Make Ahead
Babcia’s Easter Dinner
- Prep time 10 minutes
- Cook time 30 minutes
- Serves 2
Author Notes
My Polish grandmother, my Babcia, was a wonderful cook. Her traditional Easter dinner was her yearly masterpiece. She cooked for a week, handmade pierogi, breads, borscht, golabki, ham, kielbasa & an array of desserts. I am not able to devote that amount of time and energy into the preparation of a single meal. But, I have found a way to get the same flavors into a sandwich, by using pre made ingredients found in my local grocery store, frozen pierogis, ham slices, canned beets & packaged bread. I make this sandwich a few times a year and with each bite, I'm taken back to 1987, the last time we sat at Babcia's table for our Easter dinner. —crazycook64
What You'll Need
Ingredients
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4
Bacon slices -thick & smoked
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1 cup
Beets - chopped
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2 tablespoons
Prepared horseradish - more or less depending on your desired taste
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2 teaspoons
Fresh cracked black pepper - divided & more or less to taste
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2 teaspoons
Fine kosher salt - divided & as needed to taste
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2 cups
Sweet onion - thinly sliced
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8 tablespoons
Butter - divided & as needed
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4
Potato & cheese pierogis - use fresh or frozen (thawed)
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2
Polish kielbasa - each piece about 4 inches long, fit your bread size & split lengthwise to butterfly open
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2
Ham slices - thin sliced & sized to fit your bread
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4 pieces
Rye bread - Jewish rye is my choice
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8
Slices smoked provolone cheese
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2
Eggs - xtra large
Directions
- Cook the bacon in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Transfer to paper towels until needed & keep drippings in skillet.
- While bacon is cooking, place the chopped beets, horseradish, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper & 1/2 teaspoon salt together in a small bowl & mix well, set aside until needed.
- Sauté the sliced onion in the bacon drippings and over medium - low heat until soft & carnalized, stirring occasionally, season with pinches of salt & pepper, then transfer to a paper towel until needed. Keep drippings
- While the onions sauté, melt ½ of the butter in an extra - large nonstick skillet, over medium – high heat, add the 4 pierogis & cook until heated thru & nicely browned on each side, about 3 to 4 minutes per side, transfer to a plate. Add the kielbasa & ham to the same pan & brown & heat those through as well, turning frequently, remove to a plate.
- Wipe the skillet with a paper towel, place the remaining butter into the pan & heat over low to medium heat until butter melts, swirl it around the skillet to evenly coat, then place the 4 slices of bread into the pan, top each with 2 slices of the smoked provolone cheese & melt the cheese.
- While the cheese is melting, heat the skillet with the bacon drippings over medium heat. Carefully crack the eggs into the skillet, keeping the yolks intact, season with some salt & pepper; cook until whites are set but yolks are still runny, 5 to 6 minutes, turn off heat.
- Once the cheese melts, turn off heat & build the sandwiches; spread half of the beet mixture onto 2 of the breads, top each with a slice of ham, kielbasa, 2 pierogis, ½ of the caramelized onions, 2 slices of bacon, 1 egg & then finish with the remaining bread slices.
- Place on a plate & slice the sandwich in half.
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