Grandma’s American Goulash

Grandma’s American goulash is a classic comforting meal you can make with a little time on any budget. Featuring cheese, tomato broth, noodles, and beef, this hearty dinner will feed even the biggest appetites anytime.

My Grandma would put together American goulash regularly.

It was the go to meal after softball games and busy days spent playing outside.

And now I make a version of it for my sons regularly.

Fortunately they love it just as much as I did growing up and still do now.

What is American Goulash?

American goulash is a staple in midwestern and southern cooking.

Sometimes you’ll hear it called slumgullion or American chop suey.

It’s a comforting combination of pasta, beef, cheese, and soupy sauce.

What’s the difference between American goulash and Hungarian goulash?

Hungarian Goulash is thick stew made with meat and veggies in a sauce seasoned with paprika.

It’s often served over or along side pasta.

American Goulash is a quicker dish.

It features ground beef, tomato sauce, and noodles.

Everything cooked together in a single pot.

Ingredients:

Beef– Ground beef, lean being recommended but not absolutely necessary
Aromatics– Minced garlic and diced onion
Water
Beef broth– For extra richness
Olive oil– Don’t substitute this for a different kind of oil
Tomato products– Both canned tomato sauce and canned diced tomatoes
Seasoning– Italian seasoning, bay leaves, and salt and pepper
Pasta– Cavatelli or another smaller pasta like elbows
Cheese– Both shredded mozzarella and shredded cheddar

How to Make

Making this is very easy and a one pot meal!

browned ground beef and onions in a gray dutch oven

To do it, heat a dutch oven over medium high heat.

Once the dutch oven is hot, add the ground beef, olive oil, garlic, and onions.

goulash sauce ingredients in a gray dutch oven

Stir everything together, breaking the meat up as you go.

Cook the mixture until the meat is browned and cooked through.

Drain the excess fat off and return the mixture to the pot.

dry pasta noodles in a pot of goulash

Then, stir in the water, broth, tomato sauce and chopped tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and bay leaves.

Turn down the heat, allowing the mixture to just simmer.

Cover, and let cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

American goulash in a gray dutch oven

After 20 minutes, stir in the pasta, cover, and continue simmering an additional 30 minutes or until the pasta is cooked through.

Remove the bay leaves, and sprinkle on salt and pepper, to taste.

Stir in the mozzarella cheese until evenly combined.

shredded cheese sitting on top of a pot of goulash

Serve immediately, scooping into bowls, and topping with the shredded cheddar.

Tips and Tricks

Use leaner ground beef so there is less fat to drain.

Don’t sub the beef broth for water. The beef broth adds extra richness and makes it feel slow cooked.

Stir occasionally throughout the cooking process to make sure everything cooks evenly and doesn’t stick together.

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