By: Laura
If you're from Nebraska, you know what a runza is because we have the famous,
Runza Restaurant, but if you're not, well, I'm here to tell you all about it and get you motivated to make your own. A runza is a yeasted bread dough pocket filled with ground beef, cabbage, onions and seasoning (delicious, right?). It's very easy to make, but takes a bit of time to create. Here is how the whole process goes down.
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Begin by getting the dough ready with some flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Add in some heated milk, water and shortening . Finally, beat in two eggs.
After mixing, set the dough aside to raise for 20 minutes. |
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While that dough is a raisin' set about chopping up some cabbage and onions. You could definitely do this in your food processor if you have one. I usually use half a head of cabbage. Also, brown one pound to one and a half pounds of ground beef. |
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Put the cabbage and onions in with the ground beef and add a fourth to a half a cup of water. Season with salt, pepper, and beef bouillon granules. Cook until the cabbage is tender. |
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Now, get ready to assemble some runzas, baby! Cut up the dough into equal pieces and flatten it out on a floured surface. Add a serving spoonful of your cabbage mixture to the center of the dough. |
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Fold it up, pinching the bottom of the runza dough together to ensure that the runza doesn't ooze juices. |
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Let the runzas raise again for 15 minutes and then put them in the oven to bake until they are golden on top. Look at that pocket full of goodness.
Now, you've got at least a dozen runzas to have for supper tonight and leftovers for the week ahead as well. I love to freeze half of mine for lunch later on. They are quick to heat up and eat on the go if need be. This would be a great meal for the kiddos too, considering it has all the basic ingredients a kid loves, not to mention you could add cheese into the mix. Now we're getting crazy. So, if you have a Saturday afternoon to spend in the kitchen, give this recipe a try, it sure pays off in the long run!
Runzas
Recipe courtesy of Mom
Serves: 12-18 depending on size of Runzas
Dough (can also be used for pizza dough)
4 1/2 to 5 cups flour
1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar (I just go for it!)
1 t. salt (or more to taste)
2 packages of yeast
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup water (if filling seems dry)
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
Filling
1-2 pounds of ground beef, browned
1/2 head of green cabbage
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 tsp. of beef bouillon granules (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Measure 1 3/4 cups of flour into bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or dough hook, stir in sugar, salt and yeast. Heat milk, water, and shortening in microwave until warm (1 minute or so) pour over flour mixture, and add eggs. Beat dough mixture on low speed for 1/2 minute, and then on high for 3 minutes. Stir in remaining flour. Dough will be soft and sticky, so knead until smooth.
Cover for 20 minutes. Divide the dough into quarters and roll each quarter out thin. Slice it into 4 squares and fill each square with a large spoonful of filling. Surround the filling with dough and pinch edges to seal. Tuck edges under Runzas and place on a greased sheet pan. Repeat with the rest of dough. Let rest for 15 minutes and bake for 13 to 15 minutes.
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Yes! It sounds delicious. Put meat in a bready pocket and you win my heart forever! xo
ReplyDeleteWhat temperature do you bake them at?
ReplyDeleteWarm oven to 350 or 250?
ReplyDeleteThe temperature is 350. Thanks for asking!
ReplyDeleteFound you on Pinterest! I am in Nebraska and have never made homemade Runzas but I am going to do it now!! Thanks!!
ReplyDeleteI blend my onion and cabbage in the blender with a water and drain. I also add a little tobasco sauce for a little bite. You can also add shredded cheese.
ReplyDeleteI add tabasco sauce, just a little. You can also add shredded cheese. I blend my cabbage in blender with water and drain good. Delicious.
ReplyDeleteI miss Runzas! I will be living in Oklahoma for 6 more months, so I'm glad to have found this recipe to tide me over until I move back to Nebraska!
ReplyDeleteTry adding a little savory to the hamburger. Someone at Runza suggested it....
ReplyDeletetaco seasoning?
DeleteI make these all the time, they are delicious & taste much better than the Runza House makes.
ReplyDeleteI have my great grandmother's recipe. I am not from Nebraska, but my family is. I'd love to say what we put in it (dough and filling) but I'm not at liberty to say :) I LOVE them though!
ReplyDeleteI am from Nebraska and worked in Hot Lunch and we made them all the time. The one thing we did was to make the meat filling the day before and you get a better tasting runza. Also we lined a pan with the dough and put the filling on and coverd the top with more dough. Then take the side of your hand put flour on hand side then mark rows into squares. To serve just cut in the marks. Your recipe is about the same as ours.
ReplyDeleteso....u use your hand to make indentions in the dough....and bake the etire sheetas a giant sandwich.... and after its done u cut the handrows to serve?
DeleteThis is a recipe with great memories for my husband and I. We haven't had them since we left home! Thanks for sharing. I'll be making this for my family soon.
ReplyDeleteSo glad many of you have such great Runza memories! I am missing them here in Minnesota, too!
ReplyDeleteI also live in MN and miss Runzas!! When ever I go back home to Nebraska we always stop and get one!! I can't wait to make them!
ReplyDeleteSometimes instead of missing with the dough, I will make the hamburger mix and then we use pita pockets bread....oh sooo good! If want cheese put 1/2 slice warm in pita bread and warm up a bit in micro and then filling
ReplyDeleteI live in Indiana and i love RUNZA's. People who have never had the opportunity to taste one just don't understand how delicious Runza's are. Almost every visit to Nebraska calls for a Runza.
ReplyDeleteI am from Lincoln and live just down the road from a Runza! I lurve them! Now, to try and find a way to duplicate their fries lol! I'm a new follower. Found you on pinteret.
ReplyDeleteVanessa,
DeleteThanks for your interest in our blog. We love new followers!
Do you cook them all first and then freeze them???? Can you make ahead and then just freeze after the rising process? Anxious to try these my husband LOVES the Runza.
DeleteHi Andrea--
DeleteI usually bake them first and then freeze them, but I'm sure you could freeze them after the rising process and add about 10-15 minutes to the baking time. Good luck! So glad you stopped by our blog! -Leslie
You can also fry the meatloaf recipe on Lipton onion soup mix with some co jack cheese for meat filling
ReplyDeleteThe Trifecta of Deliciousness when we go home.....
ReplyDeleteValentino's
Amigos Crisp Meat Burrito
and a Runza with Fries.
Go Big Red!
I too grew up on Runza, in fact we knew my folks new the originator and Sunday nights weren't Sunday nights unless the youth group didn't go to Valentino's after church for pizza. Many found memories! I live in Missouri and when I have traveled back to Nebraska (Lincoln) a Runza always hits the spot.
DeleteI make runzas all the time but I use Rhodes bread dough, unthaw, spread it out, cut into squares and fill with the stuffing. Besides the regular runza meat I will add mushrooms, olives, cheese and I also add taco seasoning and cheese to some. I will make around 100 at a time and freeze them, pack your lunch in the morning, pop in the microwave for a couple minutes at lunch time.
ReplyDelete100 at a time! That's a lot of work, but would definitely pay off in the long run. Thanks for sharing!
DeleteWe have the same thing here in Kansas only we call them bierocks- Volga German recipe. Use your food processor to chop your cabbage, no need to add water.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I cheat and use crescent rolls for the dough.
ReplyDeleteI love these things and i was born a raised in nebraska and we always just called them cabbage pockets
ReplyDeleteIf you do not feel like making your own dough, Rhodes Rolls work perfect! I just set them out to thaw and rise, and them smash two of them together and roll them out.
ReplyDeleteI make these and use the frozen bread dough! Thaw it out in the refrigerator before and it works great! Saves time!
ReplyDeleteI season mine with Worcestershire sauce too. Gives them a great flavor! I also like to add mushrooms and cheese to the mix, cause really... who doesn't like a cheesy Runza!?!
ReplyDeleteI grew up on Runzas in Nebraska. I now live in AZ. Whenever I make them people love them.Every time we go back to Nebraska we stop at a Runza Hut, but honestly, the homemade ones are so much better.
ReplyDeletePillsbury Hot Roll Mix is a great dough to use too. I just let my finely chopped cabbage steam with the burger while i prepare the dough. Also grew up calling them bierocks!!( they look like the rocks people piled up on biers--grave sites)
ReplyDeleteI have been making these (as krautburgers) for 40 yrs, long berfore Runza restaurants. My recipe is a tad different and I don't use ANY water or beef boullion. I simply fry good quality hamburger and onion in one pan, and fry the cabbage in about 3-4 Tbs of cooking oil, with some onion, in another skillet and when they are both cooked, I drain my hamburger in a colander and then add the cooked cabbage and onion to it and mix it up. The "Runza's" seemed "sloppy and greasy" to me, in comparison. The dough recipe is pretty similar. I have introduced the krautburger to many in the last 40 years, and can't remember anyone who didn't love them.
ReplyDeleteRunza restaurants were started in 1949 and are 65 years old.
DeleteGrowing up in Nebraska I've always been able to have Runzas whenever I wanted. Being in North Dakota now I miss it. Can't wait to go home to visit our family and go to Runza!
ReplyDeleteMushrooms are also a good addition.
ReplyDeletemy recipe is very similar to this one. everybody always rave about them! i have been trying a new thing with my filling to "spice" things up a bit. i use my ground beef cabbage onion and butter to cook up the filling and then add some jalapenos (the swwet and spicy ones from a jar) and and put some pepperjack cheese in the runza dough along with the filling! sooo good!!!
ReplyDeleteI bake these regularly. I generally use my roll recipe for the bread machine. When I'm in a hurry, I roll out dough for the bottom of a cookie sheet, put the ingredients on and then roll out more for the top. I cut with a pizza cutter before I bake, so it will be easier to cut later. Not as pretty this way, but efficient for everyday. I usually add Italian seasoning to the filling. My kids dip their runzas in pizza sauce as they eat them. I go for the butter!
ReplyDeleteJuat a little trivia: Runzas came with the Germans from Russia that came to Nebraska in the late 1800's. My Grandparents were among them. At that time, you had to have a job to come to. They were building the railroad across Nebraska at that time. Many of the immigrants worked to build the railroad and then settled here.
ReplyDeleteThat is how I learned to make runzas!
Thanks for sharing this bit of history! I knew this recipe came from the Germans from Russia--but not until much later in life! Have you ever been to the Germans from Russia museum in Lincoln?
DeleteYou are absolutely right. These are a part of my heritage. They did come here with the Germans from Russia. My Great Grandmother made them, as did Grandme, Mom, me and now they have been passed on again.
ReplyDeleteAren't they called kolaches?
ReplyDeleteI know that there are several versions of kolaches. The one I am familiar with is of Czech origin. They are a sweet dough that is topped with a fruit filling. There may be a kolache recipe out there that is similar to Runzas, though! Thanks for the comment!
DeleteI am from Michigan and this sounds like a pasty to me...only we put in beef, carrots, potatoes and rutabagas and onions...basically leftover roast put in a pocket and baked. The miners in the U P ate them for lunch. All the recipes are good tho.
ReplyDeletePasty uses pie crust, this is bread dough both equally delicious in their own way.
DeleteMy mom as made these my whole life,50 yrs now. Yes my folks are from Nebraska. It is/was always a special occasion when she decides to make them.
ReplyDeleteshe usually ends up making 80 to 100. They freeze great and then we have them for weeks to enjoy.
I have a recipe that uses a little bit of dill, ketchup and a dash of hot sauce. They are SO good, but mine don't look as nice as this picture.
ReplyDeleteI usually add swiss cheese and canned mushrooms to mine :-)
ReplyDeleteWe make these with 1 pound beef and 1 pound jimmy dean light sausage it will change your life ;)
ReplyDeleteOh, in Jamaica, these are called Coco Bread. The only difference is that they dont have the cabbage in. I love them and always have to have one each time I visit.
ReplyDeleteI make Geosa, a Japanese dish that features 1/2 ground beef, 1/2 pork sausage, (equal amount usually 3/4 pound or about) one head cabbage finely chopped, green onion, garlis. they ar then wrapped in Won ton wrappers like a little triagle sealed with water. Knew the runza I have had tasted familiar basiclly same ingrediats. Geosa is better fried but can be baked. Serve with 1/2 soy sauce 1/2 vinegar for dipping. Can eat my weight in them. I will try this as soon as I can get to the store.
ReplyDeleteOnce frozen, do you need to thaw them before baking, or do you just heat in the oven frozen? I don't have experience freezing foods, so if you could let me know your specific process it would help me! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI just made these! I am from Nebraska but now live in Okinawa Japan. I am always homesick for a runza :). I really surprised myself and boy they taste amazing! This recipe is definitley a keeper! Thank you!
ReplyDelete