pizza runzas

Today we are modifying one of my {and my family’s} favorite recipes.

Runzas!

The original runzas are made with beef and cabbage.  Our favorite is a cheeseburger runza.  Today we are changing a few things to create a healthier version…and you can’t go wrong with pizza!

Runza Recipe

The filling of a runza is wrapped in bread dough.  I have used frozen bread dough, refrigerated bread dough and bread dough mixes in the past.  Quite honestly, I have found it to be as easy just to make up a batch of bread dough in my ancient bread machine.  This is my favorite bread recipe and today I am substituting 1 cup of whole wheat flour to up the nutritional content.

Bread Machine Dough

• 1 1/4 C milk
• 2 T butter
• 2 t sugar
• 1 t salt
• 3 C of flour – I used 1 C whole wheat and 2 C of bread flour
• 2 3/4 t active dry yeast

Add all the ingredients to the bread machine and let it mix and rise on the manual setting for several hours.  No big deal if it rises a bit longer than you were expecting.

Runza Pizza Filling

• 1 lb. 95% lean ground beef
• 2 cloves of garlic (minced)
• 1 1/2 C spaghetti sauce/pizza sauce
• 1/2 C chopped cooked spinach
• salt and pepper to season
• 1 1/2 C low fat mozzarella cheese

Brown beef with minced garlic.  Pour off the drippings.  Add the sauce, spinach and salt and pepper to taste.

Let cool.

Roll out dough into 6 inch round 1/4 inch thick circles.

Spoon filling and cover with cheese.

Fold sides over filling and place upside-down on greased cookie sheet.

Let rise for 15 minutes.

Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

Eat runzas!

Yum.

I am really excited to be working again with the Texas Beef Council {some of my very favorite folks} hosting a series of nutrient-rich family-friendly meals.  They were sweet enough to look at this recipe and give me some suggestions to increase the nutrition.

Watch this weekend for a really fun post with 10 bloggers’ favorite family beef meals here at June Cleaver Nirvana and follow the fun on twitter {#TXBeef}.

Tagged as: Beef Loving Blogger, photo - runza, runza recipe, runzas, Texas Beef Council