Beefy Bieroc Casserole

The other morning I was going through emails and found one for Cowboy casseroles.  This sounded interesting so I clicked on it.  Found the usual John Wayne casserole and a few others and this one for a Bieroc casserole.  I didn't have a clue what a Bieroc was but it seemed simple enough, and I was headed to the store so I could get what I needed.  By the way I had had no clue what was going to be for dinner that night either.

So I had to do a little research on bierocks.  Bierocks are meat-filled pocket pastries originating in Eastern Europe, possibly in Russia.  The dish is common among the German community in the United States and Argentina.  It was brought to the US in the 1880's by German Russian Mennonite immigrants.  Bieroc is filled with cooked and seasoned ground beef, shredded cabbage and onions, then oven baked until the dough is a golden brown.  I have also learned that they are popular in the Midwest now.

This recipe makes a lot which is great for a crowd or for leftovers.

 You can use a head of cabbage and cut it up yourself or you can buy a bag of slaw mix.

 Start by sauteing the onions in a little olive oil.

 Add the ground beef and brown.  I went ahead and drained the grease off the beef.

 Add the cabbage and let it wilt.

 Now I looked high and low for the crescent rolls that did not have the perforations and could not find them.  If you can find them use them because it will make it much easier. Layer one can in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.  Make sure to spray it first.

 Try and get the lines sealed.

 After the cabbage is wilted, add the can of cream of mushroom soup and stir well.  Continue with it on the heat until heated through.  Salt and pepper at this stage too.

 Layer the meat mixture on top of the roll base.

 Add 2 cups shredded cheese on top of the meat.

 Then add the second can of crescent rolls on top.  This one was a little trickier.  It didn't look as pretty. Place in a preheated 350 oven and bake for 20 minutes.

 I was worried the bottom crust might not bake through and be soggy.  It has happened with other recipes before but I was pleasantly surprised.  It was nice and crisp.

It cuts up nice and pretty too.  So today you get a history lesson along with a recipe.

Beefy Bieroc Casserole Recipe
2 lbs ground beef
3 cups chopped cabbage
medium chopped onion
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cans crescent rolls
2 cups shredded cheese

Bake in preheated 350 oven and bake for 20 minutes.