Old Fashioned Goulash

Old Fashioned Goulash recipe is the one I grew up with. You cook everything on the stove top, and then bake until all the flavors come together and it gets bubbly and hot. It goes by a million different names, but in Minnesota this is what we called it.

This recipe is completely different from the rest of the world. It is a hearty beefy macaroni dish with lots of tomatoes. Depending on the part of the United States that you grew up in this also goes by the name Chop Suey or Slumgullion.

If you are trying to stretch your food budget, goulash is a great choice. A single pound of ground beef can stretch to several servings when combined with pasta and a richly seasoned tomato-based sauce. It’s become a popular standard for many not just for flavor, but for convenience and affordability.

Since the bulk of this recipe can be kept in my pantry easily, it is often one I decide to whip up at the last minute when I just don’t feel like making anything else. It’s even easy enough that my teenager can whip this up for us when it’s his weeknight dinner night.

Ingredients

1/2 lb macaroni
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 large onion, diced
garlic salt, pepper, chili powder, & hot sauce to taste
2 (14.5 oz) cans whole stewed tomatoes, undrained
2 tablespoons ketchup
Tomato juice as needed