According to WikiPedia, a runza (also called a bierock) is a yeast dough bread pocket with a filling consisting of beef, cabbage or sauerkraut, onions, and seasonings. They are baked in various shapes such as a half-moon, rectangle, round (bun), square, or triangle. In Nebraska, the runza is usually baked in a rectangular shape. The bierocks of Kansas, on the other hand, are generally baked in the shape of a bun.
According to my palate, I define a runza as ‘yummy goodness’ – a very technical term, you know ;)
Runza is a traditional food of the interior mid-western states; a local tradition with many different recipes, depending on the cook. Though Nebraska and Kansas are known for runza, the recipe has spread quite a bit. A version of this recipe was bastardized, commercialized and Runza restaurants have popped up all over Nebraska, one in Kansas, and a few in Colorado now, too. Their version is okay — but nothing quite compares to the way my mother and grandmothers made theirs. (This recipe, however, is NOT a copy cat for Runza Restaurants recipe at all. This recipe is much older and much better – it’s what our great grandmothers made on a Saturday afternoon in the 30′s and 40′s as hand food for farmers. If you are looking for a copycat recipe, you’ll have to look elsewhere. )
I grew up watching my mother make these, and then waiting by the oven for them to finish baking — the smell moving through the house slowly … a tantalizing tease . Needless to say, runzas never lasted long in my house. Even now, with just the two of us, they don’t last too long.
Although I enjoy the original recipe for Runza, and do make it on occasion, I also enjoy making variations on it. I like to substitute half of the hamburger with hot Italian sausage (see recipe here) , add garlic, sometimes green peppers. Or at other times, adding cumin and ground dried chili, with jalapeno’s. There are many different ways to make Runza, though, traditionally, the recipe is as below – ‘Original Runza Recipe’.
Enjoy!
Original Runza Recipe
2 pound ground beef
1 large onion , chopped
Salt
Pepper
1 Medium Cabbage, chopped
2 batches of a white bread dough
Saute onion in a bit of oil until just translucent. Add hamburger and saute until no longer pink. Season with salt and pepper. Drain away the grease, and return to the pan. Cover the mixture with the shredded cabbage and cook until the cabbage is done. Stir occasionally. This could take about 45 minutes or so.
Using an egg-dough recipe, roll small balls of dough thin to make a 5×5 square. Put about 1/2 cup of cabbage mixture in center of square and seal closed. (See note below). Place seal side down on a parchment lined baking sheet (or a lightly greased sheet). Allow these to sit, covered lightly with a tea towel, for about 20 minutes – so the dough can rise for the second time.
Bake 20-25 minutes at 350 or until lightly golden brown.
A side note: Use a slotted spoon or similar when filling the dough to allow the cabbage/hamburger mix to be dry’ish. You don’t want these “juicy” or the bottom of the roll will be doughy and wet and not cook properly.
Runza Recipe – Variation on the Original Recipe
1 pound ground beef
1 Pound hot italian sausage
1 large onion , chopped
Salt
2 Tablespoons Italian Seasoning
Pepper
4 cloves Garlic, minced
1 medium Green Pepper, chopped
1 Medium Cabbage, chopped
2 batches of bread dough*
Saute garlic, onion and green pepper in a bit of oil. Add ground beef and sausage and saute until brown. Drain the oil away. Place the mixture back in the pan and cover with the shredded cabbage (it will be heaping). Cook over medium heat, mixing together the meat mixture and cabbage, and cook until the cabbage is tender and sweet.
Set aside and let cool.
Roll small balls of dough thin to make a 5×5 square. Put about 1/2 cup of cabbage mixture in center of square and seal closed. Place seal side down on a parchment lined baking sheet (or a lightly greased sheet).
A side note: Use a slotted spoon or similar when filling the dough to allow the cabbage/hamburger mix to be dry’ish. You don’t want these “juicy” or the bottom of the roll will be doughy and wet and not cook properly.
Bake 20-25 minutes at 350 or until lightly golden brown.
Notes:
Freezing:
Use a slotted spoon or similar when filling the dough to allow the cabbage/hamburger mix to be dry’ish. You don’t want these “juicy” or the bottom of the roll will be doughy and wet and not cook properly.
Runzas freeze very well. Allow them to cool completely, uncovered. Once these are cool, wrap in aluminum foil. I usually then put 4 wrapped runzas to a gallon ziplock bag and freeze.
I’ve kept these 4-6 weeks with no problem wrapped as above. If, however, you wish to keep these longer, allow to cool completely, wrap in plastic wrap well, wrap in aluminum foil, and place in either a ziplock back or an airtight container. You can then keep these for up to 3 months.
Reheating:
If you have not frozen these, heat the oven to 400F and heat for 10-12 minutes.
If you have frozen these, heat oven to 400F, put frozen, (and still wrapped runza package) into the oven and heat for 20-25 minutes. The last 5 minutes, remove the foil.
Variation:
Add 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
OR
Add 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
I went to UNM in Lincoln and was introduced to runzas in the late 1960s early 1970s. My recollection was the there was cumin with the cabbage and beef…
hi, we grew up with runza, my grandmother who was german Russian, made them, she taught my dad who taught my mom. my daughter would like to write a report on them for school.
we just used regular dough not sweet dough, but the italian side made something similar with sweet dough with hamburger, carrots, onions, and potatoes and folded the dough in half and squished the edges wit ha fork like you do with peanut butter cookies, they are called pasties,
Traditionally, in Cornwall and the iron belt in the midwest, pasties are made with piecrust, not yeast dough.
Thank you for making that distinction, octoberhill! My English great-grandmother would be spinning in her grave from the suggestion that pasties are made with sweet bread dough!
My wife makes Runzas in a casserole form so we eat them on a plate with a fork rather than like a sandwhich. We eat them with a dollop of sour cream – try it, it’s delicious!
How many runzas does this recipe yield?
12 to 15, depending on how you roll the dough.
Thank you! I’ll be testing this recipe out tomorrow :)
I hope you enjoy it!!!!
I grew up in Lincoln, NE, out by Pioneer Park and went to Yankee Hill Sch. in the 40′s and 50′s. I’m now 71 yrs old. So I do know. The original “RUNZA” drive-in was a small shack made out of 2×4′s and sheets of plywood. It was located about 1/2 mile or so, south of Gooches Mill. I think the road was called Van Dorn. This Runza was the only one in existance for decades. It always had plenty of customers from the time it opened until it closed. I had 2 brothers who worked there. Many of the kids in the area wanted to work there. The owner would only trust one person with the recipe and that was the manager. Sometime in the 80′s, disgruntaled relatives, I heard, took the recipe and changed it to contain sauerkraut instead of cabbage. That way they could peddle their Runzas-so-to-speak, legally. Such a shame. I now live in Oregon, but, every time we went back to Neb. or a relative came out here, they were required to bring Runzas with them from the original shack. I understand it was torn down to make way for a new highway. Another shame. I haven’t seen a recipe published yet that is the “real” recipe.
Note to Marie: If your daughter wants to write a paper on the original “Runza”, she should do so. If I can answer any questions , she can contact me at yankeehillsss@mail.com I think I have a newspaper photo of it when they were going to tear it down.
I was in Lincoln last week for my forty year high school reunion. I have fond memories of the original runza shack. I loaded up on runzas and brought a load back to Oklahoma where I reside. German cooks are nonexesistant here but I now have a frozen example and have downloaded the recipe. I know an excellant cook who loves to experiment and being retired he has plenty of time to do it right. Yankee Hill is great with Pioneers Park and the lake south of there. I used to take my Britney there to hunt quail. Long live Nebraska. WES
I would love to have the original recipee or what you believe the real recipee is.
Thanks for considering this.
I live in Texas now but grew up in Nebraska. I was in Lincoln this summer and brought 3 dozen runza home with me. I am particular whom I share the runza with- mostly for my Nebraska friends living here or with special friends. Runza are truly a “Taste of Home”. AF
They truly are a “taste of home”. Now, if I could only get good German Sausage, with the garlic, I’d be perfectly happy..lol
Schneiders in German town Columbus, OH … its the most authentic place around here. that & Der DutchMen …
I use a little sage in my Runzas as I can taste it in the ones sold here in Council Bluffs. I’ve made them for years this way and everyone loves them. And I only make the cabbage, beef & onion recipe, we don’t care for the other versions. We love carrots & green peppers but not in a Runza, I put them on a relish tray!
Ah, yes — if you are using sage, it adds such a flavor that it would overpower most other savory ingredients. I’ll have to try that :)
I lived in Omaha and raised my kids there. I had a wonderful Runza recipe given to me by a friend who swore it was the original. Sure tasted like it. The secret ingredient was Savory. Try it and you’ll see. That’s the flavor I remember. I live in Arizona now, but my kids still come over for Runzas when they have the craving.
Someone mentioned pasties being similar to Runza, and they are….as in meat wrapped in dough. However, pasties are made with potato, onion, rutabaga, and chopped meat, not ground, and baked in pastry dough. I grew up in northern Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, where a large number of Cornish people had migrated from the UK. They came to work the iron ore mines. Pasties were handy for a miner to take to work, a hand held meal wrapped in pastry. They are outstandingly delicious. I still make them although if I make a dozen, I freeze 10 to have for future meals. There is an ongoing discussion about whether they should be “dressed” with ketchup or gravy….but I’m in the ketchup camp on that.
Definitely going to try runza original recipe..sounds like it would be a hit here.
My in -laws are from Nebraska and my father in law made some for me and made a “gravy” with it using tomato soup and velveta cheese. Pretty good!!
My mom and her side of the family are from Upper Michigan, too, and whenever we drive up there from Wisconsin to visit, my mom stops to buy pasties for us on out way there. It’s a great memory of my trips up to see my grandparents. I would love to make pasties myself; do you have a recipe that you would be willing to share, or a website with a recipe you’d recommend? Thanks!
Sheila – have you tried a Runza yet? I grew up in Lincoln, with the original Runza Hut, and make them often.
I must admit, that for health reasons – to cut the fat and cholorestrol I now use 1/2 meat and 1/2 brown rice. We found that we actually prefered them that way.
My family moved to the UP (after I was in college) so I have experienced Pasties, too. Love ‘em both.
Our family always use both ketchup and mustard with our Runza sandwiches or with the Runza casserole when we make it. I have never heard of a gravy…what type?
Here’s the Runza secret ingredient. The recipe posted here is PERFECT but it lacks that one little item: White Pepper. Not Sage. Be generous with it and enjoy the perfect Runza!
I’m a 2nd generation german from the volga river area of russia. My Grandmother made these and I knew them as Bierooks. I live in Oregon and they are unkown this far west. the recipe is almost identical but I remember my grandmother using a pinch of allspice in her recipe. Ah, the smell of growing up German.
Michelle,
I thought you might like to know how far back the roots are in Colorado for this…
My grandmother’s family were German and came from Russia. (Same area that Bob Braze mentioned.) She was born in the Arkansas River Valley of Southeast Colorado in 1914 and the family has enjoyed bierocks for a very long time. We are even finding a way to have them at our family reunion this year. Thank you for posting this. Now, I don’t have to look as hard for the recipe.
Though I am originally from Nebraska, I did not taste a runza until I was in college in Colorado. They were introduced to me as “kraut burgers”. I make them with hamburger, onion and cabbage. I add a couple of spoonfuls of dry brown gravy mix and use a sweet dough. They are wonderful!
I MAKE RUNZA STROMBOLI, AND IT IS DELICIOUS!
We have a bakery in McCook, NE that makes runza’s everyday, both cabbage & kraut. They use to be called runza’s but since “Runza” moved in they call them bierocks. I prefer the bakery’s. All family & friends, who come back home, have to stop and have a “bierock” before they head back to where they are living now. Kind of like our “Pizza Burger” from Mac’s Drive-in.
I remember that Bakery, I used to work there, The Bierocks were so Delicious. I live in Texas now and you can’t get them here so I make my own. Some were stuffed with cheese too. I think it was “Ivanhoes”
We hit the Runza Huts EVERY TIME my husband & i drive into OMaha… they are also in Council Bluffs, IA.. .right across the river. My Grandmother taught My Mother , who tried to teach me.. but i will re-start the tradition as one of our Holiday foods !! I always eat a Runza when i visit Omaha…just like i always go to Joslyn Castle to get my childrens pictures & we always Visit Henry Doorly Zoo… my kids are entering High School now & we will continue our Omaha Traditions wherever we live !!
My husband and I are from Upper Michigan and my husband is a HUGE Nebraska Cornhusker Football fan. We were in Lincoln last year for the Missouri game (what a great game!) and my husband’s friend, Dave, who was our host, introduced us to the runza. Now Dave has lived in Upper Michigan and he said that the runza was the closest thing he could get in Nebraska that compared to the pasty from Michigan. While I am not a huge pasty fan, due to the side effects of the rutabaga, I tried the runza while in Nebraska. In my opinion, out of the two of them, I have to say I prefer the pasty. I think what it boils down to is the type of dough used to make it. I like the pastry dough versus the bread dough. But, that is just my opinion. I have found the runza recipe and plan on making the runza’s tonight for my husband. Nebraska is playing the Wisconsin Badgers and I think my husband will be more than appreciative that I gave it the effort (I was just going to go to the local pasty store!) So, hopefully I can make Nebraska proud today by trying the runza recipe! Oh, and “GO BIG RED!”
I’m originally from Illinois, but I attended school at Nebraska Wesleyan back in 1983-1984. Obviously, the typical college student is usually strapped for cash. My first Runza was delicious and relatively inexpensive. It was a real treat, but I have yet tried to make my own with some of the recipes that I’ve seen on the Internet. Can somebody out in cyberspace explain to me why they haven’t expanded to Illinois and other surrounding states? It’s 3:00 am right now and I swear, I would do any thing to have a cheese Runza with some crinkle cut fries on the side. Ha-Ha!
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Well to top it all, I used to make the Runzas back in Lincoln Nebraska. I worked there for 9 years and was known as the Runza king. I could wrap runzas so to speak behind my back. We still make them out here in Oregon once in a while and I do know the real secret that will remain a secret to making the perfect Runza.
Thank you Don for the opportunity to learn how to make this awesome sandwich.
I grew up in Lincoln, now living in Minnesota – I pick up a couple dozen from the Runza Hut every time I’m back. – GO BIG RED!
I met my current wife while working at the Runza drive inn. That was back in 1973. Now we have 3 children and 7 grand children who all love runzas.
We still follow the Huskers even though we are Duck fans in Oregon now.
Where the recipe talks about freezing runzas, are they talking about cooked or uncooked runzas?
cooked
I was a teacher ( 70s – 90s ) at Littleton 70s-90s High School and the cafeteria used to serve Runzas at least once a week. The cook was a wonderful lady who came from Lincoln, NE. I was single at the time and I used to take runzas to parties away from school. I never told anyone that it was “cafeteria food.” They all thought it was a family “secret.”
My apologies for repeating 70s-90s. Littleton is a Denver suburb.
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im going to test the recipie and if all goes as planned…im going to make it
for my 2nd grade sons christmas party next week! i am excited…when i was 12 my mother made them once. i was young, but remember i thought that i was going to die! they were so wonderful. She was born in Bethany, NE in 1925 and so she grew up with them. When she made them it was off of PURE manual research! in 1973 we did NOT HAVE the internet to google, research and share a plethora of information like we do now! I look back in retrospect and can sweetly, fondly and lovingly appreciate the LOVE my mother displayed in doing something like that to bring back a memory. I wish now I would have expressed how greatful i was she did that!
I am going to carry on a wonderful, yummy tradition! She wasn’t even German. She was Czech!
I have also used the prepared pizza dough that you can buy in the deli section of the grocery stores. It has worked out very well and I haven’t had the mess.
I grew up in Lincoln, and the bakery I worked at, Geiers on South Street, made kraut beirocks twice a week. We sold tons of them on football Saturdays!
I just made runzas a couple days ago. I prefer hamburger with a small can of sour kraut with a bit of caraway seed and pepper rather than the usual cabbage-based stuffing. I let them raise on the baking sheet for about 90 minutes before baking them. They turn out huge but light weight, and so tasty!
Tracy, I grew up at 39th and Lake street. Just a few blocks from Geiers Bakery. They had wonderful baked goods. We would walk down there often. I also worked at Alices Rest. in high school. (It was on the corner diagonal from the bakery). Ah, memories.
I lived in Lincoln for 25 years and we visited the original Runza Drive-In on the way to Pioneers Park whenever we could. Today’s Runza’s are very similar to the originals except they are quite a bit smaller. I always liked the ones that were near the pan sides as the bread got a little crustier. We made these at home and they never lasted a day before they were gone. My mother would make bread dough and the filling, and we would wrap and crimp the ends together. The simple recipe with ground beef, onion, salt and pepper and cabbage is the way to go. Don’t scrimp on the pepper as this is what makes these sandwiches what they are noted for. Make sure you cook the mixture after the cabbage has wilted to steam off excess water. You need a fairly dry mixture, otherwise the dough get gummy. Some day Runza may go national – I don’t know why they haven’t yet.
In the 1960′s, I was in a 4-H club with the son of the owner’s of Geier’s Bakery and we took on the Food Nutrition project. Once a week each member of the club would host the club at their home and cook for the group. My mother was there taking copious notes and was able to produce excellent runzas for decades. I now do the same. As I read the previous comments I see only one mention of caraway which, along with black and white pepper are truly the key to the distinctive taste. So this recipe was NOT in the 4-H preparation guides but added to only our club’s regimen, but with pretty good authority considering Mrs. Geier was right there in the kitchen. I recall back in the day when RDIA’s were better because the proportion of filling to bread was more substantial then today’s cost-cutting ratio. I also remember the lawsuit that forced Geier’s to rename their “Runza” a “Bunza” because the name is protected from infringement by being a registered trademark and still is.
Everytime a restaurant goes big the good old down home flavor gets thinned out or watered down so to speak, remember Valentino’s pizza,(I blame it on the bean counters), Runza was a victim also, I still remember the little makeshift shack where Runza started out by Gooch Mills on the way to Pioneer’s Park. I’ve met travelers from Oregon and when they learned I was from Lincoln,Ne., the first thing out of their mouths was, (this was back in the 70′s) you have the greatest pizza we’ve ever had. Everytime they come through Lincoln they would haul a dozen half bakes on dry ice back to Oregon. Lincoln got put on the map with Runzas and pizza. Oh and football
Love Runzas! And can’t get them in Tennessee, but have them whenever we get to Nebraska. What an awesome surprise to find runzas at the bowl game in Orlando this year!!!! We ate our share and introduced runzas to our soon to be family!!! What a treat!!!!! It certainly made our day!
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I have a quick recipe for when there is no time to make the dough. I use the frozen bread or dinner roll dough. Let them thaw in the fridge, overnight, and then divide and put small balls into muffin tins. Let them rise and then push dabs of stuffing down into the middle of the “muffins” and let them rest as the oven warms. Pop them into a 350 oven for 20 – 25 minutes where the dough rises back up around the stuffing. I LOVE beirocks/runzas and seldom have time to go the whole route with them but these quickies are an excellent substitute and freeze perfectly. It is wonderful when the whole family can gather for an entire day of beirock making for filling the freezers, but it isn’t always possible. With this method, you can make them any day!
I worked in the kitchen at Rock ‘N’ Roll Runza at 14th and P when I was 17 (1997), and always loved coming in and smelling the Runza filling cooking in the basement. I use two teaspoons salt, two teaspoons white pepper, and two teaspoons of garlic powder in your basic recipe and it tastes the same going to any of the Runzas here in Lincoln. I also get lazy sometimes and buy frozen bread dough, it is almost as good as homemade. Wish I had worked there longer, may have learned the real recipe but alas it was a summer job for a teenager.
My husband was stationed at Offutt in the late 60s. The World Herald published an article about runzas along with a recipe. I found the place that was mentioned in the article ( run by people from now what is now called the Chezk (sp) Republic. Oh my, they were so good. On our second tour at Offutt I discovered Runza Hut. I have two sons in Omaha and Runza is a must. I now live in Illinois and use the recipe first used in this blog. However I use Crescent Roll sheets. They are baking now and I am looking forward to tonight’s dinner. Ummmm!
@BenjaminPowell – I grew up in what is now Centennial during the 70s and was part of Littleton Public Schools. I loved those runzas and am excited to find a recipe to try. Wonder if they’ll be ok with a non-meat substitute?
My Grandmother was born in Frank, Russia and I grew up in Nebraska eating runzas on a fairly regular basis. She made them with EITHER ground beef or bacon cut up into small pieces before placing in the pan. My preference was the bacon version. My Mother changed the recipe somewhat by using frozen white bread dough. Like others, I don’t have the time to deal with the bread dough. I’ve shortened the prep time even further by substituting pita bread. I make a small slice along one edge of the pita bread and stuff it with the meat mixture. Everyone seems to like it just about the same as the bread dough.
DEAR RUNZA HUT. I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN LINCOLN, NEBRASKA. I USED TO GO TO THE ORIGINAL RUNZA HUT WHEN I WAS A KID. IT WAS A SMALL PLACE NOT FAR FROM A BOY SCOUT CAMP NOT FAR FROM GOOCHE’S MILL.
AT 17 YEARS OF AGE I JOINED THE MARINE CORP IN 1951 DURING THE KOREAN “POLICE ACTION” AND HAVE NOT RETURNED TO NEBRASKA. I NOW LIVE IN CALIFORNIA.
I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THE ORIGINAL RERCIPE FOR RUNZA AS WE DON’T HAVE THE RUNZA HUTS.
THANK YOU. ROGER G.JACOBS ‘
Roger, I was reading this recipe and it seems to be very close to original to me.
I have a few other Nebraska recipes if you would like to email me.
Please put your request in the subject line so I dont delete you right off. Sandy
My first meal in Lincoln NB was at a Runza, close to the State Capital. I had just been dropped off by my step dad to start college at NU and a neighbor recomended I go there. With cheese or without they were delicous and I was hooked! It has been 20 years since the Fall of 1992 and I still think about them! I’m so glad that I googled the recipe. I cant’wait to start making my own version of them. Thank you all for the great ideas. From a Utah native
Love coming back to these comments on occasion to read the upbeat messages from satisfied Runza lovers. In the early 60′s I was part of a team which opened the first Air Force Recruiting Office in Lincoln, (SE corner of 15th and “O”) and one of our local recruiters, Bob Greenwald brought in a batch of home-made Runzas to take back to Omaha that day. My family fell in love with them and I have taken them with me to eat in our travel trailer when on the road, eaten many, many of them here in Lincoln at the stores and even at a friend’s house where she made them so huge that one was a meal. Not only are the Runzas great here, but they have the best french fries in town. Oh yes!!!!!!! That is why I battle the waist-line problem.
A Follow-up…….Born and raised in Michigan and I can honestly say that Pasties don’t even come close to a Runza !!!!!!
When I make a Runza I sub ground turkey for beef and I used the pizza dough mix in a bag. I divided the dough into two small balls and flattened them and then loaded the center with the cooked filling. I then fold the dough over and crimp the edge and it comes out more like a calzone. This method makes two very large Runzas I then brown it on one side then flip iit over and brown the other side, this way the dough gets baked clear through. I used an infrared oven to bake mine, if I remember right I had the temp at 350* and it took about 5-6 minutes per side. I like this style of oven as there is no pre-heating and starts to bake almost instantly.
My mom-n-law worked at the original Runza in Lincoln NE. They are still there. My hubby and I live in Georgia and Runzas are unheard of hear. I don’t think as recipe will be the original, the secret is the bread that Runza restaurant uses! But we are going to give it a ole big red try for the Husker vs Georgia bowl game!
That sould be….. Any recipe
This is not a copy of the runza restaurant recipe by any means. This recipe is much older than that.
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I grew up in the Meadowlane area, so we would go to Geier’s Bakery anytime we could scrape together some allowance money! The Bavarian creme doughnuts were legendary, I have yet to taste any as good as they were!
I used to live in McCook and I purchased the Bieroc’s, loved them and I liked them a little better than the original Runzas I grew up on. The Bakery in McCook is still there and doing well, if you have a chance, stop by there.
Runza has the Miller & Paine Cinnamon rolls, I always ask for them by that name, sometimes get a blank look… No, I will not call them just “cinnamon rolls”, that doesn’t do it justice.
I live in Iowa and surprisingly, many if not most, have not heard of a Runza! I have to explain what it was. I quit asking to find a Runza in Iowa! I have also asked to find Kolaches. That is equally unfamiliar. Guinea grinders and Dutch letters are the only regional foods I have found in this area.
Forgot to mention, when you stop at Runza’s, you can buy them already baked and frozen. When they ask how many, I will say “all of them!”
I don’t know how close to Council Bluffs you live, I thought Runza set up a restaurant there sometime ago.
Runzas, Kraut Runzas, Cabbage burgers, Bierocks, doesn’t matter what name you use, they’ve been around for hundreds of years. I, too, am a second generation German from Russia and grew up making and eating these. Nearly everyone in my church has an old family recipe that they use and everyone of them is the REAL recipe. Homemade from any family recipe will always be better than a fast food restaurants product.
The recipe given here is nearly idendical to the one I use. The two things we do different is to brush each bun with an egg wash just before they go into the oven, and with melted butter when they come out. As a child I remember the entire family being involved in making very large batches (70 to 80) to send to the fire dept when my father went to work.
There are a large number of German’s from Russia that also live in Colorado and Wyoming. My favorite place to buy Kraut Runza’s is Schwartz’s Krautburger Kitchen. If you are interested you can find out more about them at http://www.krautburger.com/
For those interested in a variety of “germans from russia” family recipes I can recommend Küche Kochen, a community cookbook of family recipes collected by the “American Historical Society of Germans from Russia”. See http://www.ahsgr.org/Products/books.htm#Kueche and
http://www.ahsgr.org/Products/books.htm#Gueldner for more information.
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HI, all you Runza lovers! Although I’ve lived in Germany and Colorado (and still do), I never even heard of a Runza until I came across my treasured recipe….of all ways, by a ‘Soap Opera’ celebrity who was being featured, along with her recipe, in the “Soap Opera Digest” magazine back in the mid-to-late ’80′s. The featured actress supplied us readers with her recipe brought to the U.S. by her Russian grandmother. She said the original Runza recipe was ‘borne’ in Russia, where it eventually made it’s way across the European countries by way of the immigrating peaseants, who mostly settled into Germany and Austria, and then finally here, into the US, by German immigrants.
However the Runza made it’s way here to the US, I’m just so thankful I ran across the recipe. It’s been one of our family favorites for about 30 years. My ex-husband loved them so much, in fact, that he would eat 6 to 8 Runzas at one sitting! I quickly learned to make 4 to 5 dozen hamburger-sized runzas at a time, freezing what we didn’t eat after a couple of meals worth, and he’s then take them to work with him, where he’d to threaten death to any of his fellow soldiers if they dared to touch them, lol!
As Rick, a prior reader commented, I too, use the egg wash before I bake my Runzas and brush butter on the tops immediately after they come out of the oven. But one REAL difference in my recipe is that after baking, while still hot, I slit one side of the runza and add a slice of a ‘melty-type’ of cheese, usually Velveeta (but you can use cheddar, Monterey Jack, or whatever) before serving.
YUMM!!! I’m making a huge batch of them tomorrow…want some???
My mother worked at Elastic Stop Nut in Lincoln during the war. I first encountered runzas when one of her co-workers (Betty Harris) who lived in the South Bottoms made them for parties.
This was long before they were bastardized and commercialized. She had a knack for finding enough rationed hamburger to feed the whole third shift at Stop Nut. Of course we still make and enjoy this wonderful food
You can substitute a couple of items to make Runzas to save time or if you’re lazy like me. I use ground turkey instead of hamburger, its cheaper and healthier. Replace the cabbage with sauerkraut and use whatever refrigerated dough for biscuits or pizza that’s on sale. I’ve made the dough from the pizza mix in a bag too. I divided it into 2 rounds and filled the center with the hamburger filling and fold it over and seal the edge with a fork. It looks more like a calzone or an empanada, then I pop mine into an infrared oven and brown both sides at 350*. (Five or Six Minutes per side).
Bon Appetit. Hasta La Bye Bye!
Oh, the gravy with these would be excellent. And since my son and I are making these tomorrow, (using frozen bread dough as well), I am absolutely going to make gravy. Yumm!!
Thanks for the idea :)