Old Fashioned Bierock Casserole

This Old Fashioned Bierock Casserole combines ground pork, sausage, cabbage, cheddar cheese, and all the flavors of a classic bierock in a quick casserole with Pillsbury crescent rolls.

Bierocks Casserole Recipe

Bierock, Runza, and hand pies: The ingredients vary from one country to the next, but the basic idea is the same – bread, meat, cabbage, onion, spices, and cheese.

This bierock recipe is straightforward version of the traditional German-Russian stuffed bread dish created with crescent roll dough, ground pork, and pork sausage.

In Kansas, bierocks have long been a hardy dinner for farmers working long hours in the fields. The convenience of the hand-held pie makes this a preferred field meal and an easy way to serve protein.

Using refrigerated crescent roll dough from a can simplifies the bread-making process and gets a casserole family favorite ready in under an hour!

Ingredients for Bierock Casserole

• Ground pork
• Pork sausage
• Onion
• Garlic
• Cabbage
• Worcestershire sauce
• Cheddar cheese
• Crescent rolls
• Salt and pepper
• Cayenne pepper

Recipe Tips

• Save time and buy shredded cabbage in a bag.
• Try spicy pork sausage to add heat.
• Use pastry sheets in place of crescent rolls.

How to make bierock casserole

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large skillet or pot brown ground pork and pork sausage over medium heat. Drain off excess grease from browned meat.

Add in Worcestershire sauce and cayenne pepper (optional).

Season with salt and pepper, and mix well.

Spray 9 x 13 pan with non-stick spray. Roll out two cans of crescent rolls and press down covering the pan.

Press dough up the sides and make sure to seal any holes.

Place the 9 x 13 pan in the oven and bake for 9 – 10 minutes. Dough should still be a light in color, not browned.

As the crescent dough is cooking in the oven, stir onion, cabbage, and garlic into the skillet of ground pork and sausage.

Cook for 5 minutes or until cabbage appears translucent.

To create the next layer spoon cooked pork and cabbage combination on top of the baked crescent rolls.

Using a slotted spoon will help drain off any excess juices and avoid sogginess on the crescent crust.

Sprinkle shredded cheese evenly over the meat/cabbage layer.

Roll out the remaining crescent rolls and cover the cheese creating a top crust for the casserole.

Slice a pattern of slits in the dough crust similar to that of a pie crust.

Bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, remove from the oven when the crust is golden brown.

Why is it called a bierock?

The bierock is derived from a long history of German and European ancestry.

The name comes from the varieties of Polish pierogi, Russian pirozhki and Borek of Turkey and southeastern Europe.

Throughout kitchens of the past and the passing down of recipes, the majority of these are baked or fried dough pastries stuffed with meats, cabbage, and seasoning.

These hand-held “pies” have become a tradition in Kansas and a staple field meal in the wheat state.

What is the difference between a runza and a bierock?

Many sources agree that these two yeast-based hand pies or sandwiches are similar but different depending on your region.

Historically, it is said the name is from old German, such as bierock, and the low German version of runsa.

The word “runza” is a trademark of the Runza restaurant chain in the United States.

Both translate to belly and thus allude to the rounded shape of the pastry filled with meat.

More recipes to try

Easy Bierock Pockets combine similar flavors in easy pita pockets!

This quick weeknight recipe is a twist on traditional Italian Sausage and Peppers Pasta with a combination of ground Italian sausage, pasta, and peppers.