Old Fashioned Goulash

Old Fashioned Goulash is a deliciously simple recipe with ground beef, tomatoes, and macaroni. You may have eaten this retro Goulash recipe as a kid. It is an easy weeknight dinner to make, and very kid friendly!

Old Fashioned Goulash

When it comes to retro comfort food recipes, Goulash is one of my top 5 favorites!

This simple one-pot, stove top soup/casserole made of essentially meat, tomatoes and noodles just manages to hit the spot.

As a kid I looked forward to when mom made this goulash recipe.

What It Goulash?

Goulash is essentially a soup made with meat and vegetables, and is usually seasoned with paprika as well as other spices.

It originated in Hungary hundreds of years ago. Goulash is one of the official national dishes of Hungary and is even a symbol of that country.

So that is the official definition, but here in America, this iconic recipe took a turn…

Moms in the USA used what they had on hand, that is why Goulash is very economical. Ground beef, pasta, and tomatoes became the 3 main ingredients.

You can stretch this recipe to feed a large family just by adding a bit more of certain ingredients like meat, pasta, and water/broth.

Old Fashioned Goulash is easy to make. Here are the steps:

Even though goulash is considered a soup by most people, I prefer it thicker, more like a pasta dish.

If you like yours more like a soup, you can simply increase the beef broth by 1 cup or so.

What does Goulash Taste Like?

To me it tastes a lot like spaghetti. There is paprika in it, which does change the taste a little.

Also, I like the texture of goulash more than spaghetti because of the noodle to meat ratio and shape of the macaroni.

Its consistency is more like a casserole, but you can add extra liquid to make it the soup it is known to be..

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If you make this wonderful retro goulash recipe, please leave a comment with a star rating below. I’d love to know how you liked it!

Old Fashioned Goulash

Old Fashioned Goulash is a deliciously simple recipe with ground beef, tomatoes, and macaroni. You may have eaten this retro Goulash recipe as a kid.

4.91 from 11 votes

Print Rate

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easy goulash recipe, goulash recipe, one-pot-goulash

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 55 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Servings: 6

Calories: 522kcal

Author: Sandy Clifton

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 lbs Lean Ground Beef or Ground Turkey
• 1 lg Yellow Onion, diced
• 3 lg cloves Garlic, pressed or finely minced
• 2 lg Bay Leaves
• 1 cup Low Sodium Beef Broth* (chicken broth if using ground turkey)
• 2 - 14.5 oz cans Diced Tomatoes with juice
• 2 - 15 oz cans Tomato Sauce
• 2 tsp Low Sodium Soy Sauce (or Worcestershire sauce)
• 2 tsp Seasoned Salt (such as Johnny's®)
• 1 tsp Black Pepper
• 2 tsp Italian Seasoning
• 1 Tbsp Paprika
• 2 cups Uncooked Small Elbow Macaroni

Instructions

• Heat a dutch oven or soup pot on med-high heat. When it is hot, add the oil, then add the ground beef or turkey. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned. About 10 minutes. Spoon off some of the excess fat.
• Add the diced onion, garlic, and bay leaves. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, soy sauce, seasoned salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and paprika. Stir well.
• Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in the macaroni noodles (uncooked), cover and cook for 15-25 minutes, or until pasta is cooked.
• Remove and discard bay leaves, then serve.

Notes

*If you like your goulash more like a soup, you can simply increase the beef broth by 1 cup or so.

Nutrition

Calories: 522kcal

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