools off, and the crust can become a bit soggy.
- If you have leftovers, the crust will lose its crispness as the pagach sits in the refrigerator. Reheat in a 325°F oven until the potatoes are heated through and the bottom is crisp OR put it in the microwave until the potatoes are heated through and then crisp up the crust in a frying pan over medium-low heat.
- For those of you that would like to gild the lily even more, you could top this with some sour cream and chives or crispy bacon (or all three)!
Pagach is delicious eaten fresh and hot from the oven, of course, but let me just say that it is also very good at room temperature, and it’s even really good cold.
Yes, cold! Since I was a kid, I have always enjoyed eating a leftover piece straight from the refrigerator as a snack. Just try it!
I hope you try this recipe for Pagach (Pierogi Pizza) a try and love it as much as I do. Thanks for visiting today!
Pagach (Pierogi Pizza)
Ingredients
- 1 store-bought pre-baked rectangular Sicilian-style pizza crust
- 2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (I use Russets or Yukon Golds)
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 cups chopped onions
- 3 cups extra-sharp cheddar cheese (white or yellow), divided
- ¼ cup milk, you may need less or more
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the pizza crust on a large baking sheet (the size may vary depending on the brand of crust; my crust fits perfectly in a 17¼ x 15½-inch pan).
- Place the potatoes in a pot and cover with water. Add salt to taste. Bring to a boil and cook until fork-tender, about 10 to 12 minutes.
- While the potatoes are cooking, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until softened and lightly golden brown. Set aside ½ cup of the sautéed onions (they will be used later to top the pizza).
- When the potatoes are done cooking, drain them and return them to the hot pot. Allow them to sit for a minute or two until any excess moisture evaporates and they are no longer wet.
- Add 2½ cups of the cheese to the hot potatoes and mash until well-combined and smooth (be careful not to over-mash, as this can make the potatoes gummy). Stir in the sautéed onions (except the ones you set aside).
- Add just enough milk to help the potato mixture be a bit more easy to spread on the crust. The consistency should be tighter than mashed potatoes. ¼ cup of milk usually works for me, but add less or more as needed, being careful not to end up with loose or runny potatoes. Taste the mixture and season with salt and pepper as needed.
- Spread the potato mixture evenly over the pizza crust, leaving about a ½-inch border around the edges.
- Bake for 10 minutes or until the bottom of the pizza crust is golden brown and crisp.
- Remove the pizza from the oven and turn on the broiler.
- Spread the reserved ½ cup of sautéed onions over the top of the pizza and sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup cheese.
- Place the pizza under the broiler until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and golden brown (about 5 minutes).
- Carefully remove the pizza from the pan to a wire rack. Allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing into 12 squares. Note: If you leave the pizza in the pan, the bottom will sweat as the pizza cools, and the crust may become a bit soggy and lose it crispness.
Notes
- Properly seasoning the potato topping is key to the success of this recipe! Be sure to salt the water when you are cooking the potatoes and, once you have prepared the potato topping, give it a taste it and add salt and pepper as needed.
- If you have leftovers, the crust will lose its crispness as the pagach sits in the refrigerator. Reheat in a 325°F oven until the potatoes are heated through and the bottom is crisp OR put it in the microwave until the potatoes are heated through and then crisp up the crust in a frying pan over medium-low heat.
- Homemade Pierogi
- Haluski (Cabbage and Noodles)
- Zucchini Potato Pancakes
- Pan Pizza
- Skillet Tortilla Pizza
Suzanne Mims
I was thrilled to find this recipe. I had this in Scranton, PA many years ago. It was made with a top and bottom crust and the cook used a sharp American cheese which I cannot remember the name of. It was fabulous. I will be making this soon. Thanks.
Michelle
Hey, Suzanne! Scranton, PA is right down the road from me! Pagach is really popular here, and there are a lot of different ways people make it. The sharp American cheese you had might have been called Cooper cheese? So happy you will be trying my version, and I really hope you enjoy it! Please come back and let me know!
Diane
I am looking 4 a kuhan recipe my grandmother used 2 make it on holidays my family don’t have the recipe it got lost when she passed away I would appreciate it
Michelle
Hi, Diane! Sorry, but I don’t know what kuhan is. I tried to look it up and couldn’t find it. If you have more info, I’d love to check it out.
Apryl Dolgas
This is very similar to how my Italian family always made pierogi pizza. However, after marrying a Russian I’ve learned that real pagach is actually the stuffed dough version (think potato stromboli). I use frozen (thawed) bread dough when I make pagach.
Michelle
Hi, Apryl! Yes, there are different ways to make it (every family probably has their own way!). I used to use frozen bread dough, but now I just prefer the simplicity and extra crunch of the pre-made crust.
Virginia
My mother-in-law made this but with dough on top and bottom and cabbage or kraut inside, then butter and sautéed onions on top after baked. This was easier than making pirogies. She was from western PA.
Michelle
Hi, Virginia! Yes, every family seems to have their own recipe…you mother-in-law’s sounds delicious too (I love cabbage and am going to have to try that). Thank you for taking the time to comment and rate the recipe!
Beverly Kall
Hi, Michelle; In our Polish family we always brown the butter for the mashed potatoes along with caramelized onions plus the cheese. It brings the potatoes up a notch, giving it, as that famous Chef says, “Bam!” We do the same to the potatoes for Colcannon. My MIL was Slovak and her Pagach was stuffed with sauerkraut, sweetened dry cottage cheese or apples. Since piroghy were also included in Christmas Eve dinner, that where the potatoes ended up but I like the idea of the pizza, too.
Michelle
Hi there, Beverly! Using brown butter sounds amazing, and I can’t wait to try it! Thanks so much for sharing how your family makes these dishes!
Paulette Klun
My grandmother and mother would make this. They used Colby Longhorn cheese. This is what we made our perogies with. We called this Prehee. I just love this. Will be making it soon.
Michelle
Thanks for sharing this, Paulette! I hope you enjoy this version!
Mary
I prefer mine like a Calzaghe, but that’s the way I was brought up on it and I only make it once a year and that’s on Christmas Eve with homemade bread dough. 😁
But the expert you have is spot on!
Michelle
Thanks, Mary!