Make Ahead

Babcia’s Easter Dinner

May 12, 2022
5
1 Ratings
Photo by crazycook64
  • 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
  • 4 Bacon slices -thick & smoked
  • 1 cup Beets - chopped
  • 2 tablespoons Prepared horseradish - more or less depending on your desired taste
  • 2 teaspoons Fresh cracked black pepper - divided & more or less to taste
  • 2 teaspoons Fine kosher salt - divided & as needed to taste
  • 2 cups Sweet onion - thinly sliced
  • 8 tablespoons Butter - divided & as needed
  • 4 Potato & cheese pierogis - use fresh or frozen (thawed)
  • 2 Polish kielbasa - each piece about 4 inches long, fit your bread size & split lengthwise to butterfly open
  • 2 Ham slices - thin sliced & sized to fit your bread
  • 4 pieces Rye bread - Jewish rye is my choice
  • 8 Slices smoked provolone cheese
  • 2 Eggs - xtra large
Directions
  1. Cook the bacon in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Transfer to paper towels until needed & keep drippings in skillet.
  2. 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.
  3. 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
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. Place on a plate & slice the sandwich in half.

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