American Goulash
American Goulash is not Hungarian Goulash – the Hungarian version is more like a soup or stew, focused on serving seasoned meat with seasonal vegetables. That one is all about the seasoning; usually paprika-heavy (not that its a bad thing). Over here, we make Goulash a one-pot quick and easy dinner for busy working moms and men who don’t know what else to cook (or how to).
My husband loves Goulash and insists that if there’s no corn, it’s not Goulash. I beg to differ, as I much prefer my Grandma’s version of “Macaroni and Tomatoes” with some ground beef. I decided to add some veggies and come up with my own version. It’s sort of like a Hamburger Helper, but not really. I like veggies, but you can top yours off with some cheese if you prefer. I have my own special versions of Hamburger Helper (one cheeseburger macaroni, one chili mac, and sometimes whatever seems to make sense to combine and season). Either way, this is not that.
Fans of traditional Hungarian Goulash are appalled at the American version.
They hate the noodles, they don’t like the ground beef (typically, it should be beef stew chunks).
Our grandmothers learned to work with what they had – noodles, beef, and some canned tomato products.
What developed from their ingenuity was “Goulash”. Usually made with paprika & Worcestershire sauce.
And we love it. With or without corn. With or without cheese.
American Goulash
Ingredients
- 2 c elbow macaroni uncooked
- 14.5 oz diced tomatoes
- 14.5 oz whole tomatoes canned
- 1 can tomato paste or sauce
- 1 lb. ground beef
- ½ green pepper diced
- 1 onion chopped
- 1½ c beef broth
- 2 garlic cloves chopped
- 1 T Worcestershire sauce
- 1 t paprika
- ½ t oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 t black pepper
Instructions
- Cook onion, bell pepper & ground beef on medium-high heat until onions become translucent. Add garlic and cook just until savory (about 2 minutes).
- Add tomatoes, broth, seasoning & macaroni. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes.
- Remove bay leaf before serving.
Notes
