New School Goulash

One of my friends approached me about finding a good recipe for goulash because it is her husband's favorite dish. She, however, is not a big fan of it herself, so she was not really eager to get in the kitchen and try to make anything she hadn't had tested and approved by someone else first. I can't say that I blame her. With the abundance of recipes readily available on the Internet today, it can be hard to sort through and find one that you will actually like.

My grandma used to make us goulash when I was younger, so my mind initially turned to that meal and what it consisted of. I mostly remember hamburger, macaroni, and tomato sauce or tomatoes. I didn't remember all that well, but hoped that when I saw a recipe that I thought looked like a good place to start it would be similar to this simple combination. After some searching, I found a recipe by Paula Deen on Food Network's website called Bobby's Goulash. It sounded tasty, so I used this as the basis for the dish I created. 

I am still hoping to come across my grandmother's recipe. I love all of her foods, and the thing I enjoyed more about her version of this classic comfort dish was the simplicity. While this recipe is certainly tasty and filling, it took quite awhile to put together. Hope you will enjoy it!

New School Goulash (recipe adapted from Paula Deen)

- 2 lbs lean ground beef

- 1 yellow onion, chopped

- 1 red bell pepper, chopped

- 1 green bell pepper, chopped

- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

- 1 ½ cups water

- 1 ½ cups chicken broth

- 2 15-oz cans tomato sauce

- 2 15-oz cans diced tomatoes

- 1  tablespoons Italian seasoning

- 1 bay leaf

- 1 tablespoons soy sauce

- 1 tablespoon worchestire sauce

- ½ teaspoon garlic powder

- ½ teaspoon black pepper

- ½ teaspoon seasoned salt

- 3 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked

- Fresh Parmesan Cheese, for topping

In a Dutch oven or large pot, sauté the ground beef, onions, and garlic over medium-high heat until cooked through. Drain excess grease. Add the bell peppers and cook until slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Add the water and the chicken broth, followed by the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, bay leaf, soy sauce, worchestire sauce, garlic powder, black pepper, and seasoned salt. Stir well. Place a lid on the pot and allow to cook for 15 minutes, until steady boiling is reached. Add the elbow macaroni, stir well, and recover with lid. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove the bay leaf, then allow to sit for about 10 minutes before serving. Top with grated or shredded Parmesan cheese. Fresh worked really well, but packaged would be fine, too.

We served with a fresh loaf of French bread and a Caesar salad.  Delicious, satisfying meal!

The nuttiness of the Parmesan cheese really went well with the hearty flavors in this goulash!