Best 6 Eastern European Skillet Recipes

UKRAINIAN KOVBASA (KIELBASA) POTATOES AND SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• Melt butter and sauté onion until golden brown. Add sauerkraut, wine, stock, vinegar, brown sugar, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then simmer about 20 minutes. Add potatoes and kovbasa. Stir in mustard, and simmer until potatoes are tender. Serves 4-6.
• Simmering Suppers.

EASTERN EUROPEAN SKILLET

Steps:

• 1. Slice the onions into thin rings, slice the potatoes into thin slices and then in half, slice the kielbasa.
• 2. In a large, cast iron skillet, heat fat of your choosing on medium heat and saute onions and potatoes until cooked and slightly golden. Add pepper and a small amount of salt as they cook.
• 3. Push cooked potatoes to the side and add frozen pierogies and a little more oil or butter. Cook for 4 minutes with a lid on. Turn the pierogies and mix with the potatoes.
• 4. Add the kielbasa and stir. Cook until slightly browned and warmed or at least 4 more minutes for frozen pierogies. Homemade can be added with the kielbasa. Add the sauerkraut and stir. Cook until warmed through.
• 5. Top with slices of Swiss cheese and put the lid on until cheese melts. Serve from the skillet with a large green salad.

EASTERN EUROPEAN KOTLETY

Steps:

• Mix ground beef, cracker crumbs, onion, egg, milk, garlic, kosher salt, and black pepper in a large bowl until evenly blended. Shape meat mixture into twelve 3-inch patties about 1 1/4-inch thick.
• Heat vegetable shortening in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear patties until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking, uncovered, until patties are no longer pink in the center, about 20 minutes more. Remove patties from skillet and drain on paper towels until ready to serve.

EASTERN EUROPEAN STUFFED PORK CHOPS

Steps:

• 1. In a large skillet, melt butter and saute onion, celery, and pepper until cooked and most of the juices have evaporated. Add parsley and bread crumbs and mix well. Let cool.
• 2. Meanwhile, wash and pat dry chops. Using a boning knife, make a 1-inch slit in the center of each side. Using the knife, widen the pocket but leave the opening only 1-inch wide.
• 3. Stuff the pork chops until they are nice and plump. You will probably have leftover stuffing. Season both sides of chops with salt and pepper and sear in a nonstick pan until nicely browned.
• 4. Place chops in a shallow baking dish and surround with any leftover stuffing. Add 1/4 cup water or stock and bake, uncovered, in a preheated 375-degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until internal temperature registers 150 degrees. Serve with pan juices, if desired. If you want a slightly European meal, serve with sauerkraut and apples.

SERBIAN GROUND BEEF, VEGGIE, AND POTATO BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a casserole dish.
• In a skillet over medium heat, cook the beef until evenly brown. Remove beef from skillet, reserving juices, and set aside. Mix in the olive oil, and saute the green pepper, onion, carrot, and celery until tender.
• Return beef to the skillet, and season with paprika, salt, black pepper, red pepper, cinnamon, and cloves. Stir in the water and red wine until heated through. Dissolve the beef bouillon cube into the mixture. Remove skillet from heat, and mix in the half-and-half.
• Layer the bottom of the prepared casserole dish with enough potato slices to cover. Place the beef and vegetable mixture over the potatoes, and top with remaining potatoes.
• Cook, covered, 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the potatoes are tender.

EASTER CHEESE - HRUDKA

Steps:

• Crack eggs into a large saucepan and beat with a whisk. Whisk in milk, sugar, salt and cinnamon. Cook over medium-low to low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture fully forms curds and the whey separates. This will take 20 to 30 minutes. Using higher heat or failing to stir will result in a big pan of sweet scrambled eggs.
• Drain the mixture into a colander lined with several layers of cheese cloth. Use the cloth to shape into a ball and twist the top to remove excess moisture. Secure with a twist tie. Hang for several hours or overnight. I do it on the spigot of the kitchen sink (which would probably wig out the germ police, but I haven't gotten botulism in 34 years). Of course, you could let it drain initially there and then finish it overnight in the fridge suspended over a deep bowl.