Pierogies are Pittsburgh's comfort food, a gift from the city's Eastern European neighborhoods, and Steelers fans pile them high with butter and onions. At Acrisure Stadium the guide says grills outside the garages and Kamin lots aren't spelled out, so these get boiled and browned at home and ride to the lot hot.
At the lot: They ride in foil pans in a towel-lined hot cooler and come out with sour cream and green onions. Homegating: Boil and brown them on the stove and serve them straight from the skillet.
Home gear: a large pot, a big skillet or an electric griddle, 2 half-size foil pans with lids, heavy foil, an empty cooler and 2 old bath towels
1 HR 15 MIN
At home, boiling and browning
5 MIN
At the lot
10
Serves
Ingredients
Pierogies
- 60 frozen potato and cheese pierogies (about 5 lb)
- 12 tbsp (1½ sticks) butter, divided
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- Kosher salt and black pepper
Onions
- 3 large yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
Serve
- 16 oz sour cream
- 1 bunch green onions or chives, sliced
Steps
At home
- Melt 4 tbsp of the butter with the oil in the skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring now and then, until soft and golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Scrape them into a bowl.
- Meanwhile, bring the large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pierogies in batches until they float and are hot through, about 4 to 5 minutes (follow the package if it gives a different time). Drain them well on a sheet pan so they don't stick.
- Melt 2 tbsp of butter in the skillet or on the griddle over medium heat. Brown the pierogies in batches, 2 to 3 minutes a side, adding butter as you go. Season with salt and pepper.
- Layer the pierogies and onions in the foil pans. Check that the center of a pierogi reads 165°F, then lid the pans and wrap each one in heavy foil.
- Warm the empty cooler with a kettle of hot water for 10 minutes, pour it out, line it with a towel, set the pans in and cover them with the second towel. Close it and leave. Pack the sour cream and green onions in the cold cooler, at 40°F or below.
At the lot
- Keep the hot cooler shut until the crew is ready to eat. Check a pierogi in the middle of the pan: it should read 140°F or above.
- Set the pan out with the sour cream and green onions on the side, and put the sour cream back on ice between rounds.
Pack for the lot
Lot notes
- Brown them, don't just boil them: the browned edges are what keep them from going gummy in the pan on the drive.
- If Alco confirms grills for your lot: brown the boiled pierogies on a griddle there instead.
Can you make pierogies ahead?
Yes. Boil and brown them the day before, chill them in the foil pans, then reheat them covered in a 350°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until they reach 165°F, right before you pack the hot cooler.
How do you keep pierogies hot at a tailgate?
Pack them in lidded foil pans, wrap the pans in foil and towels, and carry them in a preheated, empty cooler. It holds them for a couple of hours if you open it only to serve. The holding rules are in how to keep food hot at a tailgate.
How much do you need for 20 people?
Double it: 120 pierogies (about 10 lb), 3 sticks of butter, 6 onions and 32 oz of sour cream. That's 4 foil pans, which fit in 1 large cooler or 2 medium ones.
Which pierogies work here?
Potato and cheese is the classic, and sauerkraut or onion fillings work too. Any frozen pierogies are fine here, since the butter and onions do most of the work.
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