Happy 146th birthday, Nebraska! What better way to celebrate than making a homemade batch of runzas? Sunday afternoon.

For those who didn’t have the pleasure of growing up in the Cornhusker State, a runza is bread dough, filled with beef and cabbage. It’s essentially the German equivalent of a perogi or empanada.

I could say a lot more… but you’ll either love it or you won’t. :)

Homemade Runzas

Family recipe

Makes 15-20

Dough:
4 1/2 – 5 cups flour, divided
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup shortening
2 packages active dry yeast
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, room temperature

Filling:
1 1/2 – 2 lbs. lean ground beef
1 small or medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 small cabbage, finely chopped (NOTE: the finer the cabbage is chopped, the better it will cook down)
1/3 cup water
2 Tablespoons dry beef-onion soup mix
4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Salt and pepper

Measure 3 cups flour and put into a large bowl or stand mixer bowl. Create a well in the center. Heat milk, water, and shortening to 90-110 degrees. Pour into the well, and sprinkle with yeast. Let set for 10 minutes until yeast is bubbly. Stir together. Add sugar, salt, eggs, and beat together. Using either a electric stand mixer with a dough hook attachment or a bowl and hands, work in additional flour and then knead until dough until smooth and elastic. Place into a greased bowl; cover with plastic wrap and a clean towel. Let rest in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down; let rest 10 minutes.

Brown ground beef and onion. Add cabbage, water, and soup mix; cover and cook until cabbage has cooked down to desired liking.

Drain thoroughly. Pour meat mixture into a large bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss in cheese.

Roll dough onto a large lightly floured surface. Roll as thinly as possible. (To quote my Dad: “More filling, less bread!”) Cut into squares about 7×7″. Place about a 1/4-cup of meat mixture in center. Bring corners of dough to the center, pinching edges together tightly.