Throughout my childhood American goulash served as my comfort food of choice. During my childhood I vividly remember school cafeterias providing the meal with a bread slice that received butter and a carton of milk. The American interpretation of goulash emerged as a dish to stretch minimal ground beef into complete meals for large families while spending less money. This straightforward recipe features extraordinary taste so it delivers an excellent choice for quick evening meals.

_{Why Do You Wanna Taste This:}

American goulash or ‘slum gullion’ as some parts refer to it is a comforting one pot dish, long used by many American households. The American version is an adaptation, simplified and budget friendly, of Hungarian goulash, an awesome stew of beef, paprika, and other spices.

The term became popular in the early 20th century as a method of stretching a small amount of meat into a filling meal during leaner economies, such as the Great Depression, and World War II. Very affordable pantry staples, such as macaroni, canned tomatoes, and ground beef, would be made into a satisfying dish that would feed a crowd that could easily be done in one’s own home. It has since become a nostalgic comfort food for many, catching a serious upswing in popularity in schools and community potlucks around the world over time.

The simplicity, adaptability of and the warm memories it evokes makes it not quite as complex as traditional Hungarian goulash, but that’s what makes it so appealing.

How to Make Ameican Goulash:

American Goulash Dish

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

5

minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 2 pounds ground beef

• 1 large onion, diced

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 large bay leaves

• 2 tablespoons Hungarian paprika

• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste

• 1 quart chicken broth or water

• 1 (24 ounce) jar marinara sauce

• 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes

• 1 cup water

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 2 cups elbow macaroni

• ¼ cup chopped Italian parsley

• 1 cup shredded white Cheddar cheese

Directions

• Gather all ingredients.
• Heat oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Stir together ground beef and onion in the pot for about 5 minutes while cooking until the meat browns and the onion turns clear. Cook and stir the mixture while liquid evaporates during 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in garlic along with bay leaves, paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper and cayenne.
• After stirring the mixture every few minutes cook it for 3 minutes to combine the flavors. Add broth then add marinara sauce and diced tomatoes to the mixture. Simple stir the water added to the sauce jar before pouring it into the cooking pot. Add soy sauce into the mix and heat it to boiling temperatures. Stir while reducing heat for 30 minutes to develop better flavors.
• Bring to a rapid simmer on the increase of the heat to medium high heat. Add macaroni; stir well and cook, stirring occasionally, until just barely tender, about 12 minutes. Check for doneness after 10 minutes.
• Discard bay leaves, remove from the heat. Stir in Cheddar and parsley. Let rest for 5 minutes and cover. Taste and season as desired.