Why is a sandwich so much better when it comes enveloped completely inside the bun? We're not talking about a split hoagie, a pita, or a wrap–and certainly not a calzone. We mean a pocket of doughy, fresh-baked bread stuffed with something unseen. Something wonderful. A treasure waiting to be unlocked. All you know is that it's hot and it sure smells good. And maybe that's part of the appeal: the surprise waiting inside.
What Is a Runza?
So let's say you bite into that soft crust, tear through the doughy mantle, and unleash a core of molten American cheese. Inside is greasy ground beef, seasoned and buttery, mixed with grilled onions and cabbage—yes, cabbage.
Such is the wonder of the runza, a rectangular pocket of yeast dough filled with ground beef, cabbage, and other fixings for a grab-and-go food that, like Tater Tot Hot Dish, Dorothy Lynch Homestyle Dressing, and dessert salads, is uniquely Midwestern.
Where Did the Runza Originate?
It's the cabbage that roots this delicacy firmly in the Nebraska soil, where German-Russian immigrants settled in the late 19th century. One of the recipes they brought was the bierock, a pocket-pastry sandwich filled with savory ingredients, sometimes including sauerkraut. No one is sure where the name "runza" came from (perhaps for the Low German "runsa" which means “bun shape,” or the soft shape of a round belly), but in 1949, two descendents of one of those immigrant families, Sally Everett and her brother Alex Brening, opened the first Runza Drive Inn in Lincoln, Neb., serving the family version of the sandwich.
What Is the Fast Food Chain Called Runza?
Today, there are more than 80 Runza fast-food restaurants spanning four states–Iowa, Kansas, Colorado, and of course, Nebraska, whose residents have largely adopted the delicacy as something of an unofficial state food. The franchise has trademarked the word "runza," but you can still find old-school bierocks across the Great Plains. The difference lies not so much in the ingredients as in the shape: bierocks are round and runza (runzas? runzi?) are rectangular.
But Runza is by far the easiest place to find them, and for our money, the most worthwhile. The treat comes in all sorts of varieties, from mushroom and Swiss to spicy jack to BBQ bacon, but we recommend the cheese runza, the original beef-onion-and-cabbage with melted American cheese. Don't worry: It's a delicious surprise even if you know what's inside.
If you can’t make it to the motherland of the runza, there’s always the home-cooked route, with traditional handheld runzas or runza casserole for a crowd.
FAQs
A runza (the dish) falls somewhere between a hot pocket and burger when it comes to the culinary spectrum; it's ground beef, onions, and cabbage all wrapped in yeast dough that's then baked. What you get is a savory pastry that's ideal for a Cornhuskers tailgate or any other meal on the go.
Is Nebraska the only state that has runza? ›
History. Founded in 1949 by Sally Everett, the chain began its expansion under Sally's son Donald Everett Sr. in 1966, and started franchising restaurants in 1979. As of November 2020, there are eighty-six Runza restaurants operating: eighty in Nebraska, two in Iowa, two in Colorado, and one in Kansas.
Is runza Polish or German? ›
Bierocks—pronounced bee-rock and also known as runzas—are a German/Eastern European roll that made its way to the American Midwest. They're similar to the Russian pirozhki, another popular European meat-stuffed pastry. They vary in shape, but the most popular ones are usually round or rectangular.
What sandwich did Nebraska invent? ›
According to Omaha lore, the Reuben Sandwich was dreamed up at Omaha's Blackstone Hotel in 1925 by Reuben Kulakofsky, a local grocer, to feed a group of late-night poker players. Charles Schimmel, one of the players and the hotel's owner, liked it so much he put it on the menu of The Plush Horse, the hotel restaurant.
Does runza use real meat? ›
We're up before sunrise preparing the dough, seasoning ground beef with our top-secret blend of spices, and forming it all in to the perfect sandwich you know and love. The Runza® Sandwich features fresh-baked bread stuffed with ground beef, onions, our secret blend of spices, and yes, cabbage.
What does runza mean in German? ›
Many sources agree that Sally Everett invented the name "runza" although it is likely she adapted it from an existing name for the sandwich; either the krautrunz, an older, different German name for the bierock, or the Low German runsa, meaning "belly", alluding to the gently rounded shape of the pouch pastry.
Does a runza have cheese in it? ›
The bread pocket of a runza is made from yeast dough and is similar in texture to a hamburger bun but a bit thinner. The filling typically consists of ground beef, onions, and cabbage, but can also include cheese, mushrooms, or other vegetables.
What is runza in English? ›
pl runzas is a yeast dough bread pocket with a filling consisting of beef, cabbage or sauerkraut, onions, and seasonings.
What is a Reuben without sauerkraut called? ›
The Dinty Moore sandwich is a Detroit variation which substitutes coleslaw or shredded lettuce and tomato for the sauerkraut. It is sometimes on toasted white (wheat) bread instead of toasted rye and sometimes omits the Swiss cheese.
What is the oldest sandwich in history? ›
Rou jia mo – which translates to '”meat sandwich” – is a street snack that hails from the Shaanxi province in north-western China. It's said to be the world's oldest sandwich, dating back to the Zhou dynasty who ruled ancient China from 1046 BC.
Kevin Baker is an iconic Nebraskan with roots that run deep throughout the state's history. In 1987 Kevin changed the confectionery industry forever by perfecting a 100% fully automated, custom manufacturing process, capable of producing the industry's most prized confection: the decadent chocolate meltaway!
What is the difference between a runza and a pierogi? ›
The runza got its start from German immigrants (both Germans native to Germany and Germans who had lived in Russia) to the American midwest. This stuffed sandwich was inspired by the pierogi but is made with a yeasted bread dough instead of a dumpling. The runza sandwich is a bun stuffed with ground beef and cabbage.
What is the difference between a pasty and a runza? ›
Similar to the pasty, a runza is basically a dough-filled pocket. The main difference is the dough used for runzas contains yeast, so it's more bread-like. According to the Chicago Tribune, the runza dates back to the late 1700s when Catherine the Great enticed German craftsmen and farmers to settle in Russia.
What nationality are runzas from? ›
It's a German-Russian invention known as the bierock. “The late Sarah 'Sally' Everett of Lincoln coined the name Runza as an abbreviated approximation for what her family called the cocoon of dough enveloping a cooked mixture of ground beef and chopped cabbage.
