Harrold Hoosier's Husker Runzas

Though I consider myself a Hoosier, properly speaking I'm a Husker - a Corn Husker, that is, a native Nebraskan. My mama was born and raised in Nebraska, and my parents met and married in Nebraska, and they had their first child (hi!) in Nebraska. I don't have any recollection of living there for I was a tiny thing when my parents moved, but many family vacations were spent in the Great Plains.

And anyone who knows Nebraska should know Runza, a fast-food chain that serves beef & cabbage rolls. Even if you haven't heard of a Runza, you may have had a bierock or a fleischkuche, which are essentially the same thing. They are simple, freezable, transportable, variable, easy on the budget, and quite tasty.

After the birth of my second child a dear friend stocked my freezer with zip-locks full of Runzas, and since then I have shamelessly followed her example and made batches to share with others. You can throw a bunch on a pan and re-heat in the oven and serve with a side or two for a hearty meal, or pop one in the microwave for a quick lunch or afternoon snack.  Eat your heart out, Hot Pockets!

 Every time I make them the filling turns out differently. There is now shortage of recipes for these guys on the internet, but the batch I made today are extra yummy and so decided to share my recipe here before I forget what I did. This makes a BIG batch of runzas, and will probably take you all afternoon. But it will be worth it.

 

Harrold Hoosier's Husker Runzas

Filling:

1 onion, chopped
olive oil
1 tsp dried thyme
2 lbs lean ground beef

1 pkg cole slaw mix (You may also shred your own cabbage. My food processer broke and I'm lazy)

1/4 c. Dijon mustard
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp soy sauce

dash Frank's Red Hot sauce

salt & pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in large skillet. Add onion and cook until translucent and just softened. Add thyme, S&P, and beef and cook until evenly browned. Slowly add cabbage mix, cover, and cook about 10 minutes or until cabbage is translucent, stirring every 5 minutes or so. (Your skillet may be close to overflowing. You can add half the cabbage cook it down a bit before adding the rest.) Add mustard and sauces. Measurements here are approximate, I just squirted in a little pile of mustard, a generous drizzle of Worcestershire, and light drizzle of soy. Stir well, and set aside to cool.

CrustP (doubled and adapted from Bittman's breadstick recipe):

3 1/2 c. whole wheat flour

3 1/2 c. all-purpose or bread flour

4 tsp salt

2 tsp instant yeast

2 TBS honey

4 TBS olive oil

2 2/3 c. warm water

*(Really, any basic bread recipe will work.)

Mix whole wheat flour, salt, and yeast in large bowl. Add water, oil, and honey, stir until well blended. Slowly add white flour (1/4-1/2 c. at a time) and mix until no longer sticky. When dough becomes too difficult to mix with a spoon dump onto lightly floured counter and knead by hand. You may not need all of the white flour. Knead 5 min. or so, until dough is smooth. Place in lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, let rise 1-2 hours, or until doubled in size.

After rising, deflate the ball and cut into smaller balls, about the size of a dinner roll. You should get about 2 dozen, more or less depending on how big you want your Runza's to be. As long as they are close in size it really doesn't matter. Flatten each little ball into a thin square or rectangle, scoop a few TBS of filling into center, fold closed, pinching all seams tightly. Place seam-side down on parchment-lined backing sheets, and over with plastic wrap. Let rest while oven heats. 

Heat over to 350. If desired, brush tops of rolls with melted butter or egg wash. Bake Runsa's 15 minutes or until golden. Serve immediately, or cool completely on wire rack before freezing. I like them plain, but some enjoy dipping them in ketchup or sour cream. Enjoy!