Also Good:
Runzas.
I got to craving runzas, last Sunday. After moping because there are no Runza restaurants within a 2000-mile radius, I searched the web and found myself a recipe. There's nothing particularly difficult about making cabbage burgers (don't make that face--they taste wonderful), but I would recommend having extra hands around to help with the wrapping.
Filling:
1 lb. ground beef
Half of a cabbage head, finely shredded
Half of a medium-sized yellow onion, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Brown the beef in a large skillet or a stock pot. When it's mostly cooked through, drain most of the fat and toss in the cabbage. You might need to add a splash of water or stock to keep the cabbage from sticking (or you could just not drain as much fat from the beef). Add the onion at the same time, then let the veggies get nice and soft. Add salt and pepper until you like the balance. (As a note, I almost never add salt to my cooking, but it's vital to this recipe.)
When everything is cooked, set it aside and let it cool while you prepare the bread.
Wrapping:
You have two choices: make your own yeasted bread dough, or buy the frozen loaves of unbaked dough in your grocery store's freezer section. You'll need enough dough for two loaves. White or wheat, it doesn't really matter, but I wouldn't recommend venturing into other flavors. Let the dough rise once, then punch it down.
Roll the dough to about 1/4" thick. If you have very elastic dough, this might take a little persuasion. Cut out 5 x 5" squares, and put 1/2 cup of filling in the center of each. Pull opposite corners toward each other to make a little pocket, then pull the extra flaps up to close the pocket. Pinch all of the seams to seal the filling completely within the bread dough. The better you close the seams, the less mess you'll deal with after cooking. Place each pocket on a greased cookie sheet or baking pan, seam side down.
Baking:
Set your oven for 350 degrees, and put your pans in a warm area (on top of the stove is always nice) for 20 minutes, to let the dough rise for a second time. It isn't going to rise much, so just trust that 20 minutes is enough. Then put the pans in the oven, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes. The dough will be golden brown when it's finished.
This recipe will make 10-12 runzas. (I think so, at least. I got tired after making six or seven.) The smell and taste of freshly baked bread is what makes this recipe so incredibly good. Otherwise, it's just ... beef and cabbage. Good, substantial foods, but nothing particularly special. Ah, those German-Russians were clever for pouncing on the combination!
I got to craving runzas, last Sunday. After moping because there are no Runza restaurants within a 2000-mile radius, I searched the web and found myself a recipe. There's nothing particularly difficult about making cabbage burgers (don't make that face--they taste wonderful), but I would recommend having extra hands around to help with the wrapping.
Filling:
1 lb. ground beef
Half of a cabbage head, finely shredded
Half of a medium-sized yellow onion, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Brown the beef in a large skillet or a stock pot. When it's mostly cooked through, drain most of the fat and toss in the cabbage. You might need to add a splash of water or stock to keep the cabbage from sticking (or you could just not drain as much fat from the beef). Add the onion at the same time, then let the veggies get nice and soft. Add salt and pepper until you like the balance. (As a note, I almost never add salt to my cooking, but it's vital to this recipe.)
When everything is cooked, set it aside and let it cool while you prepare the bread.
Wrapping:
You have two choices: make your own yeasted bread dough, or buy the frozen loaves of unbaked dough in your grocery store's freezer section. You'll need enough dough for two loaves. White or wheat, it doesn't really matter, but I wouldn't recommend venturing into other flavors. Let the dough rise once, then punch it down.
Roll the dough to about 1/4" thick. If you have very elastic dough, this might take a little persuasion. Cut out 5 x 5" squares, and put 1/2 cup of filling in the center of each. Pull opposite corners toward each other to make a little pocket, then pull the extra flaps up to close the pocket. Pinch all of the seams to seal the filling completely within the bread dough. The better you close the seams, the less mess you'll deal with after cooking. Place each pocket on a greased cookie sheet or baking pan, seam side down.
Baking:
Set your oven for 350 degrees, and put your pans in a warm area (on top of the stove is always nice) for 20 minutes, to let the dough rise for a second time. It isn't going to rise much, so just trust that 20 minutes is enough. Then put the pans in the oven, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes. The dough will be golden brown when it's finished.
This recipe will make 10-12 runzas. (I think so, at least. I got tired after making six or seven.) The smell and taste of freshly baked bread is what makes this recipe so incredibly good. Otherwise, it's just ... beef and cabbage. Good, substantial foods, but nothing particularly special. Ah, those German-Russians were clever for pouncing on the combination!