Classic American Goulash

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!

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 staving 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 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

40 mins

 

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!

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: american goulash

Servings: 6

Calories: 541 kcal

Author: Karlynn Johnston

Ingredients

• 2 lbs lean ground beef
• 3-4 cloves of minced garlic
• 1 t red pepper diced optional, I don' like pepper in it
• 1 20 oz can of diced tomatoes
• 1 can condensed tomato soup
• 1 680 ml can of tomato sauce
• 1 1/2 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tbsp Worchestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tbsp seasoning salt
• 1-2 tbsp white sugar add until desired sweetness is met
• 2 1/2 cups of dry macaroni
• 2 cups shredded medium or old cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Fry the ground beef in a large stock pot until cooked completely then drain the fat.
2. Add in the garlic and cook until browned. Fry up the pepper at this point if using.
3. Add in all of the remaining ingredients, except the macaroni. Stir and bring to a low boil.
4. Add in the macaroni noodles and stir until mixed through.
5. 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.
6. Remove from heat and serve with cheese sprinkled on top.

Recipe Notes

The sugar in this is the key to reducing that acidic taste you get when you cook with tomatoes. Sprinkle it in and taste test until it's perfect for you!

Nutrition Facts

Classic American Goulash

Amount Per Serving

Calories 541 Calories from Fat 180

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 20g 31%

Saturated Fat 11g 55%

Cholesterol 133mg 44%

Sodium 1283mg 53%

Potassium 723mg 21%

Total Carbohydrates 37g 12%

Dietary Fiber 2g 8%

Sugars 3g

Protein 48g 96%

Vitamin A 8.5%

Vitamin C 2.8%

Calcium 32%

Iron 29%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.