You could say there are two types of people in this world – people who know and love Runza and people who haven’t yet had one. In case you’re one of the latter, I’ll give you a little explanation – a Runza is a bread pocket that’s stuffed with beef, cabbage or sauerkraut, and onions. Think savory, filling, beefy hot pocket, but even better. The sandwich has old German-Russian roots but is most popular in Nebraska where you can find multiple restaurant chains that serve it but all you really need to know is that it’s good and our Runza Casserole pays homage to it in a comforting baked dish that’s family -friendly and super simple to make.
Believe it or not, you only need six ingredients to make this tasty casserole. There’s no bread to worry about here, just a stand-in of refrigerated crescent rolls which provide a delicious buttery and doughy base and top for a sandwich feel. And then there’s the filling, which is just ground beef (seasoned to perfection of course), onions, and cabbage that are cooked together into a tender and flavorful medley.
Ingredients:
2 packages refrigerated crescent rolls (do not separate rolls)
2 lbs ground beef
2 tablespoons butter
4 cups shredded green cabbage
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions:
Preheat oven:
Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.
Prepare Crescent Roll Base:
Unroll one tube of crescent rolls, keeping them as a single sheet, and place it at the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Bake for 5 minutes to set.
Cook Ground Beef:
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, season the ground beef with salt and pepper and cook until no longer pink. Drain excess fat as needed and push the meat to the outer edges of the skillet.
Cook Onions and Cabbage:
Add butter to the center of the skillet. Once melted, add the chopped onions, salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring for about 2 minutes.
Add the shredded cabbage and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning as needed.
Assemble Casserole:
Spread the beef and cabbage mixture over the baked crescent roll base in the baking dish.
Top with grated Mozzarella cheese.
Unroll the second tube of crescent rolls, keeping them as a single sheet, and place it over the cheese and beef mixture.
Bake:
Bake in the preheated oven until the top is golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.
Serve:
Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
This easy and delicious Runza Casserole combines the comforting flavors of ground beef, cabbage, and cheese, all wrapped in buttery crescent rolls. Perfect for a family dinner or a casual gathering!