A specialty of Nebraska, runza is a sandwich consisting of a yeast dough bread filled with beef, cabbage, onions, and various seasonings. It can be baked in many shapes such as squares, triangles, or half-moons, although the authentic Nebraskan version is almost always baked in a rectangular shape.

It is believed that the original runza sandwich has German and Russian roots, dating back to the 18th century, and the recipe eventually made its way to the Midwestern area of America, where it was originally served as lunch for the field workers.