Old Fashioned Goulash is classic American comfort food: ground beef, elbow macaroni and onion simmered in a rich, well-seasoned tomato sauce, finished with melted cheddar and mozzarella. It is the one-pot dinner you make on a cold weeknight when you need to feed a crowd.
How to make old-fashioned goulash: Brown the ground beef, sauté garlic and onion, then add water, broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and seasonings and simmer 20 minutes. Stir in uncooked macaroni, simmer until tender, then melt in the cheese.
Why You’ll Love It
- One pot: the macaroni cooks right in the sauce, no separate pasta pot.
- Feeds 8: two pounds of beef and two cups of macaroni make a big batch.
- Deep flavor: a 20-minute simmer before the pasta goes in lets the sauce develop.
- Cheesy finish: cheddar stirred in and mozzarella melted on top.
Ingredient Notes
Ground beef or turkey: Two pounds. Beef is classic; if you use turkey, cook it until it reaches 165°F.
Tomato sauce and diced tomatoes: Two 15-ounce cans of each make a thick, tomatoey base. The water and beef broth give the macaroni enough liquid to cook in.
Seasonings: Italian seasoning, adobo seasoning, seasoned salt, black pepper and three bay leaves. Adobo and seasoned salt are both salty, so taste before adding anything more at the end.
Elbow macaroni: Two cups, uncooked. It soaks up the sauce as it cooks, which thickens the goulash.
Cheddar and mozzarella: The cheddar melts into the sauce for creaminess, and the mozzarella on top gives a stretchy finish. I stir in the cheddar off the heat so it stays smooth.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground beef or turkey
- 3 tsp minced garlic
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 2.5 cups water
- 0.5 cup beef broth
- 0.33 cup olive oil
- 2 cans (15 oz each) tomato sauce
- 2 cans (15 oz each) diced tomatoes
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tbsp adobo seasoning
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp seasoned salt
- 0.5 tbsp black pepper
- 2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 0.5 cup shredded cheddar cheese
How to Make Old Fashioned Goulash
1. Brown the meat. In a large skillet, cook the ground meat over medium-high heat until browned, breaking it into small pieces. Remove it from the pan and set it aside.
2. Sauté the aromatics. If needed, add the olive oil to the pan and heat over medium. Add the garlic and onion and sauté until the onion is translucent.
3. Build the base. Return the meat to the pan and stir in the water, beef broth, tomato sauce and diced tomatoes.
4. Season. Add the Italian seasoning, adobo seasoning, bay leaves, seasoned salt and black pepper and stir well.
5. Simmer. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Cook the macaroni. Stir in the elbow macaroni. Cover and simmer for up to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the macaroni is tender.
7. Add the cheese. Remove the bay leaves and stir in the cheddar until melted. Sprinkle the mozzarella on top and let it melt slightly before serving.
How to Get the Macaroni Just Right
The macaroni cooks in the sauce, so it absorbs flavor instead of plain water. That is also why the goulash thickens so much in the last stage: the pasta drinks up the liquid as it softens.
Stir every few minutes, scraping the bottom, so the macaroni does not stick and scorch. Start tasting a piece after about 20 minutes; it is ready when it is tender with just a little bite, and it will soften a bit more as the goulash rests.
If the pot looks dry before the pasta is cooked, add a splash of water or broth. I keep a little extra broth nearby for this reason, because every stove simmers differently.
Tips for Success
Why is my goulash too thick?
The macaroni soaked up more liquid than expected, or it sat after cooking. Stir in a little water or broth until it loosens.
Why is the macaroni mushy?
It simmered too long. Start checking it early and turn off the heat as soon as it is tender.
Why is it greasy?
The beef fat stayed in the pan. Drain the browned meat before returning it to the pot, especially with fattier beef.
Variations
- Baked goulash: spread the finished goulash in a baking dish, top with extra cheese and bake until bubbly.
- Add vegetables: stir in chopped green bell pepper with the onion.
- Fresh herbs: finish with chopped basil or parsley.
For goulash flavors in soup form, try Hamburger Macaroni Soup, with ground beef, tomatoes and macaroni in one pot.
Storage & Reheating
USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and use them within 3 to 4 days, or freeze them for 3 to 4 months. The pasta keeps absorbing sauce in the fridge, so add a splash of water or broth when you reheat, and heat until it reaches 165°F.
What to Serve With It
Serve goulash with a green salad and cheesy Texas toast or garlic bread. For another take, try the oven-baked old-fashioned goulash casserole or slow cooker poor man’s goulash. For more ground beef dinners, there is beef Lombardi casserole, Amish ground beef noodle casserole and hobo casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the traditional recipe for old fashioned goulash?
American goulash is ground beef, onion, garlic, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and elbow macaroni simmered together with seasonings, often finished with cheese. This recipe follows that pattern, cooked in one pot.
What is the secret to a great goulash?
Give the sauce time. Simmering it for 20 minutes before the macaroni goes in builds a richer flavor, and cooking the pasta in the sauce lets it soak up that flavor.
Is American goulash the same as Hungarian goulash?
No. Hungarian goulash is a paprika-rich beef stew, usually without pasta. American goulash is a tomato and macaroni dish with ground beef.
Old Fashioned Goulash at a Glance
Old fashioned American goulash is ground beef, tomatoes and elbow macaroni cooked together in one pot and topped with melted cheese. This recipe takes about 65 minutes and makes eight servings.
- The meat: 2 pounds of ground beef or turkey, browned with onion and garlic.
- The sauce: tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, beef broth, Italian seasoning, adobo seasoning and bay leaves.
- The pasta: 2 cups of elbow macaroni cooked right in the sauce.
- The cheese: cheddar stirred in at the end and mozzarella melted on top.
Final Notes
Stir often once the macaroni goes in and start tasting it early. If you have a question or make it, tell me how it turned out in the comments.
Old Fashioned Goulash
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Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground beef or turkey
- 3 tsp minced garlic
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 2.5 cups water
- 0.5 cup beef broth
- 0.33 cup olive oil
- 2 15-ounce cans tomato sauce
- 2 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tbsp adobo seasoning
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp seasoned salt
- 0.5 tbsp black pepper
- 2 cups elbow macaroni uncooked
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 0.5 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- In a large skillet, cook the ground meat over medium-high heat until browned, breaking it into small pieces. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- If needed, add olive oil to the pan and heat over medium. Add minced garlic and diced onion, sautéing until the onions are translucent.
- Return the meat to the pan and stir in water, beef broth, tomato sauce, and diced tomatoes. Mix well to create the base.
- Add Italian seasoning, adobo seasoning, bay leaves, seasoned salt, and black pepper. Stir to evenly distribute the seasonings.
- Lower heat, cover, and let simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to develop flavors.
- Stir in the elbow macaroni, ensuring it’s evenly mixed. Cover and simmer for up to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the macaroni is tender.
- Remove bay leaves and stir in shredded cheddar cheese until melted. Sprinkle mozzarella on top and let it melt slightly before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates based on the listed ingredients and serving count. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion sizes.
