Description
This Runza Casserole recipe offers a Midwest comfort food experience, featuring seasoned ground beef, cabbage, onions, and cheese layered between buttery crescent roll dough. It’s a simplified, family-friendly version of the classic Nebraska Runza sandwich, perfect for easy weeknight dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 cups green cabbage, finely chopped
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
- ½ teaspoon caraway seeds (optional)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese
- 2 cans refrigerated crescent roll dough (8 oz each)
- 1 egg, beaten (optional)
- 1 teaspoon beef bouillon granules or paste (optional)
- Red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- In a large skillet, brown the ground beef over medium heat. Drain any excess grease.
- Add the diced onion and chopped cabbage to the skillet with the beef. Cook until the vegetables are softened, about 5-7 minutes.
- Season the mixture with salt, pepper, garlic powder (if using), and caraway seeds (if using). Stir in the beef bouillon (if using) and red pepper flakes (if using) for extra flavor.
- Remove from heat and stir in the shredded cheese until melted.
- Unroll one can of crescent roll dough and press it evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish to form a crust.
- Spread the ground beef and cabbage mixture evenly over the bottom crust.
- Unroll the second can of crescent roll dough and place it over the filling. Pinch the edges to seal.
- If using, brush the top crust with the beaten egg for a golden finish.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.
- Let the Runza casserole cool for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- For easier handling, let the refrigerated crescent roll dough sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before unrolling.
- Finely chopping the cabbage helps it cook down and integrate better into the filling.
- Ensure the filling is moist but not watery before assembling the casserole.
- For an extra crispy bottom crust, you can lightly pre-bake the bottom layer of dough for 5 minutes before adding the filling.
- Allowing the casserole to rest before slicing helps it set and makes for cleaner cuts.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American (Midwestern)
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: Approx. 450
- Sugar: Approx. 5g
- Sodium: Approx. 700mg
- Fat: Approx. 25g
- Saturated Fat: Approx. 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: Approx. 15g
- Trans Fat: Approx. 0.5g
- Carbohydrates: Approx. 30g
- Fiber: Approx. 3g
- Protein: Approx. 20g
- Cholesterol: Approx. 80mg