This recipe is an old family one that’s been handed down. I’m not sure what the actual name of these are but my family has always called them Kluskis (not to be confused with the noodle) but sometimes we call them Clunkers due to how the hit the stomach (hahahaha). I’m told the recipe is Polish in origin but I’ve never been able to confirm this. We often make a double batch as we end up sharing with a lot of folks that we know really enjoy them, but also because we love them leftover too (reheating instructions at the end). Modern tools (mixer) has made this recipe a lot easier to make (and a lot less of a sore arm the next day) but the recipe does take time to prep and make.
In a food processor, finely grind the peeled potatoes
Drain and rinse the potatoes with cold water
Mix egg, milk, and salt to the potatoes and put in an electric stand mixer
Turn on mixer and slowly incorporate the flour, about 1/2 cup at a time until the dough is thick enough that a wooden spoon stands upright in the dough. This process will make a mess….
Have a large pot of boiling water on the stove, I like a big stock pot for this.
Scoop the dough into small dumpling sized pieces and drop them into the boiling water. Be careful not to overload the pot. Boil the dumplings about 5-8 minutes, but in general once they float for 1-2 minutes they are “done”. Scoop out the done ones and continue to add more until they are all done.
In a large skillet, put your bacon and onion and fry it until the bacon is cooked but just starting to get crispy. Don’t overcook it here as it will continue to cook with the dumplings.
Add the boiled dumplings into the skillet with the bacon and onion and continue to fry until the dumplings start to brown. I will often add some ground black pepper when they are nearly done but I recommend tasting one and seeing if you need more Salt as well.
Reheating Instructions: While you can just toss them in the microwave, the bacon will get a bit soggy due to the fat that was in the pan. I recommend you heat them in a frying pan. Add a little water, cover to warm, then uncovered until they are almost browning again but don't re-fry them or they will be tough.