American Goulash
One-pot and budget-friendly, American Goulash combines ground beef and macaroni simmered together in a hearty tomato-based sauce seasoned with paprika. Perfect for busy weeknights and the leftovers make a great lunch!
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 1 large green bell pepper chopped
- 1 large red bell pepper chopped
- 1 small carrot finely diced
- 8 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons Hungarian paprika
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 15-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1 28-ounce can crushed plum tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
- 3 cups low-sodium beef stock or broth plus more as needed
- 2 large bay leaves
- 2 cups elbow macaroni
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Heat a large heavy pot to medium heat with the olive oil. Add the ground chuck and brown. Break up the meat with a spoon or meat masher. Add the onion, carrot, and bell peppers and cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Season with the paprika, smoked paprika, oregano, and salt to taste.
- Add the fire roasted and crushed tomatoes, beef stock, worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium and let cook for 10 minutes.
- Add the macaroni. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally so that the pasta doesn't stick, until the macaroni reaches al dente.
- Taste test and adjust salt, pepper, and paprika to taste. Serve in bowls topped with cheddar cheese. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Servings. Makes 6 very large servings or 8 normal-sized ones.
- Consistency. Add more low-sodium beef stock or water as needed, especially if you like it more on the soupy side.
- Carrot. The carrot is added for sweetness. If omitting, you might need to add a pinch of sugar or honey to balance out the flavor.
- One pot or not. If you prefer, you can prepare the sauce and pasta separately. In that case, reduce the stock from 3 cups to just 1 cup, since you won’t need the extra liquid for cooking the pasta.
- Change up the protein. Ground turkey, pork, lamb, and bulk Italian sausage can all be used as substititutes.
- Leftovers. American Goulash can be saved for up to 3 days and can be reheated on the stovetop or the microwave.
Nutrition
Calories: 676kcal | Carbohydrates: 50.4g | Protein: 43.8g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 118g | Sodium: 830mg | Fiber: 3.9g | Sugar: 18.7g | Calcium: 179mg | Iron: 5mg
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