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Nebraska Runza Recipe

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Whew, what a win that was for Michigan last Saturday! Not only did Michigan go into Madison and win for the first time since 2001, but they did it in dominating fashion.

Now, Michigan heads west for a primetime showdown with the surging Nebraska Cornhuskers. Nebraska began the season with a humiliating 30-22 loss to Illinois. Then, they picked up predictable wins over Fordham and Buffalo. They held firm against Oklahoma in a 23-16 loss and took Michigan State to overtime in East Lansing. Last Saturday, the Cornhuskers beat Northwestern, 56-7.

While the record is just 2-3, they aren’t the pushover everyone thought they would be after that Illinois loss. Add in a night game with Michigan coming to town, and Scott Frost is looking for a signature win.

As I thought about what to make for this week’s Tailgate Tuesday, a couple of things came to mind. Corn (obviously) and beef (we did steak the last time Michigan played Nebraska). So I did the same thing as last week — sought advice from a friend who lives there.

This time, she recommended a dish that is very similar to the pasty that we cooked for the Wisconsin game: the runza.

Nebraska Runza

A Brief History of the Runza

Similar to the pasty, a runza is basically a dough-filled pocket. The main difference is the dough used for runzas contains yeast, so it’s more bread-like.

According to the Chicago Tribune, the runza dates back to the late 1700s when Catherine the Great enticed German craftsmen and farmers to settle in Russia.

“The Volga Germans…adapted the Russian meat-filled “pirog” into the “bierock” or “runza,” the story says. “But the immigrants never completely fit into Mother Russia. The rise of Russian nationalism in the late 1800s convinced many to leave. A large number of Volga Germans headed for the steppe-like American Plains, where their skills at flatland farming and coping with cold winters put them in good stead.”

In 1949, Sally Brening Everett opened a food stand in Lincoln, Neb. selling runzas. Her family had come to Nebraska from Germany and Russia. Her son built a second location in 1966, and now there are over 80 locations. Most are in Nebraksa, but a handful are in Iowa, Kansas, and Colorado.

The location inside Memorial Stadium sells thousands of them each home game.

A Few Notes

Like the pasty, there are plenty of different ways you can fill your runza. The traditional runza, which is essentially what this recipe is, uses ground beef, onions, and cabbage. Feel free to use your imagination, or use whatever you have on hand.

The dough for runzas uses yeast and calls for time to let the dough rise. I am good at many things, but this is not one of them. I can follow a dough recipe perfectly and still have trouble getting my dough to rise. It’s my kryptonite.

Even so, my runzas still tasted fantastic.

The standard condiment to use with runzas is ketchup and mustard, but I wanted to change it up a little bit. I made my own tomato sauce and some roasted poblanos to add some heat to this Nebraska runza recipe.

Runza filling

The Nebraska Runza Recipe

I followed this recipe for the dough, since I had never made runzas before. If you try this recipe, make sure to visit her page and leave a comment.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together1.5 cups of flour, 1/4 cup of sugar, and 1/4 ounce of yeast. In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat 3/4 cups of milk, a stick of butter, and a half cup of water to 120-130 degrees.

Pour this into your dry ingredients and stir. Now, add two beaten eggs. Add a cup more of flour and mix. Continue doing this until the dough comes together and is smooth and elastic.

Place your dough into a greased bowl, cover, and let rise for about an hour.

While it’s rising, fire up your grill or smoker. I used the PKTX for this because it’s small, portable, and easy to use. It’s perfect to take tailgating or camping. In a cast iron skillet, cook your ground beef along with a few shakes of your favorite beef rub, then drain the fat. Also add a couple of halved Roma tomatoes and a poblano pepper to your smoker.

Add in a diced onion and cook until soft and translucent. Add some chopped cabbage and continue to simmer until it has cooked through.

Once your Roma tomatoes are soft and slightly charred, place them into a skillet over medium heat along with some olive oil, Kosher salt, garlic, oregano, and halved fresh cherry tomatoes. Simmer, stirring often, until well combined. Transfer to a blender and pulse.

Place your poblano into a paper bag or Ziploc bag to steam for about 10 minutes, Now, carefully peel the skin off of it and dice it up.

Once your dough has risen, punch it down and divide into about 12 equal portions. Roll each portion into approximately a 6-inch by 8-inch rectangle. Place your filling into the center, top with a slice of cheese, then fold the dough over it and seal the edges.

Place them onto a baking sheet and cook at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Mine took a little bit longer. You want the dough to be fully cooked and golden brown on top.

Serve with the tomato sauce and roasted poblanos.

Nebraska Runza

This traditional runza recipe features a bread dough filled with ground beef, onions, and cabbage, served with a smoked tomato sauce and roasted poblano peppers.

  • 4½ cups Flour
  • ¼ cup Sugar
  • ¼ ounce Yeast
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt
  • ¾ cup Milk
  • ½ cup Water
  • 1 stick Butter
  • 2 Eggs (beaten)
  • 2 pounds Ground beef
  • 1 Vidalia onion
  • ½ head Cabbage
  • 10-12 Cheddar cheese slices
  • 2 Roma tomatoes (halved)
  • 3 TBSP Olive oil
  • 2 cloves Garlic
  • 1 tsp Oregano
  • Fresh cherry tomatoes (halved)
  • 1 Poblano pepper

  1. In a large bowl, mix together 1½ cups of flour, ¼ cup of sugar, and ¼ ounce of yeast.

  2. In a saucepan over medium heat, heat ¾ cups of milk, a stick of butter, and ½ cup of water to 120-130 degrees.

  3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir.

  4. Add 2 beaten eggs.

  5. Add in a cup of flour and mix. Continue in one-cup increments until dough comes together and is smooth and elastic.

  6. Place into a greased bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour.

  7. Fire up your grill or smoker and brown your ground beef seasoned with your favorite beef rub in a cast iron skillet.

  8. Place your halved Roma tomatoes and poblano pepper on the smoker grate.

  9. Drain the fat from the beef and add in your diced onion. Cook until soft and translucent. Add in your chopped cabbage and cook until cooked through.

  10. Once your Roma tomatoes are soft and slightly charred, place them in a separate skillet along with 3 TBSP olive oil, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 tsp oregano, and a handful of halved cherry tomatoes. Simmer, stirring often, until well combined.

  11. Remove from stove top and place into blender. Pulse until desired consistency is reached.

  12. Place your poblano into a paper bag or Ziploc for about 10 minutes to steam. Carefully remove the skin, then dice up the pepper.

  13. Once your dough has risen, punch it down and divide into 10-12 equal portions.

  14. Roll out each portion into a 6"x8" rectangle.

  15. Place filling into the center of each one, top with a slice of cheese, fold the dough over it and seal.

  16. Place onto a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

  17. Serve with your smoked tomato sauce and roasted poblanos.

Main Course
American, German
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