This American Goulash is a big pot of ground beef, tender macaroni and rich tomato sauce, finished with enough cheddar to make everyone pay attention. Everything cooks in one pot, including the pasta. A very considerate dinner, really.
One Pot Beef and Macaroni Goulash
American Goulash goes by a lot of names. Slumgullion. Beefaroni. American chop suey, if you grew up in New England. Johnny Marzetti, if somebody’s grandmother was from Ohio.
None of it is Hungarian goulash, which is a completely different dish and has every right to be annoyed about the name situation.
What this is: ground beef, tomatoes, macaroni, and cheese, all cooked in the same pot. It’s been feeding families since the Depression because it’s cheap, it’s filling, and it stretches 2 pounds of beef across 6 people without anybody feeling shortchanged.
I make it when the week has gotten away from me. Fifty minutes start to finish, and the cleanup is a pot.
The Macaroni Cooks Right in the Sauce
This is the part that makes it work, and the part that makes people nervous. You don’t boil the pasta separately. It goes in uncooked, straight into the simmering tomatoes and broth, and it cooks right there in the pot.
Two things happen. The macaroni soaks up beef broth and tomato instead of plain water, so it actually tastes so much better. And the starch that would’ve gone down your sink stays in the pot and thickens the sauce.
That’s why this comes out thick and glossy instead of soupy with pasta sitting in it. The part that might make you nervous is overcooking it. Elbow macaroni needs 12 to 15 minutes in there and not a minute more. Start checking at 12. You want tender, not falling apart.
Stir it every few minutes, too. I know, I know. But pasta will weld itself to the bottom of a pot the second you walk away, and no amount of cheese fixes a scorched bottom.
Ingredients in American Goulash
- Olive oil (2 tablespoons): For browning the beef. Any neutral oil works.
- Ground beef (2 pounds): I use lean or extra lean. If you’re using regular ground beef, drain it well after browning or the whole thing goes greasy. Ground turkey or chicken works, you’ll just want a heavier hand with the salt.
- Onion (1 large, diced) and green bell pepper (1 medium, diced): This pair shows up in every version of this dish I’ve ever eaten. Green pepper is the traditional one here, not red. It’s slightly bitter and it cuts through all that tomato. Red works if it’s what’s in the drawer, it’ll just be sweeter.
- Garlic (4 cloves, minced): Goes in with the tomato paste at the end of the vegetable step so it doesn’t burn.
- Tomato paste (2 tablespoons): Cook it for 1 minute before any liquid hits the pot. That minute deepens it and takes away the tinny edge.
- Crushed tomatoes (1 can, 28 ounces) and diced tomatoes (1 can, 14.5 ounces): Both. The crushed makes the sauce, the diced keeps some texture in it so it isn’t all one smooth thing.
- Beef broth (2 cups, low sodium): The macaroni cooks in this, so it ends up inside the pasta. Use low sodium. The liquid reduces, and regular broth plus a teaspoon of salt gets salty in a hurry.
- Worcestershire sauce (1 tablespoon): You won’t taste it as Worcestershire. It just makes the beef taste more like beef.
- Italian seasoning (2 teaspoons) and paprika (1 teaspoon): Sweet paprika, not hot and not smoked. Unless smoked is what you want, in which case use smoked and don’t tell me. I’ll find out in the comments.
- Salt (1 teaspoon) and black pepper (½ teaspoon): Taste at the end before serving. Tomatoes vary and so does broth.
- Bay leaves (2): In with the liquid, out before the cheese. They do something quiet in the background that you only notice when you skip them.
- Elbow macaroni (2 cups, uncooked): Uncooked, straight into the pot. Small shells or ditalini work the same way. Nothing big or fancy. The small shape is half of what makes this dish what it is.
- Cheddar cheese (1½ cups, shredded): One cup stirred in for creaminess, ½ cup over the top to melt. Grate it from a block. Pre shredded cheese is coated so it won’t clump in the bag, and that coating keeps it from melting smoothly.
- Fresh parsley (2 tablespoons, chopped): Something green on a very red dish. Optional, but it helps.
How to Make American Goulash
Brown the beef: Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up as you go, until browned. Drain off the excess fat.
Cook the vegetables: Add the diced onion and green pepper and cook 4 to 5 minutes, until softened. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook 1 minute more.
Add the liquids and seasoning: Pour in the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, beef broth, and Worcestershire. Add the Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, and pepper. Tuck in the bay leaves and stir to combine.
Cook the macaroni: Bring it to a simmer, then stir in the uncooked elbow macaroni. Cover and cook 12 to 15 minutes, stirring now and then so the pasta doesn’t stick, until the macaroni is tender. Start checking at 12 minutes.
Stir in the cheese: Fish out the bay leaves. Stir in 1 cup of the cheddar until it’s melted and the sauce turns creamy.
Melt the top and serve: Scatter the remaining ½ cup cheddar over the top, cover for 1 to 2 minutes until it melts, then sprinkle with the parsley and serve.
Tips
- Use a wide heavy pot. A Dutch oven is ideal. The macaroni needs room, and a thin pot scorches on the bottom.
- Drain the beef properly. Two pounds of regular ground beef leaves behind more fat than you want swimming in the sauce.
- Stir every few minutes once the pasta goes in. This is the only part of the recipe that needs you standing nearby.
- Start checking the macaroni at 12 minutes. It goes from tender to mushy fast and there’s no coming back from it.
- Taste before you serve. It usually wants a little more salt.
Substitutions and Variations
- Ground turkey or chicken instead of beef. Season a bit more aggressively.
- Small shells or ditalini instead of elbows.
- Red bell pepper instead of green if that’s what you’ve got.
- Mozzarella, or a cheddar and mozzarella mix, for a stretchier melt.
- I haven’t tested these myself so treat them as suggestions rather than part of the recipe, but a pinch of red pepper flakes alongside the paprika would give it some heat, and a drained can of kidney beans stirred in near the end would stretch it even further.
Storage and Reheating
Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days. The pasta keeps drinking up sauce as it sits, so day 2 is thicker than day 1.
Reheat on the stove over medium low with a splash of beef broth or water to loosen it. The microwave is fine for single portions, about 2 minutes, stirring halfway.
It freezes up to 3 months, though the macaroni softens. Thaw overnight in the fridge and add liquid when you reheat.
What to Serve With American Goulash
- Garlic bread. Not negotiable in my house.
- A green salad with a sharp vinaigrette, because something on that plate should not be red or beige.
- Roasted broccoli or green beans if you want a hot vegetable alongside.
Try These Recipes Next
- BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger Sliders
- Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta
- Beef and Cabbage Soup
- Easy Beef and Onion Skillet
- Creamy Beef and Shells
American Goulash
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 can crushed tomatoes, 28 ounces
- 1 can diced tomatoes, 14.5 ounces
- 2 cups beef broth, low sodium
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked
- 1½ cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the 2 pounds ground beef and cook, breaking it up, until browned. Drain off the excess fat.
- Add the diced onion and green bell pepper and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until softened. Stir in the 4 cloves minced garlic and 2 tablespoons tomato paste and cook for 1 minute more.
- Add the can of crushed tomatoes, the can of diced tomatoes, 2 cups beef broth, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Tuck in the 2 bay leaves and stir to combine.
- Bring to a simmer, then stir in the 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni. Cover and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring now and then so the pasta does not stick, until the macaroni is tender.
- Fish out the bay leaves. Stir in 1 cup of the cheddar until melted and creamy.
- Scatter the remaining ½ cup cheddar over the top, cover for 1 to 2 minutes until it melts, then sprinkle with the 2 tablespoons parsley and serve.
Recipe Notes
- Use a wide heavy pot. A Dutch oven works best. The macaroni needs room, and a thin pot scorches on the bottom once the pasta goes in.
- Drain the beef well. Regular ground beef leaves a lot of fat behind. Lean or extra lean needs less draining.
- Stir every few minutes. Once the macaroni is in, it sticks to the bottom if left alone.
- Check the pasta at 12 minutes. Cook time varies by brand. Tender, not falling apart.
- Grate the cheese from a block. Pre shredded cheddar is coated to stop it clumping and it doesn’t melt as smoothly.
- Taste before serving. Adjust the salt. Tomatoes and broth vary.
- Storage. Airtight in the fridge up to 4 days. Reheat with a splash of broth to loosen. Freezes up to 3 months, though the macaroni softens.
Nutrition Information
No. Hungarian goulash is a paprika heavy beef stew with no pasta cooked into it. American Goulash is a ground beef and macaroni dish. Same name, different dishes, long story.
You can, but you lose the thickening from the pasta starch and the macaroni won’t taste like much. If you go that route, cook it just under al dente and hold back some of the broth.
The pasta probably hasn’t finished absorbing. Give it a few minutes off the heat and it’ll tighten up. It thickens more as it cools.
It cooked too long. Start checking at 12 minutes. Cook time shifts with the brand of macaroni and how hard your pot is simmering.
It’s best fresh, but it reheats well. Make it ahead, refrigerate, and loosen it with a little broth when you reheat.
I haven’t tested this one in a slow cooker, so I can’t give you timings I haven’t run myself.
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