American Goulash

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American Goulash is an easy one-pot dinner classic that the entire family loves. It’s some good old fashioned comfort food. 

Our American Goulash recipe serves eight and costs $13.34 to make. That’s just $1.67 per serving! 

For more crowd-pleasing easy recipes, we recommend our Machaca Burritos and our Instant Pot Pulled Pork.

American Goulash

If you need a meal to feed a crowd that won’t break the bank, we have the perfect dish for you! This recipe for American Goulash feeds a crowd! What’s even better is that you make it all in one pot to feed a crowd and have a clean kitchen. It’s like all my dreams are coming true in this American Goulash dish! 

You may hear this referred to as American Chop Suey, or maybe you call it American Goulash. Either way, we call it amazing. The tomato sauce flavors mixed with the beef and macaroni noodles bring you a hearty dish you can eat year-round. 

This American version of traditional goulash will leave you saying, “oh my goulash; I’m gonna want seconds!” Seriously, our kids and husband can never get enough of this when we make it. It is perfect for those busy nights, or when you have a get-together, you need to provide the main dish for. 

Make this American Goulash tonight, and your friends and family will tell you it is the best they have ever had!

What is goulash made of?

The main ingredients of American Goulash are beef, elbow macaroni, and tomatoes. Throw in a few seasonings such as Italian seasoning, Mrs. Dash, salt, garlic, and a bay leaf, and you are on your way to having a delicious meal. 

What food goes well with goulash? 

• 1-Hour French Bread
• Easy Garlic Bread
• Green Salad
• Large Batch 1-Hour Dinner Rolls

What is the difference between spaghetti and goulash?

Spaghetti is a favorite dish with some similar ingredients. However, the noodles and sauce are cooked separately and then combined when serving. In contrast, goulash is made by cooking the noodles and sauce together in a pot. 

How much will this American Goulash cost:

RECIPE COST: $13.34

PRICE PER SERVING: $1.67

• 2 pounds lean ground beef – $7.20
• 1 medium yellow onion – $0.62
• 3 cloves garlic – $0.15
• 3 cups water – $0
• 28 ounce can diced tomatoes – $1.64
• 29 ounce can tomato sauce – $1.64
• 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce – $0.12
• 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning – $0.39
• 1 ½ teaspoon Mrs. Dash – $0.16
• ¾ teaspoon salt – $0.01
• 1 bay leaf – $0.03
• 1 pound elbow macaroni – $1.38

To find out more about how we price our recipes, check out Budget Recipes Explained.

Cook’s Tools:

• box grater
• chef knife
• cutting board
• large Pot
• wooden spoon

The flavor and Recipe Variations:

•  Instead of ground beef, you can use ground turkey, ground pork, or Italian sausage. 

How long is this good for:

• Serve: You can keep this at room temperature for up to 2 hours. After that, it will have to be refrigerated. 
• Store: Leftovers will keep for up to 4 days in an airtight container. 
• Freeze: You can freeze the pasta for up to 3 months in an airtight container. When reheating, you may need to spritz the goulash with water. 

How to Make American Goulash Recipe:

1. First, in a large heavy-bottomed pot, cook ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until no longer pink. Then drain off the grease.
2. Next, stir in the remaining ingredients and increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. After it is boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and cover while simmering for 22-26 minutes. 
3. Finally, remove from the heat, remove the bay leaf, and serve with shredded cheese. 

How to get the kids involved with this recipe:

• Ages 2-3: Let them help by pouring in the pasta into the pot. 
• Ages 4-5: Let them help measure out the ingredients, pour them into the pot, and stir. They will especially love sprinkling the cheese! 
• Ages 6-8: Teach them how to cook the meat by using the back of a wooden spoon to break the meat apart. 
• Ages 9-11: Supervise them while they prepare the entire recipe. Remember to have them read it twice before beginning the recipe. 
• Ages 12+: Let them prepare the entire recipe, unsupervised, while you do the happy dance in the corner!

Discover why we love getting the kids involved in the kitchen and more tips in our How to Get Kids Involved In Cooking article.

More Comfort Meal Dinner recipes:

• BBQ Chicken Braid
• Cheesy Baked Spaghetti
• Cindy’s Easy Sausage Gumbo
• Easy Beef Chili
• Grilled Cheese Sloppy Joes
• Homemade Sloppy Joes
• Inside Out Chicken Pot Pie
• Jenna’s Chicken Pillows
• One Pan Cheesy Broccoli Chicken Rice
• Skillet Lasagna

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American Goulash

Recipe Cost 13.34

Serving Cost 1.67

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

American Goulash is an easy dinner classic that the entire family will love. It serves 8 and costs $13.34 to make. That’s just $1.67 per serving!

Servings: 8 people

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Equipment

• box grater
• chef knife
• cutting board
• large pot
• Wooden spoon

Ingredients

 

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• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 medium yellow onion chopped
• 3 large cloves garlic minced
• 3 cups water
• 28 ounce can diced tomatoes undrained
• 29 ounce can tomato sauce
• 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 ½ teaspoon Mrs. Dash
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 pound elbow macaroni

FOR GARNISH:

• Shredded cheddar cheese optional

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• In a large heavy-bottomed pot, Dutch oven, or a large and deep pan (that can hold at least 5 quarts), cook ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain off the grease.
• Stir in water, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, Mrs. Dash, salt, bay leaf, and elbow macaroni to the pan.
• Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot or pan, and simmer for 22-26 minutes or until the pasta is cooked through.
• Remove from the heat, remove the bay leaf, and serve with shredded cheddar cheese (optional). Serve.

Notes

This is an easily adaptable recipe. If you don’t have canned tomato sauce or diced tomatoes, then you can use pasta sauce. 

Also, you can you any shredded cheese that you’d like on top. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5cup | Calories: 419kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 1024mg | Potassium: 1112mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 572IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 6mg

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