Main Dishes

American Goulash

American Goulash is an easy old-fashioned comforting meal that is perfect for the cold winter months. Everything cooks in the same pot, even the pasta!

Hi friends! Melanie here again from Garnish & Glaze to share a comforting easy meal for you to enjoy all fall and winter long. This time of year is all about the hearty meals that keep us warm and leave us feeling full and satisfied. It’s time to start making all the comforting Mac & Cheese, Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup, and American Goulash!

What is Goulash?

Goulash is a hearty dish of stewed beef and tomatoes that was first developed in Hungry. It typically doesn’t even have pasta in it but this American version does and cooks right in the sauce making it an easy complete meal. It tastes similar to lasagna but without the ricotta cheese. I love it because it’s basically a 1:1 ratio of meaty red sauce with noodles. The more beefy sauce, the better!

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How to make American Goulash:

You’ll start out by browning your ground beef in a large stock pot. Work it into crumbles as it browns. Using a potato masher to crumble the meat works like a charm. Once it’s browned, remove it and drain it but leave a tablespoon or two of grease in the pan to cook the onions.

Cook your onions in the beef grease over medium heat until soft and then add in the garlic and cook for just a minute before adding the meat back in along with everything but the pasta and cheese. I prefer to use one can petite diced tomatoes because they’re smaller (less noticeable to my kids) but if you don’t have that on hand regular diced work too.

You’ll bring the pot to a simmer, cover it, and reduce the heat to low and allow it to simmer for 20 minutes so the flavors can marry together and the beef to get tender.

Stir in the dry pasta and return the lid and allow it to cook for 15-20 minutes. You’ll want to give it a stir about every 5 minutes especially at the beginning to make sure the noodles don’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Cook just until the noodles are al dente because they will continue to soften in the hot Goulash and you don’t want them getting too soft and falling apart.

After turning off the heat, stir in the cheese and garnish with fresh parsley.

This recipe makes a lot so it’s perfect for feeding a big family, sharing with others, or eating the leftovers for lunch the rest of the week. Enjoy!

Watch a video on how American Goulash is made here:


4.1 from 7 reviews
American Goulash
 
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American Goulash is an easy old-fashioned comforting meal that is perfect for the cold winter months. Everything cooks in the same pot, even the pasta!
Author:
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon beef base (or bouillon)
  • 2 (15 ounce) cans tomato sauce
  • 2 (15 ounce) cans diced tomatoes (one petite diced)
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Seasoned salt
  • 2 tablespoons Italian Seasoning
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 cups elbow macaroni noodles, uncooked
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
  • Fresh Italian parsley, chopped
Instructions
  1. Brown ground beef in a large stock pot. Remove from pan and drain. Leave about 1-2 tablespoons grease in pan. Add the diced onion and cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat until tender. Add the garlic and cook another minute.
  2. Return ground beef to pot along with the water, beef base, cans of tomatoes and sauce, soy sauce, bay leaves, seasoned salt, Italian seasoning, paprika, and black pepper. Stir together, bring to a boil, cover, reduce to low and let simmer for 20 minutes.
  3. Stir in the noodles, cover, and simmer 15-20 minutes or until al dente. Stir occasionally to prevent noodles from sticking to the bottom.
  4. Just before serving, stir in the cheese. Serve garnished with fresh parsley.

 

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    • Melanie Dueck

    Melanie is the cook and photographer behind the blog Garnish & Glaze. When she’s not playing princesses with her two little girls, she’s experimenting in the kitchen. She takes simple ingredients and creates everything from healthy dinners to indulgent desserts.