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This classic American Goulash is ground beef simmered in a tomato sauce with elbow macaroni, it’s one pot and the entire family will love it! This is comfort food to the max. If you are looking for a slow cooker version, try this slumgullion recipe (also another name for this dish!)
Table of Contents
I am obsessed with American Goulash. American goulash was never something that I ate growing up as a kid. My parents aren’t huge pasta eaters, meaning that this is something that my mother wouldn’t have made for us. The only pasta I can recall would be spaghetti and meatballs and the occasional tuna casserole. Which reminds me, I am making tuna casserole this winter, I swear. It’s happening. But American goulash? Not in my childhood recipe repertoire.
How to Make American Goulash
- Fry the ground beef in a large stock pot until cooked completely then drain the fat.
- Add in the garlic and cook until browned. Fry up the pepper at this point if using.
- Add in all of the remaining ingredients, except the macaroni. Stir and bring to a low boil.
- Add in the macaroni noodles and stir until mixed through.
- Cover and simmer on low heat for 20-25 minutes, until the macaroni is soft, stirring once in a while to ensure that the macaroni doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Remove from heat and serve with cheese sprinkled on top.
What is American Goulash?
American goulash is called many, many names and I have made an oven version of it using whole wheat pasta – American Chop Suey. A lot of people have called my Beef & Macaroni soup goulash – but I’m afraid it ain’t so.
I DID grow up eating my Classic Beef & Tomato Macaroni Soup and while they are close in taste, they are far from the same dish. (make sure you try that soup, it’s one of the most popular recipes on my website and it’s amazing, no word of a lie!)
Beef & Tomato Macaroni Soup:
American Goulash.
As you can see, the goulash is thicker, like a creamy casserole and has cheese. Not only that, red peppers can make an appearance and I use a can of tomato soup in the American Goulash as well. The taste profiles are similar, for sure, but other than than they are as different as night and day.
And you guys, my ENTIRE FAMILY ATE THIS.
Oh my word, that’s a miracle. My daughter, while getting much better, is still a selective eater, however she loves my beef and macaroni soup.
She ate this like a starving wolf. Thank the gods. Now Mike I knew would love this. He ate hamburger casseroles growing up and they are one of his favourite meals. I am not sure what we call American Goulash here in Canada, but I suspect it is probably just ” Hamburger Casserole.”
Because we’re fancy like that.
It really is so darn good and is the perfect meal for winter. It’s comfort food to the max, with the beef, the pasta and the cheese. It’s also a large enough recipe that our family of four ate it for supper and there was about 3 lunch servings left the next day.
You could imagine how irritated my daughter was when she found out that the rest of us accidentally ate it all on her. Oooops. I plead carb coma.
Did any of you eat American goulash growing up? Was it a favourite? Even though it wasn’t my favourite, it is now. This was one big delicious bowl o’ happy. Put this one on your winter menu and let me know what you think!
Happy cooking everyone!
Love you more than chocolate,
Karlynn
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Classic American Goulash
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 30 minutes
- Total Time
- 40 minutes
- Course
- Main Course
- Cuisine
- American
- Servings
- 6
- Calories
- 541
- Author
- Karlynn Johnston
Ingredients
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 3-4 cloves of minced garlic
- 1 cup red pepper diced
- one 28 ounces can of diced tomatoes
- 1 can condensed tomato soup
- one 680 ml can of tomato sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon seasoning salt
- 1-2 tablespoons white sugar add until desired sweetness is met
- 2 1/2 cups of dry macaroni
- 2 cups shredded medium or old cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Fry the ground beef in a large stock pot until cooked completely then drain the fat.
- Add in the garlic and cook until browned. Fry up the pepper at this point if using.
- Add in all of the remaining ingredients, except the macaroni. Stir and bring to a low boil.
- Add in the macaroni noodles and stir until mixed through.
- Cover and simmer on low heat for 20-25 minutes, until the macaroni is soft, stirring once in a while to ensure that the macaroni doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Remove from heat and serve with cheese sprinkled on top.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Information
All calories and info are based on a third party calculator and are only an estimate. Actual nutritional info will vary with brands used, your measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
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Please rate this recipe in the comments below to help out your fellow cooks!
Cheri says
Why do so many people put cheese in goulash? Trying to find one close to my dad’s, but they all have weird ingredients like Italian seasoning, Cajun seasoning, or soy sauce. His was simple with just a few ingredients on of which was paprika. So far none even call for paprika.
Kelly from Ontario says
After trying so many bland versions l wasn’t expecting so much flavour! This was above average and worthy of being served to company. My husband and l both loved it! I made a HALF recipe and used these brands: Hunt’s (No Salt Added)Tomato Sauce, Aylmer Accents (Garlic and Olive Oil flavoured) Petite Cut Stewed Tomatoes, Heinz Tomato Soup, Armstrong (Shredded)Triple Cheddar, and Barilla Rotini. I only used 2 teaspoons of sugar . Thanks very much for sharing a great keeper!
Deborah says
Didn’t taste like any goulash I’ve ever had. Entirely too much Italian seasoning. Was awful. Nobody ate it.
Donna Taylor says
Do you add water to the condensed tom. soup
Jennie says
Karlynn, any chance of you composing an Instant Pot version to share with us? Seems like it would translate perfectly for us “time is of the essence” cooks 🙂
Linda says
Not a good recipe, one thing, carrots add the sweetness instead of sugar. There are no appropriate spices, just a bunch of sugar and salt.
MARY says
LOVE THE SWEET IN THIS RECIPE. MY MOM IN THE 49 AND 50S MADE THIS FOR US.
Linda Wetch says
Goulash, was what my dad made when my mom was out of town,this didnt happen often. our recipe went like this: The grn Beef and elbow noodles., like the above description Corn, celery, peas, and carrots, maybe even some shreaded cabbage. lots of paprika, lots of garlic, Never any sugar. and if mom was cooking it came wth corn bread. Always wonderful, by either mom or dad. Yours looks great and am, now putting on next week’s menu. thank you for sharing
Sue says
I grew up eating a “hamburger casserole” very similar to this. Mom’s recipe did not have soy sauce and the sugar was in teaspoons not tablespoons. It had a few additions that your recipe is missing; chopped onion (I assume the lack of onions in your recipe is a proofreading error ☺) and celery, and finely diced or grated carrot. We would usually also add a cup of another vegetable like frozen corn or peas.
My husband’s family did not have hamburger casserole in their rotation and it was the first meal I ever made for him. I’ve expanded my recipe repertoire a lot over the last 3 decades but this is still a frequent request.
Elisabeth says
I agree that this recipe is a little different; but may be due to geography of origination. My family’s recipe is similar to yours,but simpler- Grd Beef, Stewed Tomatoes, Tomato Soup, tiny amt Sugar & broken Spaghetti. slow cooker or stove top. I have always wondered if this came from the South (tomatoes); as parents spent early years in AL.,then came north (giving me a northern accent & southern innards) However it’s made, it’s pure comfort food!
Bob says
Should the diced tomatoes be 28 ounce instead of 20 ounces? I can’t find a 20 ounce can.
Terri says
This was delicious, but your recipes have a flaw that drive me a little nuts. Please avoid using numerals together. It can be confusing if you write “1 20 oz can of diced tomatoes” but then later correctly write “2 1/2 cups of dry macaroni”. The 20 oz should be in parentheses so it reads “1 (20 oz) can of diced tomatoes”. Any recipe writing guideline lists this as a basic principle. Thanks for listening to my rant! This was a very tasty dish!
BERNADETTE BENTO says
Thank you for your amazing recipes. I had some ground beef last week and elbow macaroni and just did a mashup of a Paula Dean recipe, It was “ok”, and my husband has been eating it all week, but your recipes are so much better. I also made your cheddar cheese and beef/macaroni soup and OMG, my husband and kids DEVOURED it. Thank you from NY!!!!
Geraldine Williams says
Never brown the meat in a,stock pot or sauce pan, the meat just boils, use a large skillet for your one pot goulash. I’ve been eating this for 60 years.
Wendy says
I ate goulash growing up and now all 4 of my kids love it
Robin Leggett says
Read your bio and I think we may be sister separated at birth ?
Joline says
How many servings would you say this makes?
AngelaMitchell says
I just made this tonight and my picky eater asked for seconds. I’m putting in rotation, thanks.
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gekkafem says
You could imagine how irritated my daughter was when she found out that the rest of us accidentally ate it all on her. Oooops. I plead carb coma>>>>>
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lastekil says
nice