Friday, September 14, 2007

runza

Runza, every Husker's staple, has not yet spread its wings to the right or left coast. Here's a recipe to tide you over until the next time you land at Eppley...

Runza
Makes: 6 Runzas
Prep time: 40 minutes
Bake time: 40 minutes
Cool time: 20 minutes

Clearly, this will take some time, but the end product is worth it. You'll need:

  • 1 lb. extra lean ground beef
  • 1/2 head cabbage, shredded
  • 2 onions, finely sliced
  • 1/2 C. Water
  • 2 T. olive oil
  • 1 roll Pillsbury prepared pizza dough (in the refrigerated section at the store)
  • 12 Velveeta cheese slices
  • Parchment paper
  • 2 T. Garlic Salt
  • 3 T. Pepper
  • 3 T. Salt
  • 3 T. butter
  • Pastry brush

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a medium skillet, sautee the ground beef until brown (~10 minutes). Drain grease if needed.

3. In a large skillet, mix the shredded cabbage and the finely sliced onions, 1/2 C. water, the 2 T. olive oil, and sautee over medium heat until soft and beginning to brown (~20 minutes).

4. To the ground beef, add 1 T. garlic salt, 1 T. salt, and 2 T. ground black pepper. Mix well.

5. To the cabbage and onions, add 1 T. garlic salt, 1 T. salt, and 2 T. ground black pepper. Mix well, and don't forget to taste to see if the seasoning is right. Add more salt/pepper if necessary.

6. When the cabbage and onions are seasoned, soft, and starting to brown, add the ground beef, and stir to blend thoroughly. Add seasonings to taste. Let cool for 10 minutes.

7. On a floured surface (or on parchment paper, or a sil-pat), roll out the pillsbury dough, making sure it is an even thickness. N.B. Don't make the dough too thin. It should be about the right thickness when you take it out of the package.

8. Use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into six equal pieces, approximately 4 x 6 inches, unstretched.

Now for the important/tricky part: Runza Assembly...

9. Place a piece of parchment paper on your baking sheet. This is an important step! If you don't use parchment paper, your Runzas may come out soggy or burned on the bottom.

10. On a flat surface, take one of the cut pieces of dough, and lightly roll into a rectangle. (Picture using your rectangle in 1/3's...use the middle 1/3 to place your filling, and each 1/3 on the top and botton will help you close your Runza later).

11. Place one slice of Velveeta in the middle of the rectangle. You may have to fold your piece of cheese in half so it fits.

12. On top of the cheese, place 1 C. cabbage, onion, and beef filling. Take care that your filling does not spill onto the edges, it will be difficult to close your runza if it does.

13. Place another slice of cheese on top of the filling...then close the runza by folding the bottom 1/3 of your dough up and over the filling and cheese, then the other 1/3 of the dough on top of that. Seal the edges by pressing firmly but gently on the remaining open parts.

14. GENTLY lift your Runza onto the parchment paper, turning it over so that the seal is on the bottom. Repeat for remaining dough/filling.

15. After you have assembled all your Runzas, and before you put them into the oven, glaze the top of them with melted butter. The best way to do this is using a pastry brush. You may need to re-glaze them 20 minutes or so into the baking process.

16. Your Runzas are done when the tops are golden brown. Remove from oven and let them cool for 20 minutes, then enjoy!

Go Big Red!

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