Runza Recipe

I love college football. Especially my alma mater, the University of Nebraska- Lincoln’s Cornhuskers. If you have ever had the opportunity to travel to Lincoln on game day and sit inside Memorial Stadium, there are three essential foods that make a Husker game day: Fairbury Hotdogs, Valentino’s Pizza, and of course a Runza! But, if you can’t get to Lincoln in the fall, there is no reason not to be able to make your own Nebraska’s Homemade Runza.

One of the reasons I love this recipe so much is that it is a great freezer recipe.

Just make the Runza from start to finish and place into labeled freezer bags. When ready to eat, thaw the Runza and reheat either in the oven or microwave.

At Runza restaurants, they have different versions of the sandwich: Original, Cheese, Swiss Mushroom, Cheeseburger, BBQ Bacon, BLT, Spicy Jack, etc.

So when I decide to make this recipe, I usually always make a few of the cheese version, by adding a half slice of cheddar before wrapping the dough around the filling.

Nebraska’s Homemade Runza

Prep: 30min

Total: 50min

Ingredients:

• 4 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1/4 cup Sugar
• 2 pkgs (1/4 oz) Yeast
• 1 tsp Salt
• 3/4 cup Milk
• 1/2 cup Water
• 1/2 cup Butter
• 2 Eggs
• 2 lbs Ground Beef
• 1 Small Onion, diced
• 4 cups Cabbage, chopped
• 2 tsp Seasoned Salt
• 1 tsp Pepper

Instruction:

1. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour.
2. Stir in the chopped cabbage, seasoned salt, and pepper. Stir gently until cabbage is cooked and filling combined.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Easy Runzas

Nebraska style Runzas are made easy with ready made frozen roll dough and a delectable five ingredient beef filling.

Prep: 20min

Total: -467170h53min55sec

Yield: 18

Serving Size: 2 runzas

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 2 runzas, calories 294 calories, Sugar 7.3 g, Sodium 578.7 mg, Fat 9.2 g, Saturated Fat 4.8 g, Trans Fat 0.1 g, Carbohydrate 32.6 g, Fiber 0.6 g, Protein 19.7 g, Cholesterol 75 mg

Ingredients:

• 16 Rhodes rolls (frozen unbaked roll dough)
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 small onion finely chopped
• 2 cups finely chopped cabbage
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon milk

Instruction:

1. Place frozen rolls several inches apart on parchment covered baking sheets. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise at room temperature until double in size. This can take 3-5 hours so plan accordingly.
2. Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat. When the beef is about halfway browned add the butter, onion and cabbage. Then cook until the beef is browned and onions and cabbage are soft. Let it cool for a few minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
4. Using your fingers work each dough ball into a circle patty looking like a miniature pizza dough. Scoop a rounded spoonful of hamburger mix into the center of the dough. Using your fingers bring up the edges of the dough and pinch to close. Roll gently between your hands to work the seams. Place back on the parchment paper seam side down. Continue working until all the dough balls are filled. Cover with plastic wrap for 30 minutes.
5. Whisk together the egg and milk. Gently and lightly brush the dough with the egg wash. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown rotating the baking sheet halfway through.

Runza: A classic from Nebraska! (Inspired by Cleetus McFarland)

FAQ

What are the ingredients in an original runza sandwich?

What is the difference between a bierock and a runza?

What nationality is runza?

Can I use pizza dough for runzas?