Forget complicated recipes and expensive ingredients: This American Goulash is the ultimate one-pot comfort food designed for busy weeknights when you need a win!
What makes this recipe great
Between the mountain of laundry and trying to stay on budget, dinner usually feels like a marathon I didn’t train for. This American Goulash is my secret weapon: It’s that nostalgic, beefy, cheesy comfort food we all grew up on, but simplified for a Tuesday night when you have exactly zero energy left!
- One Pan, No Waiting: You don’t even have to boil the pasta separately. The macaroni cooks right in the sauce, saving you a pot and a lot of cleanup.
- The “Secret” Creaminess: Most recipes just use shredded cheese, but the addition of a little cream cheese makes this so velvety it feels like a luxury meal on a boxed-mac-and-cheese budget.
- Zero Chopping Required: Using a frozen seasoning blend (onions and peppers) means you aren’t crying over a cutting board while the kids ask what’s for dinner for the tenth time.
- Pantry Staple Hero: Everything here is likely already in your cupboard or freezer. It’s the perfect “end of the week” meal before the next grocery run.
Let’s see how we make this:
Ingredients we’re going to use
This is about swaps and notes – jump to the ingredient list for the measurements etc.
Frozen Seasoning Blend: Honestly, this is the MVP. It’s usually a mix of onions, celery, and peppers with parsley. If you don’t have it, just toss in a finely diced onion, but the frozen bag saves so much time.
Ground Beef: I use lean beef so I don’t have to worry about draining grease, but if you have a pound of ground turkey or even ground pork, use it! No one will notice once the cheese hits.
Pasta Shapes: Elbow macaroni is classic, but if you have half a box of rotini or shells hiding in the back of the pantry, use those up.
The Broth: I usually use beef broth for a deeper flavor, but chicken broth works in a pinch. If you’re really scraping the bottom of the barrel, water with a bouillon cube is just fine.
Recipe walkthrough
This is about tips and hints, and the process photos if you need a visual guide. Jump to the instructions for the precise steps.
1: Sautéing without the stress.
Get those frozen veggies in the pan first. Once the moisture evaporates, throw in your beef. Don’t worry about making it look perfect; just break it up and let it brown.
2: Bloom those spices.
When you add the tomato paste and spices, let them sit on the heat for a minute before adding the liquid. It smells amazing and actually wakes up those dried herbs.
3: The pasta.
When you add in the dry macaroni, make sure it’s mostly submerged. Don’t worry if it looks like too much liquid at first — the pasta is going to soak it all up like a sponge.
4: Finish with cheese.
Here is the big tip: don’t smooth out the top before adding the cheese. Leave it a bit “nubbly” so the macaroni bits stick up and get coated in cheese. Stir about half of the cheese into the sauce to get that gooey pull, then melt the rest on top.
5: Serve!
Keep it simple with some frozen garlic bread or a bag of salad mix. If your kids are picky, serve it in bowls and let them add extra cheese on top!
Tl; dr: All the important stuff at a glance
If you read nothing else in this post, this is what you need to know:
- Don’t overcook the pasta: Check it at 12 minutes; you want it just tender since it will keep cooking in the residual heat.
- Use a lid: You need that steam to cook the macaroni evenly.
- The “Not Smooth” Rule: Don’t flatten the top before the cheese goes on — texture is your friend!
- Season as you go: Taste the sauce before adding the pasta to see if it needs an extra pinch of salt.
- Quick recipe rundown: Sauté vegetables. Add beef and brown, stir in aromatics. Add liquids and macaroni. Simmer covered. Add cheeses and allow to melt, then serve immediately.
FAQs
Can I make this ahead of time?
Goulash is actually better the next day! Just keep in mind the pasta will keep absorbing liquid, so you might need to splash in a little extra broth or water when you reheat it on the stove or in the microwave. If you make it ahead on purpose, leave out the cheese and add it just before serving, after reheating.
My sauce is too thick (or too thin), help!
This recipe is very forgiving. If it looks like a brick, add more broth. If it’s looking more like soup, take the lid off for the last 5 minutes of simmering to let it reduce.
What if I don’t have cream cheese?
You can skip it and just add more shredded cheese, or even a dollop of sour cream at the very end. It just helps give it that “fancy” texture without the fancy price tag.
Looking for more “one-and-done” dinners? Check out my One Pot Cheesy Taco Pasta or this Easy Sheet Pan Sausage and Veggies. Or for an extra-quick meal, try the Shortcut Spaghetti and Meat Sauce that are ready in just 20 minutes, give or take!
Easy American Goulash
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups frozen seasoning blend (it's a blend of onion, celery, green and red pepper and parsley; feel free to use fresh diced vegetables instead)
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- salt and ground pepper (to taste)
- 1 teaspoon ground paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder (or 1 teaspoon minced garlic)
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 ½ to 2 cups beef or chicken broth (plus more as needed)
- 1 (15-oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 (15-oz) can petite diced tomatoes
- ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (OR soy sauce)
- 1 (8-oz) box dried macaroni pasta (uncooked (about 2 cups))
- ¼ cup cream cheese (diced and softened)
- ½ to 1 cup shredded cheese (Monterey Jack or Cheddar work very well here; but feel free to use anything you like that melts well – shredded fresh melts better)
Instructions
- Brown vegetables and meat: Heat a large skillet (around 12 inches) over medium-high heat. Once hot add oil, then add seasoning blend and cook until no longer frozen, about 3-4 minutes. Add ground beef, season with salt & pepper and cook until browned, breaking it up as it cooks. Drain if desired.½ tablespoon olive oil, 2 cups frozen seasoning blend, 1 pound lean ground beef, salt and ground pepper
- Add seasoning: Reduce heat to medium. Stir ground paprika, garlic powder, dried parsley, and tomato paste into skillet. Roast for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.1 teaspoon ground paprika, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon dried parsley, 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- Add remaining ingredients: Add 1-½ cups broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce. Stir well, then bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then stir in uncooked (!) macaroni.1 ½ to 2 cups beef or chicken broth, 1 (15-oz) can tomato sauce, 1 (15-oz) can petite diced tomatoes, ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 (8-oz) box dried macaroni pasta
- Simmer: Reduce heat to a gentle simmer over medium to medium-low heat, cover with a lid and simmer for around 15 minutes, or until macaroni are done. Stir a few times during the cooking time, adding extra broth as needed to reach your preferred consistency.
- Finish: Take skillet off the heat and stir in cream cheese until smooth. Sprinkle with shredded cheese, cover with a lid and let sit for 2 minutes, until cheese has melted. Serve immediately.¼ cup cream cheese, ½ to 1 cup shredded cheese
Susan Reece says
very good ! I changed the spices a little . I used a little of chili powder , peparika . and season salt and I used fresh garlic diced up tiny , can peas and carrots ,green beans and 1/2 can of whole kernel corn . The rest was made like yours .
Karen Jackson says
This recipe was awesome. We really enjoyed it. Very easy to put together.
Nora says
It’s one of our favorites, glad you enjoyed it, Karen!
Jessica says
Absolutely delicious! I only had one cup of beef broth but it didn’t matter. I definitely will make again. Thank you!
MH Park says
Easy to make (very important on my list!) and delicious as is, or amemable to batch size changes and additions to slightly change the taste/nutrients! I added chickpeas, some wine during cooking, and some other herbs that were very much enjoyed by my family. Thank you!
Nora | Savory Nothings says
I’m so glad to hear!
K Majeau says
Yummy great for kids my family loved it…..thank you
Dianne Ellis says
I love goulash, but I have always used rolini noodles in mine! I made it for my kids 30yrs ago. 🙂
Nora says
Thank you for sharing, Dianne 🙂
Carrie says
I love a good goulash. Absolutely wonderful. Thank you for sharing.