Goulash is one of America’s favorite comfort foods. Made with ground beef, pasta, and tomatoes, it’s quite similar to the dish we call American chop suey, but it usually contains more seasoning and often includes cheese.
This version is an all-in-one dish. The meat, vegetables, and pasta are cooked in one pot, making cleanup a breeze. It’s a delicious dish many families enjoy a few times a month, and it’s easy on the budget.
Recipe Variations
- Vegetables: Add extra vegetables to the goulash. Sauté diced celery and carrots with the onions. Mushrooms are another excellent choice, or add some corn or peas the last 5 minutes or so.
- Tex-Mex: Add drained canned black beans and corn along with diced chile peppers, and use taco seasoning or chili powder instead of Italian seasoning.
- Meat: Replace the beef with ground turkey, chorizo, or ground pork.
How to Store and Reheat
- Refrigerate leftover goulash in an airtight container and enjoy within 4 days.
- Reheat leftovers in a skillet over medium-low heat with a little oil or butter and a splash of water or broth.
Classic American Goulash
Make a pot of delicious American goulash with ground beef, macaroni, tomatoes, and seasonings.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Comfort Food, Pasta
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1 pound ground beef (I use 85%)
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 large bay leaf
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups beef broth
- 2 8-ounce cans tomato sauce
- 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup (4 ounces) elbow macaroni (uncooked)
- 2 to 4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Heat the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and ground beef and cook, breaking up the beef and stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and the beef is no longer pink, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove some of the drippings if the beef is very fatty.
- Add the garlic, bell pepper, and Italian seasoning to the beef and cook for 1 minute longer.
- Add the bay leaf, salt, pepper, beef broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and macaroni. Stir to blend. Bring to a simmer, cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes. Check to make sure the macaroni is tender, and add the cheddar cheese, stirring until the cheese has melted. Taste for seasonings.
- Turn the goulash into a large serving bowl and garnish with chopped parsley or basil and extra cheese if desired.
