Name: Traditional Goulash
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1.5 lb Ground Beef; 1 small Onion - About 1 cup; 3 cloves Garlic; 1 14 oz Tomato Sauce; 1 26 oz Petite Diced Tomatoes; 2 c Water; 2 Tbsp Beef Base; 2 tsp Chili Powder; 1 tsp Cumin; 1 tsp Garlic Powder; 1 tsp Oregano; 2 Bay Leaves; 3 c Macaroni Pasta; 1 c Colby Jack Cheese

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Traditional Goulash is comfort food to the max. An easy to make one-pot recipe simmered to perfection in a tomato-based sauce with ground beef, tender noodles and creamy Colby Jack Cheese. Make this for a crowd or for a hearty weeknight dinner.

macaroni noodles, ground beef and tomatoes in a tomato sauce with spices and parsley on top

This recipe has all the flavors of chili, but instead of beans it has pasta! I promise you will love the smell that fills your kitchen from the aromatics in this recipe. Garlic, onions, and all the spices make this recipe irresistible.

HOW TO MAKE TRADITIONAL GOULASH

In a Dutch oven or large saucepan, brown ground beef.

Drain grease.

Add onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder and oregano. Cook for 3 – 4 minutes until onions are soft and fragrant. Adding the dry spices at this point will help release their flavors.

To learn more about how to better season your recipes check out 7 Mistakes When Seasoning Food from Self.

Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, beef base and bay leaves.

Mix well and simmer for 15 minutes

Next, add pasta and cook for 7-9 minutes or until pasta is cooked through. Be sure to stir often to keep pasta from sticking to bottom of pan.

Stir in cheese and remove from heat. I recommend grating your own cheese. Pre-grated cheese has a coating applied to keep the cheese from clumping, causing the cheese to not melt as smoothly.

Serve immediately. Don’t forget to remove bay leaves before serving.

ground beef and noodles in dutch oven with a wooden spoon

RECIPE VARIATIONS

Add veggies – Red bell pepper, zucchini and even corn are great addition to the recipe.
Add beans – You’ll end up with more of a “Chili Mac” when you add kidney beans.

MAKE AHEAD

This recipe can be made ahead. To do so, follow the instructions up to the point of adding the pasta. At this point cool and store in an airtight container. When ready to serve bring beef mixture to a boil and continue with the rest of the cooking steps.

FREEZING LEFTOVER GOULASH

To freeze leftover goulash, cool and store in an airtight container. Reheat on the stove top or in the microwave.