Ah yes 😏—American Goulash is classic, cozy, and totally different from Hungarian goulash—it’s basically a one-pot beef and pasta dinner with a tomato base, comfort-food gold.
🍲 American Goulash
Ingredients (4–6 servings)
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp paprika (optional, for subtle warmth)
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (or pasta of choice)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar (optional, for topping)
Instructions
- Brown beef: In a large skillet or saucepan, cook ground beef with onion and garlic until beef is fully browned. Drain excess fat if needed.
- Add tomatoes & seasoning: Stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, salt, pepper, paprika, and Italian seasoning. Simmer 5–10 minutes.
- Cook pasta: Add uncooked pasta and 2 cups water (or broth). Cover and simmer 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender and sauce has thickened.
- Finish: Sprinkle shredded cheddar on top if desired and cover a few minutes to melt. Serve hot.
🔥 Pro Tips
- Extra cheesy: stir half the cheese into the sauce while cooking, half on top.
- Veggie boost: add bell peppers, corn, or peas.
- Quick version: use cooked pasta—just stir it into the simmered meat-tomato sauce for 5 minutes.
- Spicy twist: add a pinch of cayenne or red pepper flakes.
If you want, I can also give a slow-cooker American goulash version or a one-pan, minimal cleanup stovetop version that’s basically ready in 30 minutes.
Do you want me to do that?
