The ultimate comfort food! Goulash (aka American Chopped Suey) was a staple in my house growing up. Can you say…COMFORT FOOD?! This one pot, tomato-based sauce with ground beef, bell peppers and macaroni, will be a family favorite for sure.
Goulash is such a flavorful, delicious dish and it only takes about 40 minutes. Both my mom and my grandmother would make this for our family. It was their way of warming us up and giving us some loving. It is perfect for a snowy weekend. I like to make it on a Sunday and have leftovers for the kids for the week. It is a relatively easy and cost- effective meal your whole family will love. And your house will smell amazing! Give it a try and let me know what you think.
Looking for more comfort food ideas? May I suggest:
- Chicken Cacciatore
- Braised Lamb Shanks
- Mish Me Mishurka (Lamb and Beans)
- Individual Chicken Pot Pies
- Paella
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Elbow macaroni – Any small pasta will do.
- Vegetables – Chopped onion, green pepper and carrots.
- Ground beef – Ideally use lean ground beef (90%). Ground turkey is an even leaner alternative.
- Herbs – Fresh oregano and thyme. If using dried, reduce to 2 teaspoons oregano and 1 teaspoon thyme. Plus 1 teaspoon of dried marjoram and a Bay leaf. If you like a kick, add some red pepper flakes or ground paprika.
- Tomatoes – I use crushed and diced, plus some tomato paste. It makes for a very tomato-y sauce, which I like. You can cut back to one can of either diced or crushed tomatoes if you like.
- Parmesan Cheese – For serving. You can skip the Parmesan and mix in a little sour cream for a more creamy, tangy dish. Or go crazy and do both!
Note: Many goulash recipes call for sugar. I think the carrots sweeten this dish enough. I say no to sugar whenever possible. However, if you tend to like your tomato sauce a bit sweeter, add a pinch of sugar.
Preparation
- Boil the macaroni. Err on the side of al dente. It will cook a bit more when you add it to the sauce, and you don’t want it to get mushy.
- While the pasta is cooking, chop your vegetables. Then saute the the vegetables in extra virgin olive oil until softened.
- Add the ground beef and cook through, stirring often.
- Stir in the herbs, salt and pepper.
- Next add the tomatoes and mix well.
- Stir in the macaroni.
- Remove the Bay leaf and thyme sprigs and serve with lots of fresh ground Parmesan cheese.
Equipment
Dutch Oven. I love my Le Creuset. In fact, we have two! We each brought one to the party.
PrintGoulash
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Description
The ultimate comfort food! Goulash (aka American Chopped Suey).
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 green pepper, finely chopped
- 3 carrots, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 3/4 pounds ground beef
- 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
- 4 springs fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon marjoram
- 1 Bay leaf
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 28 ounces diced tomatoes
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- Parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
1. Boil the macaroni according to the package instructions
2. In a large pot, heat the olive oil on medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, green pepper and carrots. Cook until the onion is translucent and carrots are starting to soften (about 5 minutes).
3. Add the ground beef and cook for about 10 minutes, until the meat is cooked (no pink).
4. Add oregano, marjoram, thyme, Bay leaf, salt and pepper. Stir until nicely blended.
5. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste. Mix well, then add the macaroni, stirring to coat. Add additional salt & pepper to taste. Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs and serve with grated Parmesan cheese.
Equipment
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 25
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Stovetop
Keywords: Goulash, American Chop Suey, Weekend Meals, Ground Beef, Pasta
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