Beef Goulash

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword beef-goulash-recipe, easy-beef-goulash

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings servings

Calories 475kcal

Author Melissa Sperka

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 lb lean ground beef
1 small red bell pepper diced
1 small green pepper diced
1 medium onion diced
1 medium carrot peeled & diced
1 rib celery diced
4 cloves garlic minced
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 14.5 oz cans tomato sauce
1 14.5 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
3 cups dry elbow macaroni or twisted elbow macaroni
4 cups water
Seasonings:
2 Tbsp dark chili powder
2 Tbsp Hungarian paprika
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dry oregano
2 bay leaves
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese divided use
1/4 cup chopped parsley
sour cream for serving

Instructions

In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, saute the ground beef, bell peppers, onion, carrot and celery in a few drizzles of olive oil. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Cook until no pink remains then drain any excess fat from the pan. Add garlic. Sauté for another 1-2 minutes.
To the pan add the Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce, canned tomatoes and seasonings. Next, stir in the macaroni and water.
Simmer covered over medium-low heat for 25-30 minutes or until the macaroni is cooked to al dente.
Uncover mix in the chopped parsley and thicken with tomato paste, if needed. Stir in 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese.
Serve immediately with a sprinkle of reserved sharp cheddar cheese, fresh parsley and sour cream.

Notes

Simple Ingredients You Likely Have on Hand - Don't be intimidated by the ingredient list, you likely have the spices in your pantry and the vegetables you need in your veggie drawer.
Pasta - This recipe is a terrific opportunity to use vegetable infused pasta, medium shells, egg noodles penne regatta or classic elbow macaroni noodles. Gluten free pasta and whole wheat pasta, would also work to get even more nutritional goodness into this pot of goulash.
Protein - You can make goulash using ground chicken or ground turkey.
Vegetable Add-ins - Veggies like carrots and celery add flavor and bulk to this dish. If you don't have carrots, omit them with no other adjustments.
Corn - Corn isn't traditional but it would be tasty in this goulash recipe as well.
Cheese - The sky's the limit with cheese. A good sharp cheddar works great but you could use colby jack, mozzarella or mild cheddar cheese.
Water - This goulash is packed with flavor and water works perfectly for cooking the macaroni in the sauce. You could also use beef broth for an extra beefy flavor.
Adjust the Consistency of the Sauce - You can adapt the thickness of the sauce according to your taste. Follow the recipe as written, then at the end of cooking add additional liquid, either water or beef stock, to thin the tomato sauce to your personal taste. You could also convert this recipe to a soup.
Serving Goulash - You can serve goulash just as is with a side of garlic bread and a salad. We like it topped with a generous dollop of sour cream a sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese on top.

Nutrition