This Old-Fashioned American Goulash is a hearty one-pot classic, full of beef, macaroni pasta, onions and canned tomatoes. Super easy to make, and ready in just about 30 minutes, this recipe is American comfort food at it’s finest.
Easy American Goulash
American Goulash is a completely different dish from goulash in central Europe, where it originated. Hungarian goulash is more of a stew, filled with chunks of meat, vegetables and paprika.
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This Old-Fashioned American Goulash is the kind you are probably familiar with. Depending on where in the United States you grew up, you might also know it as noodle mixture, American chop suey or slumgullion.
Whatever you want to call it, American goulash is one of those recipes that continues to be passed down to each generation, and we can see why! It's made with simple, hearty ingredients that both kids and adults love, and it's just as easy to make a large batch as a small one.
What To Serve With This Easy Goulash Recipe
Old-Fashioned American Goulash is one of those dinners that tastes best with simple sides, such as a green salad, baked potato or fresh rolls. Here are a few of our suggestions:
- Homemade Crescent Rolls
- Pull Apart Garlic Bread
- Homemade White Bread
- Steakhouse Style Baked Potato
- Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad
Ingredients in Old-Fashioned American Goulash
- Pasta - goulash is made with either elbow macaroni or cavatappi pasta, although we’ve also seen a version made with egg noodles.
- Ground Beef - we usually prefer to use a leaner ground beef, but any kind will work. You could also make this slightly healthier by using ground turkey, instead.
- Onion - yellow or white onions taste best.
- Garlic - this should be fresh minced.
- Tomato Sauce - any brand of tomato sauce will work, or you could even substitute marinara.
- Diced Tomatoes - you can use any brand of canned diced tomatoes.
- Italian Seasoning - you should be able to find Italian seasoning in the spice section at your grocery store.
- Onion Powder - this has a nice sweet onion flavor.
- Garlic Salt - you can use garlic salt, or you can use half garlic powder and half salt.
- Black Pepper - freshly ground tastes best.
- Baking Soda - this helps to reduce the acidity of all of the tomatoes.
- Mozzarella Cheese - you can purchase shredded cheese or shred your own if you’d like. You can also substitute shredded cheddar cheese if you’d like.
- Parmesan Cheese - freshly grated tastes best.
- Basil - we like to use fresh basil for a garnish, as opposed to dried. You could also substitute fresh parsley.
How to Make Old-Fashioned Beef Goulash
- Bring a large pot of water to boil, add a tablespoon of salt and cook pasta according to the directions on the package. Once cooked, strain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the ground beef, onion and garlic and saute, stirring occasionally. Saute until the beef is no longer pink, or about 10 minutes.
- Once the beef is cooked, add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasonings, onion powder, garlic salt, pepper, and baking soda. Stir and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring gently, for about 5 minutes.
- Add the reserved cooked pasta to the beef and tomato mixture, stirring to combine. Remove from the heat and stir in the mozzarella cheese, mixing well. To serve, top each bowl with Parmesan cheese and thinly sliced basil. Enjoy!
Can I Freeze Old-Fashioned Goulash?
You can, but keep in mind that the noodles will get quite mushy if you cook them completely before freezing. Ideally, it’s best to freeze the beef mixture before adding any noodles. That way you can cool completely, transfer to an airtight container and freezer for up to 2 months.
Once you are ready to use your frozen goulash, you can cook the pasta separately while you reheat the beef mixture, either in a pot on the stove or in the microwave. Mix them together, add your cheeses and garnish and serve.
What Else Can You Add To Goulash?
- Sour Cream - adding just a cup of sour cream will give you more of a cream sauce.
- Beef Broth - you can add just a cup or two along with the canned tomatoes if you want your goulash to be a little more stew-like.
- Veggies - try adding corn, peas, carrots or sautéed red peppers or green peppers.
- Beans - black beans, garbanzo beans or kidney beans would all taste great and add even more protein.
- Seasoning - you could add a touch of cayenne or chili powder if you like a little spice. We’ve also added a few shakes of Worcestershire Sauce in the past, since it tastes great with beef.
Old Fashioned American Goulash Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Cavatappi Pasta or large elbow macaroni
- 2 lbs Ground Beef
- 1 medium Onion finely diced
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- 2 15 oz cans Tomato Sauce
- 2 15 oz cans Diced Tomatoes
- 2 Tablespoons Italian Seasoning
- 2 tsp Onion Powder
- 2 tsp Garlic Salt
- 1 tsp Ground Black Pepper
- ⅛ tsp Baking Soda
- 1 cup Mozzarella Cheese shredded
- ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese grated
- 2 Tablespoons Basil thinly sliced for garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil, add a tablespoon of salt and cook pasta according to the directions on the package. Once cooked, strain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the ground beef, onion and garlic and saute, stirring occasionally. Continue cooking until the beef is no longer pink, or about 7-10 minutes.
- Once the beef is cooked, add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasonings, onion powder, garlic salt, pepper, and baking soda. Stir and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring gently, for about 5 minutes.
- Add the reserved cooked pasta to the beef and tomato mixture, stirring to combine. Cook for another 3-5 minutes, then remove from the heat and stir in the mozzarella cheese, mixing well. To serve, top each bowl with Parmesan cheese and thinly sliced basil. Enjoy!
Here are some other one-pot recipes that we love!
- Creamy Garlic Tortellini Alfredo
- Old-Fashioned Sloppy Joes
- Homemade Rice Pilaf
- Easy Taco Soup
- Easy Lasagna Soup
If you’ve tried this recipe, please rate it and leave a comment on this post. I love hearing feedback from you helps me and other readers too! If you love Pinterest, feel free to leave a comment and photo there too. Also, if you like to share, use the hashtag #thecarefreekitchen on Instagram and tag me @thecarefreekitchen so I can find you and give your post some love. You can also find me on Facebook at The Carefree Kitchen. Thank you!!
This Old-Fashioned American Goulash is a hearty one-pot meal filled with ground beef, tomatoes, onions and macaroni pasta. Ready in just about 30 minutes, this recipe is simple American comfort food at it’s finest.
Jill Marie Aitken
Thank you for this recipe. It was quick and easy, and is great for picky eaters. (BTW, I have your pot roast roasting as I write this, and can't wait to try it tonight.) For the tough goulash crowd out there, you can always add more ingredients if you like. My grandmother was born in Hungary and cooked Hungarian Goulash. Since this is called American Goulash, I did not expect it to be Hungarian Goulash.
The Carefree Kitchen
So glad you liked the recipe. What is Hungary Goulash? I don't know if I've ever had it before. Maybe I need to do some recipe testing with it!
Vazul
The name of this recipe should be American Beefy Mac Stew or something. Please look up Authentic Hungarian Goulash. Above is not goulash by any stretch of the imagination.
Zoltan B.
Totally agree with you
Adam Kiraly
I understand that being American is hard, but calling this goulash is as offensive as it is to not call it an American Bolognese. This thing you describe above is as far from goulash as you can get... if I was a person who would get offended about something like this you would be in big trouble, mocking goulash like this... SMH