Part of the series: Ukrainian Prairie Stories – Recipes and Roots Across the Land

Key Takeaways

Ukrainian immigrants helped establish perogies (varenyky) as a culinary cornerstone across Saskatchewan.
Perogy-making was a seasonal, social, and often spiritual act deeply tied to land and local harvests.
Fillings reflected availability and thrift: potato, onion, sauerkraut, cheese, berries, and wild greens.
Churches, co-ops, and community kitchens turned perogies into both fundraiser and freezer staple.
Today, handmade perogies represent a cultural revival and deep respect for heritage food traditions.

→ Why Saskatchewan? Settlement Patterns and Food Traditions
→ The Making of a Perogy: Ingredients, Labour, and Love
→ Seasonal Fillings and Root Cellar Wisdom
→ From Churches to Co-ops: How Perogies Built Community
→ Freezer Food with Deep Roots
→ Traditional Saskatchewan-Style Perogies (Potato & Cheddar Recipe)

Why Saskatchewan? Settlement Patterns and Food Traditions

Saskatchewan’s landscape—sweeping plains, black soil, and harsh winters—offered both challenge and familiarity to Ukrainian immigrants who began arriving in the 1890s. Many came from agricultural backgrounds in Western Ukraine, regions that shared the open skies and grain-rich horizons of the Prairie provinces. The land promised opportunity but required adaptation.

Communities formed in and around places like Yorkton, Canora, Wakaw, and Prince Albert, where small homesteads and Ukrainian Orthodox and Catholic churches became anchors of cultural survival. Foodways were critical to that process. Ukrainian dishes didn’t just sustain—they preserved memory, ritual, and identity.

Among the most beloved of those foods was the dumpling known in Ukrainian as varenyky. In Canada, they came to be called perogies—a name borrowed and adapted through Eastern European linguistic overlaps. While they may have varied in spelling or shape, their importance was consistent: perogies were, and still are, food that speaks of home.

The Making of a Perogy: Ingredients, Labour, and Love

Perogy-making was more than a recipe—it was an act of togetherness. Dough would be mixed in enamel basins or large mixing bowls, rolled out with worn wooden pins on floured tables, then stamped with tea glasses into perfect circles. Children carried plates of filling to their grandmothers; mothers pinched the dough closed with weathered hands.

While the ingredients were humble, the process was ceremonial. It wasn’t uncommon to set aside entire afternoons—sometimes even whole weekends—for perogy-making before Christmas, Easter, or weddings. Dough was made soft but elastic, enriched with sour cream or butter if available, and filled with whatever was plentiful at the time.

In many homes, the sealing process was passed down like a rite of passage. How tightly you pinched the edge said something about your care and attention. Torn or leaky dumplings were frowned upon—not out of harshness, but because in times of scarcity, every scrap mattered.

Seasonal Fillings and Root Cellar Wisdom

The genius of perogies lies in their flexibility. In rural Saskatchewan, Ukrainian households adjusted fillings with the seasons and the contents of their gardens, larders, and root cellars.

Winter: Mashed potato and onion were most common, easy to store and deeply satisfying. Sometimes bacon fat or browned onion was mixed in for richness.

Early spring: When fresh ingredients were still scarce, sauerkraut—fermented in large crocks—became the primary filling. A bit of black pepper or onion elevated it. Cheese perogies made with homemade cottage cheese (tvorog) also appeared when milk was abundant.

Summer: The dumpling took on a sweeter life. Saskatoon berries, wild blueberries, and sour cherries were folded inside, boiled, and served with cream or a drizzle of honey.

Fall: Buckwheat groats (hrechka)—either plain or mixed with onion or cheese—became a hearty filler, especially as fields were cleared and grains threshed.

What united these fillings was a common principle: nothing wasted. Even the whey from cheese-making found its way into dough, and extra perogies were frozen or fried the next day. Food was never just eaten—it was managed.

From Churches to Co-ops: How Perogies Built Community

It’s no exaggeration to say that perogies built infrastructure in rural Saskatchewan. From the 1930s through the late 20th century, they served not only as family meals but also as the economic backbone of countless community initiatives.

Church basements across the province became unofficial perogy factories. Groups of women—mothers, aunties, and grandmothers—gathered weekly to roll, fill, and pinch thousands of dumplings for church sales and suppers. The funds raised went toward building extensions, repairing roofs, supporting youth groups, and even sponsoring local Ukrainian dance troupes.

By the mid-20th century, small local businesses and regional co-ops had scaled up perogy production. What was once a home-based tradition moved into freezer aisles, still bearing the imprint of handmade methods. In Canora, SK—dubbed the “Perogy Capital of Canada”—a roadside monument in the shape of a giant perogy-on-a-fork was erected in 2006, celebrating the dish’s central role in prairie life.

Freezer Food with Deep Roots

The perogy’s rise as a freezer staple reflects both practicality and nostalgia. By the 1950s and ‘60s, many prairie families owned chest freezers, allowing them to make perogies in massive batches and store them for the long winter months.

This shift from immediate consumption to long-term storage didn’t lessen the cultural importance—it expanded it. Perogy-making bees became annual or semi-annual events. Older family members taught younger ones how to seal the dough. Perogies travelled in coolers to university dorms and across provincial borders. They became edible heirlooms.

Today, there’s renewed interest in traditional fillings and techniques. Artisan producers sell hand-pinched perogies at farmers’ markets. Urban bakeries offer perogy pop-ups with seasonal ingredients like roasted squash or mushroom and dill. But for many, nothing replaces the quiet joy of flour on the counter, butter softening in a dish, and the familiar rhythm of pinch, fold, press.

Traditional Saskatchewan-Style Perogies (Potato & Cheddar Recipe)

This classic recipe reflects how perogies evolved on the Prairies: made from local pantry staples, frozen in bulk, and shared at tables year-round. Potato and cheddar is a beloved Saskatchewan combination, though the original Ukrainian versions often featured tvorog (farmer’s cheese) or sauerkraut.

Ingredients

For the dough:

3 cups all-purpose flour (plus more for dusting)
1 tsp salt
1 egg (optional, traditional in some families)
¾ cup warm water
¼ cup sour cream, buttermilk, or ryazhenka (baked fermented milk)
2 tbsp oil or melted butter

For the filling:

2 cups mashed potatoes (dry and cooled)
1 ½ cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (preferably aged)
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: sautéed onion or green onion for added flavour

Instructions

Prepare the filling:
In a bowl, mix mashed potatoes, cheese, and onions (if using). Season and chill while preparing the dough.
Make the dough:
In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Add egg (if using), sour cream or buttermilk, oil, and warm water. Mix until a shaggy dough forms. Knead on a floured surface for 5–7 minutes until smooth. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
Shape the perogies:
Roll dough to about ⅛" thickness. Cut into 3-inch circles. Add 1 tbsp filling to each, fold into half-moons, and seal edges tightly. Crimp with fingers or fork.
Cook (if using fresh):
Boil a large pot of salted water. Drop in perogies and cook until they float plus 1–2 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon. Serve with fried onions, butter, or sour cream.
Freeze for later:
Lay uncooked perogies on a floured baking sheet and freeze solid. Transfer to freezer bags. Boil straight from frozen when ready.

Chef’s Notes

In traditional prairie kitchens, ryazhenka (fermented baked milk) or buttermilk was sometimes used to enrich the dough. These gave a slight tang and tender texture. Today, kefir can also be used.
Potato and cheddar is a Canadian twist—many early versions used sauerkraut or homemade tvorog (farmer’s cheese).
Extra dough scraps were fried with sugar or jam as a sweet snack for children.
Serve with browned onions, butter, sour cream, or a side of stewed cabbage.

Perogies Across the Prairie: From Hand-Stuffed Dumplings to Freezer Staples in Saskatchewan