A Month-of-Appetizers: Bierocks

I usually make these larger to have a meat sandwich for lunch or dinner with a fruit salad, but sometimes I make tinier ones for appetizers. Let me tell you, almost no one you serve this to will have ever had this German treat! Apparently it has several spellings, so if you are searching for variant recipes, look around. Note: Even family members who don’t like sauerkraut love these!

I learned how to make these from my sister-in-law, Lil’ Bro’s wife, many years ago when we all lived in Iowa. I did modify it somewhat by adding garlic. However, this one’s for you, Sandy!

Bierocks (about 20)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Large yellow onion, diced finely

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 ½# of hamburger, extra lean

1 can of sauerkraut, drained

Generous salt and pepper

2 pizza dough crusts

Preheat oven to 350°. Mix the pizza dough and let rise while cooking the meat mixture. Prepare a baking sheet with non-stick spray.

Cook onion in hot oil until translucent. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Remove and place in a small dish. Add hamburger to the skillet. Cook thoroughly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add onion and garlic back in and heat everything together. Add sauerkraut and stir to incorporate. Remove from heat to cool slightly.

Spread one pizza dough to a about an 11x14” rectangle. Cut the dough in half lengthwise with a sharp knife. Cut each of those rectangles into 5 segments (you have 10 dough “squares”.

Fill each dough square with a couple of tablespoons of the meat mixture. Fold up the edges and press to seal making small rounds of meat-filled dough. Place seam-side down on prepared cookie sheet. Repeat process with second pizza dough.

Bake for 20-30 minutes until tops are browned. Brush on butter. Serve immediately or they can be refrigerated then reheated in a 250° oven.

If you have leftover bierocks mixture (I always do), toss it with leftover rice and reheat it for another meal for one or two people.

DH’s Rating: 5 Tongues Up! He loves bierocks for dinner or in his backpack for a hiking lunch. He eats them room temp or hot. Now that’s a successful sandwich!