Easy Ground Beef Goulash Recipe

If you’re looking for an easy to make delicious comfort food recipe, you’re going to love American Goulash. Perfectly cooked ground beef cooked in a deliciously spiced tomato sauce, with tender pasta, and topped with Cheddar cheese.

American Goulash is quite different from Hungarian Goulash which is a beef and onion stew. And another great recipe for the colder seasons.

How To Make American Goulash

1. Brown ground beef, onions, and garlic.
2. Add paprika, soy sauce, and red wine. Simmer for about 1 minute.

3. Add strained tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Stir in cooked pasta. Add all but 2 tablespoons of Cheddar cheese. Stir until well combined and the cheese starts to melt. Serve and drizzle with remaining Cheddar cheese.

Recipe Tips

You can make American Goulash as a one-pot meal. In which case you’d cook the pasta in the sauce.

I don’t do that. While one pot pasta dinners are great in theory, I’ve never been a fan. Pasta emits starch during the cooking process. That in itself is not a bad thing.

In fact, using a cup of the starchy water to make a delicious pasta sauce is a great cooking hack. It’s how I make Shrimp Carbonara. But having all that extra starch mix with the goulash. It just doesn’t work for me.

So in this recipe, I cook the pasta separately (according to package instructions). And afterward, add the cooked pasta to the goulash.

More Easy Comfort Food Recipes

• Beef Stew – classic, hearty stew recipe.
• Easy Cheesy Chicken Parmesan – pure comfort food
• Chicken Meatloaf – perfect for quick weeknight dinners
• Roasted Lemon Chicken – lemony, savory chicken dinner
• Roasted Salmon – versatile dinner