Cheese Buttons

This is something that a lot of North Dakota folks make. Plump little pillows of dough stuffed generously with dry cottage cheese, doused lavishly with pure butter and maybe little bits of browned onion. That’s what you call a cheese button in Dickinson, North Dakota. And that’s what those of Ukrainian descent call a varenyky or pyrohy. These are frugal, filling, and cheesy traditional comfort food. I can vary the filling with a number of add ins. Bacon and cheddar are mine.

Cheese Buttons

First:

• Mix in a bowl

• 1 Small container of Dry Curd Cottage Cheese

• a little black pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 egg

Second:

• 2 Cups pastry Flour

• 2 Eggs

• 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder

• 1/2 teaspoon sea Salt

1. Add water to make a soft dough like for pie crust

2. Mix well and divide into 4 parts

3. Roll out each and cut into about 3″ squares

4. Put a tsp. of Cheese Mix in center of each piece then fold over and press the edges to seal.

5. Place buttons in boiling salt water, boil a few minutes, take out and place in a strainer to drain. Now fry them in butter when drained until a light brown. * Optional can fry with onions as well.