Runza Casserole takes the filling of the Nebraska runza sandwich, seasoned ground beef with onion and tender cabbage, and bakes it between two golden sheets of crescent-roll dough with melted cheddar in the middle. It cuts into 12 squares and is ready in under an hour.
How to make it: Press one tube of crescent dough into a greased 9×13-inch dish and bake it for 5 minutes. Brown and drain the beef, then cook the onion and shredded cabbage with it until soft. Spread the filling over the crust, top with cheddar and the second sheet of dough, and bake at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden.
Why You’ll Love It
- Runza flavor, no shaping: no dough to roll out or pockets to fill.
- Two golden crusts: crescent dough on the bottom and the top.
- Simple filling: beef, onion, cabbage, butter, salt and pepper.
- Feeds a crowd: 12 squares from one 9×13-inch dish.
Ingredient Notes
Refrigerated crescent rolls: Two 8-ounce tubes, unrolled in one piece. Crescent dough sheets work too.
Ground beef: One and a half pounds, browned and well drained.
Green cabbage: Half a medium head, thinly shredded, about 4 loosely packed cups. A bag of shredded cabbage slaw mix saves the chopping.
Onion and butter: A medium yellow onion, chopped, cooked in 2 tablespoons of butter.
Salt and pepper: Two teaspoons of salt and a teaspoon of black pepper season the filling.
Cheddar: One and a half cups, shredded, between the filling and the top crust. Mozzarella works too.
Ingredients
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 2 tubes (8 ounces each) refrigerated crescent rolls, not separated
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 medium head green cabbage, thinly shredded (about 4 loosely packed cups)
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
How to Make Ground Beef and Cabbage Crescent Casserole
1. Heat the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Pre-bake the bottom. Unroll one tube of crescent dough into the bottom of the dish in one sheet, gently pressing the perforated seams together. Bake for 5 minutes.
3. Brown the beef. Meanwhile, cook the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat until no longer pink (160°F). Drain thoroughly, then push the beef to the edges of the skillet.
4. Cook the onion. Melt the butter in the center of the skillet. Add the onion, salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes, stirring everything together.
5. Cook the cabbage. Add the cabbage and cook about 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until softened and reduced. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
6. Layer. Spread the beef and cabbage evenly over the partly baked crust and sprinkle with the cheddar. Unroll the second tube of dough over the cheese and gently press the seams together.
7. Bake. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until the top crust is puffed and evenly golden brown and the filling is hot (165°F). Let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
How to Keep the Bottom Crust from Going Soggy
These steps keep the bottom crust sturdy under the beef and cabbage filling.
Pre-bake the bottom sheet. Give the first layer of crescent dough 5 minutes in the oven on its own before anything goes on it. That short head start keeps it sturdy under the filling.
Drain the beef well. Pour off all the fat after browning, before the butter, onion and cabbage go in.
Cook the cabbage down. Stir it in the skillet for about 5 minutes, until it softens and shrinks.
Seal the seams. Unroll each tube as one sheet and pinch the perforations together on both the bottom and the top sheet.
Tips for Success
- Taste the filling: adjust the salt and pepper before it goes into the dish.
- Brush with butter: for a richer top, brush the top dough with melted butter before and after baking.
- Let it rest: give it 5 minutes out of the oven before slicing.
- Shred the cabbage thin: thin shreds, about 4 loosely packed cups from half a head, soften in the skillet in about 5 minutes.
Variations
- Worcestershire and garlic: cook 2 cloves of minced garlic with the onion and stir 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce into the beef and cabbage.
- Bolder seasoning: use up to 1/4 cup of Worcestershire, a tablespoon of garlic powder and seasoned salt.
- Mozzarella: swap the cheddar for shredded mozzarella.
- Creamy filling: stir a packet of onion soup mix and a can of cream of mushroom soup into the beef and cabbage.
Storage & Reheating
USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and eat them within 3 to 4 days, or freeze them for 3 to 4 months. Reheat squares to 165°F.
What to Serve With It
Serve it with a green salad or pickles on the side. For more cabbage dinners, try stuffed cabbage rolls, slow cooker unstuffed cabbage roll soup or slow cooker bacon and cabbage. For another crescent bake, there is Reuben crescent bake, and for more ground beef casseroles, Big Mac casserole and hobo casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Runza casserole made of?
Ground beef, onion and cabbage seasoned with salt and pepper, with cheddar, baked between two layers of refrigerated crescent roll dough.
How is Runza casserole different from runzas?
A runza is a sandwich, with the beef and cabbage filling baked inside bread. The casserole puts the same beef, onion and cabbage filling between two sheets of crescent dough in one pan, so there is nothing to shape or fill by hand.
Where does runza casserole come from?
It is inspired by the runza, a treasured Nebraskan sandwich of beef and cabbage in bread, also known as a bierock.
Can I use coleslaw mix?
Yes. A bag of shredded cabbage slaw mix works in place of chopping a head of cabbage.
Final Notes
Pre-bake the bottom crust, drain the beef, and cook the cabbage down before layering. If you make it, tell me how it turned out in the comments.
Runza Casserole
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Ingredients
- nonstick cooking spray
- 2 tubes refrigerated crescent rolls 8 ounces each, do not separate
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 medium head green cabbage thinly shredded, about 4 loosely packed cups
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Unroll one tube of crescent dough into the bottom of the dish in one sheet, gently pressing the perforated seams together. Bake for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat until no longer pink (160°F). Drain thoroughly, then push the beef to the edges of the skillet.
- Melt the butter in the center of the skillet. Add the onion, salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes, stirring everything together.
- Add the cabbage and cook about 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until softened and reduced. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Spread the beef and cabbage evenly over the partly baked crust and sprinkle with the cheddar. Unroll the second tube of dough over the cheese and gently press the seams together.
- Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until the top crust is puffed and evenly golden brown and the filling is hot (165°F). Let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
