Scranton Pierogi and Church Sale Food: A Coal Region Guide

Scranton pierogi are the half-moon dumplings that church kitchens and small shops in Pennsylvania's coal region have been making for generations, filled with potato and cheese, sauerkraut, prune or farmer's cheese and finished in butter and onions. Polish, Ukrainian, Slovak and Lithuanian families brought them to the mines, and they are still a weekly food in Scranton. Fry them with onions.

What are Scranton pierogi?

Pierogi are unleavened dough wrapped around a filling, pinched shut, boiled and often fried. In Scranton the classic fillings are potato and cheese, potato and onion, sauerkraut and sometimes sweet cheese or fruit. The dough is soft and thin, and the finished dumpling is served with fried onions and butter, with sour cream on the side. They are filling, cheap and made by hand.

Every family has an opinion about the filling-to-dough ratio. The right answer is more filling. Some make them large and plump, others small and neat, and there are partisans for both. Potato and cheese is the standard, often with farmer's cheese or sharp cheddar mixed into the mash, and sauerkraut pierogi are the tangy choice for people who like their dumplings sharp. Sweet versions filled with prune or cottage cheese turn up at Christmas and Lent, when meat is set aside.

Who makes church pierogi in the coal region?

Church women's groups and parish kitchens. For decades, parishes have held pierogi sales to raise money for repairs and charities, often selling dozens by the dozen, frozen or fresh. A group of volunteers meets for days to mix, roll, fill and pinch. The work is social: women and men, young and old, sit at long tables with flour on their sleeves, trading news and teasing the newcomers. The rhythm of rolling, cutting, filling and crimping is something you can learn in an hour and spend a lifetime perfecting. Many of the volunteers learned from a grandmother and are teaching the next generation, which is part of why the pierogi taste of home. The product is local, consistent and very good, and demand can outrun supply. Check parish bulletins and local news for the next sale.

How does a church pierogi sale work?

Usually by pre-order and pickup. A parish announces a date, takes orders by phone or at the church hall, and sells the pierogi by the dozen on the day. Some sell hot plates at lunch. Lines form early, and popular flavors sell out. Bring a cooler, because many are sold frozen, and bring cash in case the group does not take cards. Be polite and patient. The volunteers are working hard.

Ask at the church hall or the deli counter when the next sale is.

What are haluski and stuffed cabbage?

Haluski is fried cabbage and noodles in butter, a simple dish common at coal region tables and church dinners. Stuffed cabbage, called golabki or halupki, is cabbage leaves wrapped around rice and meat and simmered in tomato sauce. Both appear on the same plates as pierogi, and a church dinner often serves all three with kielbasa and rye bread. They are warm, homely foods that suit the climate.

What does coal region food add at small shops?

Delis and bakeries in Scranton and the surrounding towns sell pierogi by the dozen, along with kielbasa, sausages, rye bread and pastries. Some make their own, while others sell product from a church kitchen or a local maker. A shop counter is more reliable than a sale on a random Tuesday, and the staff will tell you how to cook them. Ask for instructions, because boiling and frying are different arts. A good shop will tell you whether the pierogi were made that day, how long they keep and how to freeze them. Fillings vary, so ask what is in the freezer. If you are buying for a crowd, order a few days ahead, and bring a cooler with ice for the drive home. A dozen is a meal for two; three dozen is a party.

How do you cook pierogi at home?

Boil them in salted water until they float, a few minutes, then drain. Fry sliced onions in butter until soft and golden, and toss the pierogi in the pan until lightly browned. Serve hot with sour cream. Frozen pierogi can go straight into boiling water. Do not overcrowd the pot. For a meal, add kielbasa or a salad.

How do tags and ratings help?

In the Mosey app, you can rate a place with stars and add a dish, such as potato and cheese pierogi, with its own rating. Tags such as Deli, Bakery and Great Value describe the place, and a diner can look for them in the Find sheet. A tag is a note from someone who was there. If friends shared a dozen, tag them, and they can add their own rating of the same meal.

Where next in Scranton?

The Scranton nut roll guide covers the bakery side, the downtown lunch guide covers the city center, and the older Old Forge pizza guide covers tray pizza. The US food guides hold the rest of the country.

Heading somewhere else in Pennsylvania? The Food in Pennsylvania page links the rest.

Once the dumplings are gone, open the Mosey app, rate your pierogi by the dish, tag the deli and share a list of coal region food with the family who taught you to love it.