Old Fashioned Goulash – The same American goulash recipe that you grew up with. A hearty recipe that the entire family can enjoy any night of the week.
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I grew up in the Mid-West where old fashioned goulash was a staple. My mom made it all the time growing up, and it was something that she grew up with as well. It is one of those recipes that just keeps getting made generation after generation. Kind of like the homemade brownies recipe that I have had memorized since I was 8 years old.
This American goulash recipe is the one I grew up with. You cook everything on the stove top, and then bake until all the flavors come together and it gets bubbly and hot. It goes by a million different names, but in Minnesota this is what we called it.
WHAT IS GOULASH?
American Goulash is completely different from the rest of the world. It is a hearty beefy macaroni dish with lots of tomatoes. Depending on the part of the United States that you grew up in this also goes by the name Chop Suey or Slumgullion.
Hungarian Goulash is made with stew meat and vegetables that is seasoned with paprika and other spices. The two versions are very different!
HOW TO MAKE GOULASH
- The macaroni is cooked separately, so follow the directions on the box to cook that. Because you bake the pasta for a few minutes to blend all of the flavors together, you want to under cook the pasta by 3 minutes.
- I like to use a large skillet or even a dutch oven to brown the ground beef and onions together until the beef is cooked and the onions are soft.
- After the onions are soft stir in the garlic and cook for about a minute until it starts to get fragrant.
- Add in Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce and the diced tomatoes and mix until everything is combined. You can really use any combination of tomato products that you have. If you don’t like chunks of tomatoes, just use all sauce. If you have fire roasted tomatoes in your pantry, use them!
- Add in the seasonings and taste to adjust. Start with just a little salt and add more if you think it is necessary.
- Once everything is cooked stir in the cooked pasta and cheese until everything is combined.
- Bake for 20 minutes until the cheese is melted and everything is hot and bubbly. If your pan is not oven safe transfer to a casserole dish to bake.