This is the pinnacle of fast food at home to do when you are really crunched for time. I am not promising healthy here, just speed (although I do buy the all natural Pierogies). During the school year I generally cook on Sunday in mass quantities, which allows for leftovers Monday through Wednesday. Thursday is the wild card day. In addition to running out of leftovers, I have 2 kids in piano lessons on Thursday from 6-7:00, and an 8:30 bedtime for all 3 kids to accommodate. I literally have to rush from work and get some food together, feed the twins and arrive at the piano lesson by 6:00 or they are starving at piano. Ridiculous time crunch.

So if I can manage to make food I usually will do pierogies, cut some fruit and make a quick vegetable like fresh spinach sautéed in garlic and olive oil or frozen peas and some kind of quick protein. Some weeks Thursday turns into pizza night, it’s unavoidable.

How to make a 5 minute starch: In the grocery store in the refrigerated section you will find flavored pierogies next to the fresh pasta. I like to buy the onion pierogies, and cook them in a skillet coated with canola oil. Once they are brown on both sides I shake them in a paper back with salt and pepper to get the grease off of them, and they are ready to serve. They remind me of when I went to school in Pennsylvania, and on my ride home I would go through the drive through of “Yoccos, The Hot Dog King”. Nutrition was not high on the priority list in college. I love the hot crispy outside and smooth steamy mashed potato in the middle.