Hearty and filling, traditional Goulash is a beef and vegetable stew originating from the shepherds of medieval Hungary. Enjoyed all over central Europe, Goulash is loved by many as homecooked comfort food that just sticks to the bones. While it is great in itself, of course Americans had to take it a step further and add a bunch of noodles and even cheese at times to take this dish to the ultimate next level. Today's recipe, American Goulash, reflects the roots of the traditional Goulash with a modern spin making it a weeknight meal perfect for all with leftovers to enjoy the next day! Yes, that's right, we are going to make a large batch in one pot giving us several meals with minimal cleanup. Are you ready to learn how to make this tasty dinner? Let's Get Cooking!
While the traditional version of Goulash would call for large chunks of meat, we will be making our Americanized version with ground beef. Begin by browning the ground beef in a large pot or Dutch Oven over Medium to Medium-High heat. Be sure to season the beef with some Worcestershire sauce and salt/pepper. Cook the ground beef for about 15 minutes until no longer pink. You don't have to get it completely cooked through at this point as there is still plenty of time for it to finish cooking as we go through the rest of the steps.
Next, add some diced onion and continue cooking over Medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. When the onions just start turning translucent, add some minced garlic and let it cook for an additional minute or so, until fragrant. At this point, the ground beef should just about be completely cooked through so drain off any excess oil and grease before moving on to the next step.
Once your beef mixture has been drained of excess fats, add the marinara sauce, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, diced bell peppers, Italian seasoning, and a bay leaf or two. Stir everything together and simmer, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes. Be sure to stir it occasionally to prevent anything from sticking and burning on the bottom of your pot.
After 15 minutes or so, remove the lid and check your Goulash. Every batch will be slightly different according to how much natural water and juices were in the onions and bell peppers, etc. You may need to add some beef stock if your batch is a bit on the thicker side. We are making a stew so you want it to have some liquidity to it, but not be too thin. Aim for something in the range of thickness seen below.
Once you have your Goulash about the right consistency, add the macaroni noodles and stir to incorporate them throughout the mixture. To be safe, however, go ahead and add at least 1 cup of beef stock to start with and we can adjust accordingly later. The noodles need that thinner stock liquid to cook so be sure to check their progress every few minutes and add more beef stock if necessary. Otherwise, cover your pot and simmer the Goulash with noodles for 20 to 25 minutes until the macaroni is tender and cooked. If your Goulash thickens too much and the noodles still need to further cook, simply keep adding a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of beef stock at a time and stirring. If you follow the recipe card below, most batches should require at least 1 cup of beef stock, but no more than 2 cups in total to get the noodles fully cooked.
Once your noodles have been in the Goulash for 20 minutes or so, remove the lid and carefully give one a taste to ensure the pasta is fully cooked. If you are satisfied, stir the mixture around and try to fish out the bay leaves you added earlier. No one wants to bite into a woody, crunchy bay leaf when trying to enjoy their dinner! Other than that, our American Goulash is ready for the dinner table! Now, to be fair, I stopped my Americanization of this dish at this point, but you can take it a step further and add some shredded cheese to melt into yours. I would suggest adding the cheese to the individual serving bowls rather than the main pot to ensure future leftover Goulash is still delish and not overly flavored by reheated cheese, however. Otherwise, this American Goulash is a one pot meal anyone can pull off in about an hour from start to finish. Like most stews and similar dishes, the leftovers taste even better so make sure your batch is big enough to enjoy at least an extra day or meal's worth, trust me! This one truly proves anyone can get in the kitchen and make delicious dinners for their friends and family...Just Keep Cooking!
AMERICAN GOULASH
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