verenika making

Every year, the day after Thanksgiving, the Frantz ladies get together to make verenika in preparation for the annual verenika, german sausage, and zwieback Christmas feast. This was the first year I have gone to help.

Although I am not ethnically Mennonite, I was raised in a Mennonite church, thus I have always been familiar with verenika. It was a special treat enjoyed every few years or so. Since being married to Peter, who is Mennonite, I get to have this dish every year at Christmas time. Its basically another version of a raviloi or perogi. But better, of course.

I mean, who can go wrong with cheese filled dough, pan fried, then served with sausage gravy??

And what is even better, is that this dish is made every year from multiple generations of family. This day was spent creating the verenika, boiling and freezing it - all in preparation to share with the whole family in a few weeks!