One Pot Goulash is an American classic recipe that includes elbow macaroni, lean ground beef, tomato soup, diced tomatoes, onion, garlic, seasonings and a little Velveeta to make a quick, one pot dinner! One of the most versatile meals in America, plus easy to stick in the freezer.
“Goulash, Goulash, tastes great! Goulash, Goulash, can’t wait!” —Why you will love this recipe
THAT is what my dad used to sing every time our family had Goulash for supper, and it has always kind of stuck with me. Goulash is kind of like BBQs..everyone makes it but everyone makes it differently!
- it is simple and versatile – you can make it your own!
- dirties just 1 pot — the less dishes the better
- creamy and kid friendly
Ingredients in American Goulash
Ground Beef – I like to use lean ground beef from our farm.
Elbow Maccaroni –is the pasta I have used, however now a few years later after making this, I have toddler kids that love to use Cavatappi noodles– in equal amounts to elbow. I like the 2 ingredient noodles from Three Farm Daughters Pasta.
Diced tomatoes- 15 oz can, not drained. I think EVERY goulash recipe has diced tomatoes in it.
Tomato Soup– any brand would work. 1 can of the condensed tomato soup.
Onion- if you don’t like onion, like my husband, dice it very fine or you can leave it out and just use onion powder. I love to use minced onion from frontier coop. It has great flavor.
Minced Garlic- this is a must. I like to buy minced garlic in bulk at Sams Club because I use it in everything. You need to add black pepper, too.
Brown sugar- to add just a tish of sweetness.
Velveeta cheese- yes. It is necessary. I know Velveeta gets a bad rep but it really helps this cheesy dish.
Milk or beef broth- or a combination of the two.
Olive oil- basically for greasing the pan- use any oil you prefer. I have been into using tallow lately for its’ nutritional benefits. Learn more about cooking with tallow form my blog post- how to use beef tallow.
How to make one pot goulash
How to make one pot goulash
- Brown ground beef
Heat a large pan on medium high heat. Add oil/tallow to pan and then add onions. Sauté for a couple minutes until soft- then add ground beef to brown. (sometimes I’m in a hurry and just cook them together)
- Drain, add ingredients to form sauce
Once ground beef is browned, drain any excess grease and return to pan. Add tomato soup, diced tomatoes, milk, elbow macaroni, brown sugar and seasonings. Mix together, let simmer on medium heat for 15 minutes or until elbow macaroni is cooked to your preference, making sure to stir frequently. Add more milk/broth if gets too thick.
- Add cheese
Cube the Velveeta and add to mixture. Stirring for about 5 minutes on medium low heat to melt the cheese.
- Enjoy!
Goulash Substitutions
There are so many ways you can utilize substitutions in this recipe.
- Replace the 2 cups of milk with beef broth entirely or partially.
- Cheese: use real shredded cheese instead of Velveeta, about 1/4-1/2 cup of any kind (cheddar, etc.). However it may not melt quite as well. I recommend hand-shredded as it will melt better.
- Noodles: try Cavatappi or shells.
- Tomato Base: try tomato sauce instead of tomato soup
- Onion: replace diced onion with minced onion or onion powder
- Vegetable: add 1 cup of veggies such as corn, diced carrots.
Goulash Recipe FAQs
Yes, let it cool and then freeze in air tight, freezer safe, containers. Thaw and warm again in the microwave.
I started to get curious, where did goulash come from? Is it just an Iowan/Midwest dish? Well, it actually originated in Hungary BUT their goulash is completely different than American Goulash (so I’m really not sure WHY we call our dish goulash?). Google also told me that it is primarily enjoyed in the Midwest and South here in the good old USA.
Let the dish cool and then store in air tight container in refrigerator for up to 4 days. Warm in microwave.
Yes. Brown the hamburger, add all ingredients except noodles- cook on low for 2 hours, then add noodles-give a good stir and let cook on low for additional 30-45 minutes until noodles are done. May need to add more broth/milk this way.
What to serve with Goulash
- garlic toast — from freezer section or homemade
- Side Salad
- Cottage Cheese
More Recipes like this Goulash Recipe
I think you’d love our Beef and Egg Noodles Recipe. Another recipe that goes well with egg noodles is our Swedish Meatballs Recipe. A hearty ground beef recipe is our Cowboy Casserole.
our hamburger steaks and gravy recipe is another great ground beef meal.
Another popular weeknight dinner would be Crescent Roll Taco Bake
If you like slider, try our Pizza Slider Recipe
What is for dessert?
Dessert anyone? Try our Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars! OR vanilla pudding chocolate chip cookies. Another great cookie recipe is our Cowboy Cookies.
Goulash is a great recipe for kids. Want to get your kids involved in the kitchen? Check out our article – how to get kids in the kitchen.
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One Pot Goulash
Equipment
- 1 large pan for cooking
- 1 measuring utensils
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 2 cups elbow macaroni or cavatoppi
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 can condensed tomato soup
- 1/2 onion, diced or minced onion
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 2-3 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 2 oz velveeta
- 1-3/4 cups milk or beef broth
- 1 tbsp olive oil or other oil for greasing pan (tallow, butter, etc)
Instructions
- Heat a large pan on medium high heat. Add oil/tallow to pan and add onions. Let them sauté until soft (3 minutes) then add ground beef and brown.
- Once ground beef is no longer pink, drain any excess grease and return to pan. Add tomato soup, diced tomatoes, milk, elbow macaroni, brown sugar and seasonings. Mix together, let simmer on medium heat for 15 minutes or until elbow macaroni is cooked to your preference, making sure to stir frequently. Add more milk/broth if gets too thick.
- Cube the Velveeta and add to mixture. Stirring for about 5 minutes on medium low heat to melt the cheese.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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This is a recipe we’ve been using for years. It is creamy, cheesy and just a bit sweet.