Who doesn’t love Old Fashioned Goulash just like grandma made? No one!
You say “goulash” and I say “yum!” But do I picture what you mean?
Are we talking about the American goulash that typically includes ground beef or hamburger, tomato sauce or tomato soup, and elbow macaroni like the recipe featured here?
Adding two kinds of cheese morphs it into the best cheesy dinner! Or perhaps you mean the original Hungarian version with chunks of meat, onion, soup vegetables, and seasonings?
And you could be thinking of goulash with venison, red wine, and dumplings!
There are at least a dozen continental goulash versions and many more regional variations. Whatever recipe you end up cooking stovetop, crock pot, or oven baked, one-pot goulash is an easy family meal with simple ingredients.
What is goulash?
Basic goulash is an inexpensive stew of meat and vegetables, seasoned primarily with paprika with a few other spices.
The name “goulash” comes from a Hungarian word that means “herdsman”. It came to mean a meat dish which was prepared and eaten by herdsmen. Hungarian shepherds sun-dried cooked and flavored meat which they then packed into bags made from sheep’s stomachs (where’s a plastic baggie when you need it?!).
When they were on the move with their flocks and herds, they only needed to add water, vegetables, and seasonings to make their savory meal.
What is in goulash?
That depends on what you want to put in it! A wide range of ingredients endow the recipe with diversity of flavor. Play with seasonings and add-ins to find your favorites. Here are some of the popular choices:
MEAT:
-ground meat such as hamburger, turkey, spicy sausage, corned beef
-typical cuts of stew meat plus shank, shin, loin, flank, chuck, shoulder
-beef, lamb, veal, pork, bacon, deer, venison (meat of wild game), wild boar
VEGETABLES:
-tomatoes, green and red peppers, mushrooms, carrots, parsnip, potatoes, celery, corn, peas, green beans, zucchini, rutabaga, parsley, sauerkraut, pinto beans
SPICES, SEASONINGS:
-paprika, caraway seed, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, marjoram, basil, dill seed, mustard powder, chili pepper, salt, pepper, white or red wine, wine vinegar, beer, lemon zest, beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar
PASTA, GRAINS:
-elbow macaroni, rice, broad noodles, penne, dumplings, polenta, rustic bread
TOPPINGS:
-sour cream, Parmesan, cheddar, mozzarella, processed cheese, olive oil, lard
You can also make goulash soup, which is similar to regular goulash but of course, it contains additional broth.
How do you make goulash?
Goulash is known as a quick and easy dish to create and it is, especially when you use a ground meat, tomato sauce, and pasta combination.
However, if you want to fix a more traditional Hungarian-type goulash with chunks of beef, plan on at least a couple of hours of simmering for tender meat. It is still a simple meal to prepare but you can’t get it on the table within 30 minutes!
Most goulash recipes call for stovetop cooking of the ingredients but anyone with a crock pot knows how wonderful they are for cooking any kind of stew. If you don’t want to or can’t keep an eye on the stove, using a crock pot is a great way to tenderize the meat.
And depending on the recipe, you can also start the ground meat and pasta on the stovetop and let it finish baking in the oven.
And what to make with hamburger?
If your refrigerator only holds hamburger, you can mix and match from the above What’s in Goulash list and still have a lot of flavor options, including:
- Combine hamburger, macaroni, cream cheese, and mushroom soup for a white-sauce goulash.
- Give your hamburger-macaroni goulash a south-of-the-border flavor by adding corn, salsa, and taco seasoning.
- Like Italian? Use prepared spaghetti sauce and Italian seasoning over hamburger and macaroni.
- Enjoy a German influence with hamburger, lots of onions, bell peppers, cayenne, paprika, garlic, caraway seeds, and lemon juice and serve it over noodles.
Doesn’t goulash offer a lot more creative potential than you thought? There’s a lot of flavor in there!
Now if I say “goulash” can you picture what I mean?
Hungry yet? Check out our list of OLD FASHIONED GOULASH recipes below:
1. CHEESY OLD FASHIONED GOULASH
From MY INCREDIBLE RECIPES :: Click HERE for the RECIPE This is the perfect meal when you need to feed your hungry family a satisfying meal!
2. OLD FASHIONED GOULASH
From DINNERS, DISHES, AND DESSERTS :: Click HERE for the RECIPE The same American goulash recipe that you grew up with. A hearty recipe that the entire family can enjoy any night of the week.
3. BEST EVER GOULASH
From SPACESHIPS AND LASER BEAMS :: Click HERE for the RECIPE An old fashioned favorite, ground beef Goulash comes together in about 30 minutes. You’ll never guess what the secret ingredient is!
4. OLD FASHIONED GOULASH RECIPE
From DEAR CRISSY :: Click HERE for the RECIPE There’s just something so warm and comforting about a big bowl of grandma’s old fashioned goulash with some melty cheddar cheese on top.
5. AMERICAN GOULASH
From THE RECIPE CRITIC :: Click HERE for the RECIPE American Goulash is an easy old-fashioned comforting meal that is perfect for the cold winter months. Everything cooks in the same pot, even the pasta!
6. BEEFY TACO GOULASH
From GREAT GRUB DELICIOUS TREATS :: Click HERE for the RECIPE This beefy taco goulash is another take on an American classic. An easy weeknight recipe that does not take hours to make and can be on the table in about 45 minutes.
7. CROCK POT GOULASH
From SPEND WITH PENNIES :: Click HERE for the RECIPE American Goulash (not to be confused with Hungarian Goulash) is made with ground beef, onions, mushrooms and pasta smothered in a tomato based broth. This easy Crockpot Goulash is easy to make ahead of time and everyone absolutely loves it!
8. CHEESY BEEF GOULASH
From LIL LUNA :: Click HERE for the RECIPE Everyone Loves This Hodgepodge Of Macaroni Noodles, Ground Beef, Tomatoes, Cheese, And Seasonings!
9. EASY INSTANT POT AMERICAN GOULASH
From THE COUNTRY COOK :: Click HERE for the RECIPE This Easy Instant Pot Goulash is a one pot meal. Ground beef, spaghetti sauce, diced tomatoes, onion, garlic and macaroni noodles. All topped with cheese!
10. GRANNY’S CLASSIC AMERICAN GOULASH
From SELF PROCLAIMED FOODIE :: Click HERE for the RECIPE This easy recipe is a family favorite in our house. The easiest way to describe it (according to my family) might be chili with pasta instead of beans, spaghetti with extra meat and not much sauce, or a homemade Hamburger Helper.
11. BEST INSTANT POT GOULASH
From DEAR CRISSY :: Click HERE for the RECIPE Old-fashioned Instant Pot goulash is a delicious family meal that your whole family will love! This reminds me of the Johnny Marzetti that my grandma used to make when I was a kid!
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This has NOTHING to do with Goulash!!!! You are totally misrepresenting the dish. Might as well call it Taco casserole ( which may be more accurate) or Chinese stir fry ( since it would not resemble that either)
Hi! Can’t get to the last recipe either, Old Fashioned Goulash…
Hi, Angel — you can find it HERE.
Where is the link to the Danish Goulash recipe??
You can CLICK HERE for it 🙂 Enjoy!
Your recipes look lovely. As a European trained dietician, I can tel you there is nothing in authentic Italian cuisine called goulash. German goulash has no hamburger, no pasta, just chunks of potatoes and beef. Call a spade a spade . . . These are mostly stews, hashes and casseroles of varying themes.
There are 4 kids,2 parents, and a grandmother. We eat dinner together at least 5 days a week. On a fixed income, we do this instead of going out. Thank you for this opportunity.
In step #1 At the end of the step it says to remove from heat then step #2..It says something like Add garlic and olive oil and until meat is fully cooked? I’m guessing that means you put it back on the heat? If so why take it off in the first place? Sorry if that sounds bad, just wondering if their is a reason? And also thinking this all wouldn’t fit in a skillet?
I am starving now!
What is Adobo seasoning? What can I use instead of it.
Hi, Valerie! It kind of reminds me of taco seasoning – it has garlic, oregano, cumin, onion powder, black pepper, etc. If you can’t find it in the spice aisle at your grocery store for some reason, I would suggest Googling and using a homemade version! Enjoy!
I was just craving this the other day!
Thank you for sharing ?