12 Eastern European Dinners That Taste Like Grandma’s Cozy Kitchen

Some meals feel like a warm blanket. Think bubbling pots of paprika stew, buttery dumplings, crispy cutlets and big bowls of ruby red soup with a swirl of sour cream. Eastern European dinners were made for cold weather, big families and tight budgets, and that is exactly why they taste so comforting. Did your grandma cook any of these? Grab a wooden spoon, because we are heading from Budapest to Krakow to Kyiv..

Hungarian Goulash, King of Eastern European Dinners

Real Hungarian goulash is more of a hearty soup than a thick stew, and it is all about paprika. Chunks of beef simmer slowly with onions, sweet Hungarian paprika, caraway, peppers, tomatoes and potatoes until the broth turns deep red and the meat melts in your mouth. Herdsmen once cooked it in big kettles over open fires. Serve it with crusty bread for one of the coziest Eastern European dinners you will ever make.

You will need: 2 pounds beef chuck (cubed), 2 large onions, 3 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika, 1 teaspoon caraway seeds, 3 garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 bell pepper, 2 tomatoes, 3 potatoes (cubed), 2 carrots, 6 cups beef broth, salt and pepper.

How to make it: 1. Cook the onions in oil until golden. 2. Add the beef and brown it. 3. Take the pot off the heat and stir in the paprika so it does not burn. 4. Add the garlic, caraway and broth and simmer 1 1/2 hours. 5. Add the pepper, tomatoes, potatoes and carrots and cook 30 minutes. 6. Season and serve with bread.

Potato and Cheese Pierogi, the Pride of Eastern European Dinners

Pierogi are soft dumplings stuffed with mashed potato and cheese, and in Poland and Ukraine they are a family project. Grandmas roll the dough, kids pinch the edges and everyone argues about who made the prettiest one. Boil them, then fry them in butter with lots of sweet onions. Top with a spoon of sour cream. Quick poll: boiled or pan fried? A) Boiled B) Pan fried C) Both, obviously.

You will need: Dough: 3 cups flour, 1 egg, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup warm water, 1 teaspoon salt. Filling: 2 cups mashed potatoes, 1 cup shredded cheddar or farmer cheese, 1 fried onion, salt and pepper. Topping: 4 tablespoons butter, 1 sliced onion, sour cream.

How to make it: 1. Mix the dough ingredients, knead until smooth and rest 30 minutes. 2. Mix the filling. 3. Roll the dough thin and cut 3 inch circles. 4. Fill each with a spoonful, fold and pinch tightly. 5. Boil in salted water until they float, plus 2 minutes. 6. Fry in butter with the onions until golden and serve with sour cream.

Creamy Chicken Paprikash

Chicken paprikash is the dish many Hungarian grandmas are famous for. Chicken thighs simmer in a silky sauce made from onions, plenty of paprika and broth, then sour cream is stirred in at the end to make it creamy and blush orange. It is traditionally served with nokedli, tiny homemade dumplings, but egg noodles or rice work too. It is cozy, mild and kid friendly. Who taught you your favorite family recipe?

You will need: 2 pounds chicken thighs, 2 tablespoons butter, 2 onions (chopped), 2 tablespoons sweet paprika, 1 bell pepper, 1 tomato, 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, 1 cup sour cream, 1 tablespoon flour, salt and pepper, egg noodles or dumplings.

How to make it: 1. Brown the chicken in butter and set it aside. 2. Cook the onions until soft. 3. Stir in the paprika off the heat. 4. Add the pepper, tomato, broth and chicken and simmer 30 minutes. 5. Whisk the sour cream with the flour and a little hot sauce from the pot, then stir it in. 6. Simmer 5 minutes and serve over noodles.

Golden Pork Schnitzel With Lemon

Schnitzel is loved all across Central and Eastern Europe. A thin cutlet of pork, veal or chicken is pounded flat, dipped in flour, egg and breadcrumbs, then fried in shallow oil until the coating puffs up golden and crisp. A squeeze of lemon is all it needs. Serve it with potato salad or buttery potatoes and cucumber salad. Fun fact: a good schnitzel should be bigger than the plate. Is yours?

You will need: 4 boneless pork chops (pounded 1/4 inch thin), salt and pepper, 1/2 cup flour, 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons milk, 1 1/2 cups fine breadcrumbs, oil for frying, lemon wedges.

How to make it: 1. Season the pounded pork with salt and pepper. 2. Set up bowls of flour, eggs beaten with milk, and breadcrumbs. 3. Coat each cutlet lightly in flour, then egg, then crumbs, without pressing. 4. Heat 1/2 inch of oil to 340°F. 5. Fry 2 to 3 minutes per side, swirling the pan so the coating puffs. 6. Drain and serve with lemon.

Ruby Red Ukrainian Borscht

Borscht is a bright ruby beet soup that is famous in Ukraine and across Eastern Europe, and every family has its own version. This one is a full meal with beef, cabbage, potatoes, carrots and plenty of beets, finished with a little vinegar and fresh dill. A dollop of sour cream on top turns it pink and creamy. It tastes even better the next day. Want more cozy bowls? Try our hearty fall soups too.

You will need: 1 pound beef chuck (cubed), 10 cups water, 3 beets (grated), 2 carrots, 1 onion, 3 potatoes, 3 cups shredded cabbage, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 2 tablespoons vinegar, 3 garlic cloves, 2 bay leaves, fresh dill, sour cream, salt and pepper.

How to make it: 1. Simmer the beef in the water with the bay leaves for 1 hour. 2. Saute the onion, carrots and beets with the tomato paste and vinegar for 10 minutes. 3. Add the potatoes to the broth and cook 10 minutes. 4. Add the cabbage and the beet mixture and cook 15 minutes. 5. Stir in the garlic and season. 6. Serve with dill and sour cream.

Chicken Kiev With a Buttery Surprise

Chicken Kiev is all about the moment you cut into it. A chicken breast is wrapped around a log of cold herb and garlic butter, breaded and baked or fried until golden. When you slice it open, the melted butter flows out like lava. It was a fancy dinner party star in the 1970s, and it still feels special today. Do you remember the first time you tried it?

You will need: 4 boneless chicken breasts, 1/2 cup softened butter, 2 garlic cloves (minced), 2 tablespoons chopped dill or parsley, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, salt and pepper, 1/2 cup flour, 2 eggs, 1 1/2 cups panko, oil.

How to make it: 1. Mix the butter, garlic, herbs and lemon, roll into 4 logs and freeze 30 minutes. 2. Pound the chicken thin. 3. Wrap each breast around a butter log and seal well. 4. Coat in flour, egg and panko, twice for a strong seal. 5. Brown in a little oil, then bake at 400°F for 20 minutes until 165°F inside. 6. Rest 5 minutes before cutting.

Polish Bigos, the Hunter Stew of Eastern European Dinners

Bigos is a slow cooked stew of sauerkraut, fresh cabbage, mushrooms and several kinds of meat, usually pork and smoked sausage. It is tangy, smoky and deeply savory, and Polish cooks say it gets better every time you reheat it. Some families keep a pot going for days around the holidays. It is perfect for using up leftover meat. Would you be patient enough to wait three days for dinner?

You will need: 1 pound pork shoulder (cubed), 1/2 pound kielbasa (sliced), 4 slices bacon, 1 onion, 1 jar (32 ounces) sauerkraut (rinsed), 1/2 head cabbage (shredded), 1 cup mushrooms, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 cup broth, 6 prunes, 2 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon allspice.

How to make it: 1. Cook the bacon, then brown the pork in the fat. 2. Add the onion and mushrooms. 3. Stir in the sauerkraut, cabbage, tomato paste, broth, prunes and spices. 4. Cover and simmer 2 hours on low. 5. Add the kielbasa for the last 30 minutes. 6. Cool, reheat the next day and serve with rye bread.

Kielbasa With Sauerkraut and Onions

Need a fast, cozy dinner with almost no prep? Smoky kielbasa browns in a skillet with sweet onions, then simmers in sauerkraut with a spoon of brown sugar and caraway seeds. The sugar softens the tang of the kraut and the sausage juices make everything taste rich. Serve it with mashed potatoes and grainy mustard. It is a weeknight favorite in many Polish American homes, and it is ready in 30 minutes.

You will need: 1 pound kielbasa (sliced), 1 tablespoon butter, 1 onion (sliced), 1 jar (24 ounces) sauerkraut (drained), 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon caraway seeds, 1/2 cup chicken broth, pepper, mashed potatoes and mustard.

How to make it: 1. Brown the kielbasa in butter and set it aside. 2. Cook the onion until soft and golden. 3. Add the sauerkraut, sugar, caraway and broth. 4. Return the sausage to the pan. 5. Cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes. 6. Serve with mashed potatoes and mustard.

Crispy Potato Pancakes for Dinner

Potato pancakes go by many names: placki in Poland, draniki in Belarus and latkes in Jewish kitchens. Grated potatoes and onion are mixed with egg and a little flour, then fried until the edges are lacy and crunchy. Top them with sour cream and applesauce, or make them a full meal with a spoon of goulash on top, the Hungarian way. Are you team sour cream or team applesauce?

You will need: 2 pounds russet potatoes, 1 onion, 2 eggs, 1/4 cup flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, oil for frying, sour cream, applesauce.

How to make it: 1. Grate the potatoes and onion. 2. Squeeze out as much liquid as you can in a clean towel. 3. Mix with the eggs, flour, salt and pepper. 4. Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a skillet. 5. Drop in spoonfuls, flatten and fry 3 to 4 minutes per side until crisp. 6. Drain and serve hot with toppings.

Russian Pelmeni, Little Dumplings for Eastern European Dinners

Pelmeni are small meat dumplings that families in Russia and Siberia make by the hundreds and freeze for winter. A thin dough wraps a juicy filling of beef, pork and onion, and they cook in just a few minutes in boiling water. Serve them with melted butter, sour cream and a little dill. Once your freezer is stocked, they are the easiest Eastern European dinners for busy nights.

You will need: Dough: 2 1/2 cups flour, 1 egg, 3/4 cup water, 1/2 teaspoon salt. Filling: 1/2 pound ground beef, 1/2 pound ground pork, 1 grated onion, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 3 tablespoons cold water. Butter, sour cream and dill to serve.

How to make it: 1. Knead the dough until smooth and rest 30 minutes. 2. Mix the filling. 3. Roll the dough thin and cut 2 inch circles. 4. Fill with a small spoon of meat, fold and pinch the ends together. 5. Boil 5 to 7 minutes after they float. 6. Toss with butter and serve with sour cream.

Beef Rouladen in Rich Gravy

Rouladen, called zrazy in Poland, are thin slices of beef rolled around mustard, bacon, onion and pickles, then browned and braised in a dark, rich gravy. Each roll looks like a little gift on the plate. Cut one open and you get a swirl of tender beef and tangy filling. It is classic Sunday dinner food, best with mashed potatoes or dumplings and red cabbage. What is your family Sunday dinner?

You will need: 6 thin slices beef top round (1/4 inch), 3 tablespoons German or Dijon mustard, 6 slices bacon, 1 onion (sliced), 3 dill pickles (cut into spears), salt and pepper, 2 tablespoons oil, 2 cups beef broth, 2 tablespoons flour, toothpicks or kitchen twine.

How to make it: 1. Spread mustard on each beef slice and season. 2. Add bacon, onion and a pickle spear. 3. Roll up tightly and secure. 4. Brown the rolls in oil on all sides. 5. Add the broth, cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours. 6. Thicken the gravy with flour mixed with a little water and serve.

Beef Stroganoff to Finish Your Eastern European Dinners

Beef stroganoff started in Russia and became a dinner classic all over the world. Strips of tender beef and mushrooms cook quickly in butter, then get coated in a creamy sour cream sauce with a touch of mustard. Serve it over egg noodles, rice or mashed potatoes. It is fast enough for a weeknight and fancy enough for guests. So which one are you making first: A) goulash B) pierogi C) schnitzel D) stroganoff?

You will need: 1 1/2 pounds sirloin (thin strips), 2 tablespoons butter, 1 onion, 8 ounces mushrooms, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon flour, 1 cup beef broth, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 3/4 cup sour cream, salt and pepper, egg noodles.

How to make it: 1. Sear the beef in butter in batches and set it aside. 2. Cook the onion and mushrooms until browned. 3. Add the garlic and flour. 4. Stir in the broth and mustard and simmer until thick. 5. Lower the heat and stir in the sour cream and beef. 6. Warm through and serve over noodles.