American Goulash is a quick and easy recipe the whole family will love – macaroni pasta with ground beef and peppers in a creamy tomato sauce! My recipe is made in one single pot for easy clean up, perfect for busy weeknights.
I don’t quite know WHY this dish is called American Goulash… But does it really matter? Fact is: It’s delicious, my kids love it – and I cook it in a single pot!
Because if you ask me, less is more when it comes to dishes 😉 I like adding plenty of diced pepper and chopped celery to the pasta for some extra nutrition, but feel free to cut back on the veggies if that’s your family’s preference!
📹 Full Recipe Video
🥣 Step by Step
1 Brown meat, onion and garlic in a large skillet (around 12 inches).
2 Add seasoning and vegetables.
3 Add liquids, canned tomatoes, tomato sauce and uncooked (!!) macaroni pasta. Bring to a boil once, then reduce the heat to a simmer, add a lid and simmer until the pasta is done!
4 Stir a few times during the cooking time. Remove from the heat once the pasta is done, then stir in the cream cheese. Sprinkle with shredded cheese (Monterey Jack is great, but any variety that melts well works!), add the lid again and let the pasta sit on the counter for 2 minutes to melt the cheese. Serve immediately!
A seriously easy meal! We usually have a salad on the side, my kids are especially into Cucumber Salad these days.
I have a recipe for an easy and creamy cucumber salad right here!
Enjoy!
Printable recipe
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 small onion (diced)
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon ground paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (OR soy sauce)
- 1 stick celery (finely diced)
- 2 bell peppers (diced (any color works; I used green and red))
- 1 ½ cups beef or chicken broth (plus more as needed)
- 1 (15-oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 (15-oz) can petite diced tomatoes
- salt and ground pepper (to taste)
- 1 (8-oz) package dried macaroni pasta, uncooked
- ¼ cup cream cheese (or more to taste)
- 1 cup shredded cheese (Monterey Jack or Cheddar work very well here; but feel free to use anything you like that melts well)
Instructions
- Brown meat and onion: Heat oil in large skillet (around 12 inches) over medium-high heat. Add meat and brown, drain if desired. Stir in onion and garlic and sauté for a few more minutes.
- Add seasoning and vegetables: Stir ground paprika, dried parsley, tomato pasta and Worcestershire sauce into skillet. Stir in celery and diced pepper and stir-fry for a couple of minutes.
- Add remaining ingredients and cook: Add broth, tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Stir well, then bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then stir in uncooked (!) macaroni. Reduce heat to medium, cover with a lid and simmer for around 15 minutes, or until macaroni are done. Stir a few times during the cooking time, adding a few splashes of extra broth as needed.
- Finish: Take skillet off the heat and stir in cream cheese. Sprinkle with shredded cheese, cover with a lid and let sit for 2 minutes, until cheese has melted. Serve immediately.
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 Rusev 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 Rusev says
Thank you for sharing, Dianne 🙂
Carrie says
I love a good goulash. Absolutely wonderful. Thank you for sharing.