Ahhh yes 😄🍝 — American Goulash is the ultimate cozy, cheesy, ground-beef-and-pasta casserole. Nothing fancy, just pure comfort-food vibes.
Here’s a classic, easy version:
🇺🇸 American Goulash
🛒 Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 onion, diced
- 2–3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
- 1–2 tsp paprika (smoky if you like)
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- Salt & black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups elbow macaroni (uncooked)
- 1–2 cups shredded cheddar or mozzarella
- Optional: green bell pepper, mushrooms, or hot sauce for a kick
👩🍳 Instructions
- Cook beef & veggies
- Brown beef in a large skillet, drain excess fat
- Add onion (and optional bell pepper/mushrooms) and cook until softened
- Add garlic and cook 1 min
- Add tomatoes & seasonings
- Stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, paprika, Italian seasoning, salt & pepper
- Simmer 10–15 min to let flavors meld
- Cook pasta
- Either cook elbow macaroni separately and drain, or add uncooked pasta directly to the sauce with 1 cup water/broth and simmer until tender
- Cheese it up
- Stir in 1 cup of cheese, save the rest for topping
- Transfer to a baking dish if desired, sprinkle remaining cheese on top
- Bake (optional)
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10–15 min until cheese melts and bubbles
- Or just serve straight from the skillet
🔥 Tips & Variations
- Creamier version: add ½ cup sour cream or cream cheese at the end
- Spicy: a dash of cayenne, hot sauce, or red pepper flakes
- One-pot shortcut: cook pasta directly in the sauce for fewer dishes
- Vegetarian: swap ground beef for lentils or a plant-based crumble
Served hot with a sprinkle of cheese and maybe some crusty bread on the side = ultimate comfort dinner 😌
If you want, I can also give a “weeknight 30-min version” that’s even faster but just as cheesy. Want me to do that?
