Family Recipe: Bierocks

You can pack your bierocks with more meat less bread if you want! I usually do a mix of both (more bread and more meat) so people can choose what they want to eat. This one is a picture of a more bread.

My Grandma taught me how to make this delicious recipe that is basically a dinner roll stuffed with hamburger, sauerkraut, and cheese called Bierocks (although the first half of the word is pronounced like the word “beer” it does not contain any actual beer).  Even though the combination sounds a little interesting it really tastes amazing!  I am not sure where the recipe actually originated from but I do have family from Czechoslovakia so maybe that area.  I remember as a kid helping my Grandma make this recipe and have great memories of spending time together talking while cooking for the harvest crew.

Fresh out of the oven and ready to be eaten!

Every once in awhile I like to make up a big batch of Bierocks so we can eat some right away and the rest I like to stick in the freezer to pull out on those busy days for a quick meal.  I have used a number of different bread recipes to make Bierocks and they all have turned out well.  Today I will share the latest bread version I made earlier this week using Money Saving Mom’s Freezer-Friendly Pizza Dough.  We have made this pizza dough so many times and love it, so we figured why not try using it to make Bierocks!

Dinners ready…….Bierocks…..come and get it!

Bierocks:

• DOUGH
• 2 cups warm water (105 to 115 degrees F.)
• 2 Tablespoons active dry yeast
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 4 Tablespoons oil (vegetable, Canola, or olive oil)
• 5 cups flour (can use all whole-wheat, half white/half whole-wheat, or all white)

Pour the warm water into a bowl and sprinkle the yeast over it. Stir to dissolve.

Add the remaining ingredients and mix.  Put onto a floured surface and knead dough for two to five minutes until smooth and no longer sticky.  Take the kneaded dough and roll out.  

Note:  I used this recipe but split the dough into thirds, two of the pieces I wrapped and put in the freezer for future pizzas or other recipes and used the remaining third to make the Bierocks.  I love that I get the base to 3 meals out of 1 pizza dough mixture! 🙂

• FILLING:
• 2 pounds Ground Beef
• 1/3 Onion (diced)
• 2 teaspoons Salt
• 1 teaspoon Pepper
• 2 cans Sauerkraut
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese (or mixed cheese)

Brown beef with onion and seasoned with salt and pepper.  Drain any excess oil off the meat.  Mix the sauerkraut into the meat and cook on medium for 2 to 4 minutes until the sauerkraut is mixed well.

Cut the dough 3 to 6 inch circles (depending on the size you want it to be).   Place 1 ice cream scoop (or 1/4 to 1/2 cup) of meat filling onto each circle.  Sprinkle about a teaspoon of cheese over the top of the meat.   Bring the four corners up over the filling and pinch together to seal on the bottom.  Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Place seam down on greased baking sheets.  Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of the bierocks.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes or until the dough starts turning a golden brown color.  You can rub a little bit of butter over the  tops of the bierocks immediately after taking them out of the oven for additional flavor and color if you want.  Makes approximately 24 Bierocks

You can eat these plain or (my favorite) with a touch of ketchup.  Any leftover Bierocks after eating them for dinner are wrapped individually and put in a freezer ziplock so we can easily pull one, two or more out at a time, stick them in the microwave (or toaster oven) and have a meal ready in minutes.

Ground hamburger and sauerkraut mixture

Bierocks stuffed and ready to be baked

Cheese sprinkled over the top of some of the Bierocks (we like the cheese inside and out but it is optional).  I made some with cheese and some without since we have a family member who cannot have dairy.

Picture of the Bierocks without cheese!