A Runza is a type of meat-filled pocket sandwich, popular in Nebraska and surrounding states. Truthfully, I had never heard of a Runza until one of my Foods II students created one for her final exam a few years ago. Though the Monte Cristo Runza is not completely authentic, it is a tasty dinner, especially when served with homemade black raspberry jam!
How to Make a Runza at Home…
As with all great sandwiches, a homemade Runza must have a really spectacular bread base. I used my favorite yeast bread recipe. (I use it for anything from cinnamon rolls to hot rolls to Runzas. If you’d like to see how I’ve used this in the past for Valentine’s Day, click here.) The filling for Monte Cristo Runzas consists of shredded chicken, Swiss cheese, and smoked ham.
After the dough and fillings were baked to perfection, I served our Runzas with homemade black raspberry jelly. It was divine! Homemade strawberry or red raspberry jam would be equally delightful! Monte Cristo Runza is the perfect baked, not fried, sandwich!
Monte Cristo Runza Recipe…
From start to finish, this took me about two and a half hours, except some of that time was rest for the dough. I divided the dough into 12 pieces, rolled each out to a six inch circle, placed the filling on half the dough, folded and sealed the pocket with a little egg wash, and baked the Monte Cristo Runzas to perfection. They were amazing!!!
I let the dough rest for 45 minutes to rise. This let the little yeasty-beasties work their magic! Just to make sure the dough had risen enough, I poked the middle. The dough was nice and puffy! 🙂
Next, I divided the dough in to 12 equal pieces and then rolled out each piece on a lightly floured surface. My goal was to achieve six inch circles, but some were more exact than others. 🙂 No worries! Runzas can be rustic!
For each Monte Cristo Runza, I used one slice of smoked ham, one slice of Swiss, and 1/4 c. of shredded chicken. The Runza is a great way to use up leftover meats. In fact, I have plans for more Runza recipes in the future!
I used a beaten egg as “glue” to seal the Monte Cristo Runzas together. I didn’t want any of the cheesy goodness to leak out during baking!
Finally, I used a fork to crimp the edges of each Runza. It doesn’t look pretty prior to baking, but afterwards, the edges looked very nice.
Each little Monte Cristo Runza serves one, and by making twelve, I can freeze some for leftovers. To reheat, place Runzas on a baking sheet in a 350° oven until warm, usually 15-20 minutes.
If you are a Runza fan, I’d love to know how my recipe compares to the restaurant type. Send me a note! 🙂 If you have a Runza idea, I’d love to hear that, too! Have a great week!
Monte Cristo Runza: The Perfect Sandwich!
Notes
Leftovers can be reheated or frozen for later use. Reheat in oven at 350° F for approximately 15 minutes.
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 Tbsp. dry yeast
- 3 c. flour, divided
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/4 c. sugar
- 1 c. milk
- 1/4 c. butter, cut into pieces
- 1 egg
Monte Cristo Runza
- 12 sliced smoked ham
- 12 slices Swiss cheese
- 3 c. shredded, cooked, chicken
- 1 beaten egg
- black raspberry jelly, strawberry jam, or preserves of choice
Instructions
Dough
- In a 2 cup measuring cup, microwave milk and butter on high for one minute. Stir to melt butter completely. Check temperature of liquid to make sure it is between 110-115° F.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 c. flour, 1 T. yeast, 1/4 c. sugar, and 1 t. salt.
- Gradually add liquid to flour mixture and beat with hand mixer for 2 minutes.
- Add egg and 1 c. of flour and mix until combined.
- Work in extra cup of flour and possibly a small amount more to make a soft dough. (Be cautious of adding too much flour...the dough needs to stay soft, but not sticky.)
- Knead on a lightly floured surface for a couple of minutes to make a smooth ball.
- Place dough in greased bowl and cover for 45 minutes, letting the dough rise.
Monte Cristo Runzas
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Cover baking sheet with parchment paper or use seasoned baking stone.
- Divide risen dough into 12 even pieces.
- Roll each piece into a 6 inch circle on a lightly floured surface.
- Layer ham, cheese, and chicken on half of the dough, being careful to leave at least 1/4 inch between fillings and edge of dough.
- Using a pastry brush, brush beaten egg around the outside edge of the Runza.
- Carefully fold pastry in half, tucking filling into center. Squeeze lightly to release air bubbles trapped around filling.
- Crimp edges of Runza with a fork and place on a seasoned baking stone or parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake at 350° F for 15-18 minutes, or until outsides are golden brown.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool 5-10 minutes prior to eating.
- Serve with favorite jelly, jam, or preserves.
In Omaha, the Runza restaurant chain serves their original runza sandwiches filled with ground beef, grilled onion, and cabbage. I alway liked to add dill pickles and cheese to this for a tasty meal!
Sounds tasty! Thanks so much for sharing!