Kraut Burgers (Runzas)
- 1 pound fresh ground meat [turkey or ground beef chuck] *
- 1 small white onion [chopped]
- 1/2 cup beer
- Black Pepper
- 1/2 head of green cabbage [coarsely chopped]
- 1 lb. frozen bread dough [thawed]
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 350 degrees oven temperature
- two cookie sheets [greased or sprayed with non-stick PAM]
First, you brown your meat and chopped onion. I used ground turkey. [*my grandmother and mother used leftover shaved beef roast] Once the ground meat is browned thoroughly, I add one half cup of beer! [The alcohol cooks out of it, and gives a really 'special' flavor!
Add chopped cabbage and 1/2 cup beer
Add black pepper and stir to coat meat, cabbage and onion
Reduce heat, and cover....allowing mixture to cook more thoroughly and cabbage and onion to become soft, translucent--
When cabbage is limp, then remove from heat to cool.
In the meantime, divide the 1 lb bread loaf [thawed] into eight 'biscuit' sized balls
...with your hands, flatten each 'biscuit' to about 4 inches in diameter. Add about 1/2 cup of meat [USING A SLOTTED SPOON SO JUICES CAN DRAIN], onion and cabbage mixture and fold dough over the mixture. Pinch dough to secure tightly.
[Note: if your mixture is too hot, the dough will split from the heat and make it very difficult to fold without breaking open!]
Place your meat pockets -- the runzas on the prepared cookie sheets, allowing room for rising, cooking dough--- Bake until nicely browned. Baste finished runza [kraut burgers] with melted butter...giving them a beautiful finish.
Serve hot! I love 'em with yellow mustard dipping sauce. Dill pickle slices.
Thanks to Hootin' Anni
