American Goulash
American Goulash is hearty comfort food made easy! Savory beef, peppers, and onions simmered in a rich tomato sauce, tossed with pasta, and topped with cheese—all ready in 40 minutes!
Servings: 6 servings
Cost: $13.38
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup diced yellow onion 1 onion
- 1 cup diced red pepper 1 pepper
- 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic 3–4 cloves
- 1 pound lean ground beef 93/7
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- Salt and pepper
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 2 (14.5-ounce) cans fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons beef bouillon powder
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup freshly shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
- 3 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
Instructions
- Finely dice the onion and red pepper, and mince the garlic.
- In a large, cast-iron pot, heat olive oil over medium-high. Once shimmering, add finely diced onion, red pepper, and minced garlic. Sauté until tender, adjusting heat if needed. Simultaneously, bring a separate pot of water to boil on high heat.
- Turn heat to high and push veggies aside in the pot. Add beef to the middle, letting each side sear for 30 seconds. Crumble and cook until no pink remains, then drain excess grease. Reduce heat to medium. Mix in tomato paste, Italian seasoning, paprika, chili powder, garlic and onion powders, and season with pepper to taste. Stir until spices release their aroma, about 1–2 minutes.
- Pour in the tomato sauce, scraping the pot’s bottom for any browned bits. Mix in fire-roasted crushed tomatoes. Add beef bouillon cubes, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaves; stir gently. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low, partially covering the pot. Simmer until fragrant and tender, ideally 30–45 minutes for a richer sauce or until pasta is cooked. While simmering, shred the cheese.
- Once the water boils, season with salt (roughly 3/4 tablespoon). Add macaroni and cook as per package instructions. Drain when done.
- Off the heat, mix in the Cheddar until melted. If eating immediately, combine meat mixture with cooked macaroni. For leftovers, add macaroni to bowls and top with meat mixture to prevent noodles from bloating in storage. Adjust seasoning to taste, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3–4 days. To freeze, cool the dish, then transfer to a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen or thaw overnight.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 336kcal | Carbohydrates: 35.7g | Protein: 22.4g | Fat: 11.6g | Cholesterol: 50.3mg | Sodium: 271.7mg | Fiber: 3.2g | Sugar: 6.4g