Old Fashioned Goulash Recipe

Name: Old Fashioned Goulash
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 lbs ground beef; 1 large onion, diced; 1 bell pepper, diced; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes; 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes; 2 1/2 cups beef broth; 2 tbsp soy sauce (trust the church cookbook); 2 tsp Italian seasoning, 1 tsp paprika, 2 bay leaves; 2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked; 1 cup shredded cheddar (optional finish)

Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: 35 min Total: 45 min Servings: 6

Old fashioned American goulash with macaroni and beef in tomato sauce

American goulash — some houses called it slumgullion, some just called it 'dinner' — is ground beef and macaroni simmered together in a tomato broth until the pasta drinks up all that savory flavor. It has nothing to do with Hungarian goulash and everything to do with feeding a family well for a few dollars. The one-pot method matters: the macaroni cooks in the sauce itself, releasing starch that thickens everything into that spoon-coating texture the church-basement version always had.

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Ingredients

2 lbs ground beef
1 large onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
2 1/2 cups beef broth
2 tbsp soy sauce (trust the church cookbook)
2 tsp Italian seasoning, 1 tsp paprika, 2 bay leaves
2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked
1 cup shredded cheddar (optional finish)

Instructions

Brown the beef with the onion and bell pepper in a large pot; drain excess fat.
Stir in the garlic and tomato paste; cook 1 minute.
Add the crushed and diced tomatoes, broth, soy sauce, Italian seasoning, paprika, and bay leaves. Simmer 10 minutes.
Stir in the dry macaroni, cover, and simmer on low 12–15 minutes, stirring twice, until the pasta is tender.
Discard the bay leaves. Rest 5 minutes off the heat — the sauce sets to the right thickness. Stir in the cheddar if using.

Ingredient Substitutions

Ingredient	Substitute	Notes
Ground beef	Half beef, half Italian sausage	Deeper flavor, same method
Elbow macaroni	Any short pasta	Shells and rotini hold the sauce well
Soy sauce	Worcestershire	The same umami trick, different bottle
Cheddar finish	Skip it	Plenty of families never added cheese; both are authentic

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerate up to 4 days — goulash on day two, when the macaroni has fully settled into the sauce, is the version people are nostalgic for.

Freezes well up to 3 months; the pasta softens slightly but the dish absorbs it gracefully. Thaw overnight and reheat with a splash of broth.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this Hungarian goulash?

No — Hungarian gulyás is a paprika beef stew. American goulash is its own Depression-era invention: ground beef, macaroni, tomatoes, one pot. Both are great; this is the macaroni one.

Why is my goulash soupy?

It needed the 5-minute rest — the pasta keeps absorbing off the heat. Still loose? Simmer uncovered a few minutes; the starch will catch up.

What does soy sauce do in goulash?

Pure umami depth — it reads as “simmered all day,” not as soy. Grandma's version used Worcestershire or Gravy Master for the same reason.

Can I make it in advance for a crowd?

It's a potluck native: make it the day before, reheat gently with broth, and it holds on WARM for hours.