American Goulash

Robin: Though they share a name, what’s commonly known as “goulash” in the United States has little resemblance to the dish of the same name in Central Europe. Both are stew-like and feature meat as a main ingredient, but that’s about where the similarity ends. Comparing American goulash to Hungarian goulash seems a bit like comparing apples to pineapples.

American goulash (sometimes called American Chop Suey in the Northeast) is one of those classic home style comfort foods familiar to most people in the United States. It’s not something you would plan ahead to make for a special dinner guest, but it definitely would be a dish you’d share with old friend who casually dropped by around dinnertime—and it’s easy to share, as the use of macaroni stretches a pound of ground beef into a meal for six.

There are those who despise this concoction because of its plain ingredients or its unpretentious stove-top casserole character; others deplore the fact that it shares a name with a better-esteemed European dish. Now that I think about it, many people in the United States—especially those of us in rural and small town areas—are a lot like American goulash. Our ancestors came from elsewhere—but that happened way back in the day, and we’re totally “from here” now. We’re mostly down-to-earth, good-hearted, and wholesome. And we are often looked down upon by others who believe themselves to be oh-so-more sophisticated than we are.

Oh well, haters gonna hate. But don’t let that dissuade you from making some delicious American goulash to fill your belly, delight your tongue, and warm your body and soul.

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American Goulash

Canned tomatoes, diced veggies, and elbow macaroni turn a pound of ground beef into a one-dish comfort food supper.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword casserole, comfort food, goulash, macaroni, one-dish meal, tomatoes

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 300 kcal

Author Robin Grose / comboplate.net

Ingredients

• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 1 medium-sized onion diced
• 1 medium-sized green bell pepper diced
• 4 cups water
• 2 cups dry elbow macaroni
• 1 (15 oz.) can stewed tomatoes or diced tomatoes
• 1 (15-oz.) can crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoon dried Italian herbs
• 1 tablespoon beef bouillon powder or paste
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

Instructions

1. In a soup pot or large sautée pan, brown the ground beef with the diced onion and green pepper, breaking up the beef as you go; pour off any excess fat.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir to combine, and cover. Let it come to a boil over medium-high heat, then turn heat down a bit and continue to cook with lid on for about 5 minutes.
3. Proceed with the cooking according to how much liquid you would like the finished dish to have: if you like quite a bit of liquid in your goulash, cook with the lid on the pan at an angle so that only a bit of steam will escape; if you´re going for a drier goulash, remove the lid completely so that more liquid will evaporate. Cook for another 5 minutes or until the macaroni is done; do not overcook.
4. Remove your delicious goulash from the heat and serve immediately, either plain or topped with grated cheese (parmesan and cheddar are good on this).
5. Refrigerate any leftovers and eat within a week. Reheated American goulash is as good as freshly made, if not better.

Recipe Notes

As usual, feel free to change up the seasonings to your own taste and/or to what you have on hand at the time. Trade the Cajun seasoning for paprika, for example, or swap the dried Italian herbs for some chopped, fresh parsley.