Old Fashioned Goulash

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

How To Make Old Fashioned Goulash

Cook the macaroni to al dente according to package directions. While it’s cooking, brown the ground beef and onion together in an extra-large skillet or in a dutch oven.

Drain and season with spices to taste. In a large bowl, mash tomatoes with potato masher and add to beef along with the ketchup. Drain macaroni and add to the beef mixture, stirring well. Taste and add additional seasoning as needed.

I didn’t need to add any tomato juice to mine, but if you like yours very juicy you can add as much tomato juice as you like. Phyllis adds it to her leftovers, which I would also recommend, because the noodles tend to soak up all the juice with time.