Goulash |Cooking With Amanda

This dish took me back. Way back. It was such a looooong time since I'd had goulash, but I had a random craving recently and decided to see if I could throw it together for dinner.

Mission accomplished. Dinner in a snap.

It was all very nostalgic. Why? Well, it took me straight back to high school because this was a super regular lunch in the school cafeteria. Some people don't exactly love the idea of reliving their younger days – hey, I get it. High school was HARD. Or so I thought.

At the time, of course it felt very stressful and confusing, but WOW were those simple times. Those were the days! Life was easy. I just studied and hung out with my friends. That was basically the extent of my life then. If given the chance to go back, I think I'd give it some serious thought!!

So, all that said, to be enjoying goulash again felt very nostalgic! I was immediately dropped right back into high school. It's funny how foods and smells, things like that, can take you right back to a memory from the past. That's how I felt when I was eating this delicious one-pot meal.

I didn't realize it until I made it, but goulash is apparently such a comfort food to me. While summertime might be a strange season to be thinking comfort food, I am always in the mood for comfort food. This is coming from the girl who still loves chicken noodle soup in Florida in July. Call me crazy, but I can always go for a cozy bowl of soup or a hearty and filling casserole. I know: crazy.

Between the nostalgia I felt from savoring an old favorite meal, and the fact that goulash is simply delicious, this dish was a home run. I whipped it up in one pot, and it was ready in about a half hour, with minimal hands-on labor involved. Although I love to bake, cooking is not my favorite thing, so I really appreciated that goulash is pretty quick and simple to prepare.

With plenty of ground beef for protein, loads of macaroni (yay, carbs!), and generous amounts of tomato sauce, this goulash is super filling and super yummy. Ah – and melted cheese. Perhaps the most important ingredient of all! It's such a fast and hearty dinner, and it makes for amazing leftovers to pack for lunch!

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Goulash Recipe

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Ingredients

1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 pounds ground beef
2 24 ounce jars tomato sauce
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, preferably with green pepper & onion or italian seasoned
2 1/2 cups water
1 pound elbow macaroni
2 teaspoons italian seasoning
salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups colby jack cheese, shredded

Directions

In a large pot or French oven, cook the onion and pepper over medium heat until they are starting to brown and soften.
Add the ground beef and cook until it's browned and no longer pink, about 7-8 minutes.
Stir in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, water, macaroni, and Italian seasoning.
Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for about 15-20 minutes, or until the macaroni are tender.
Remove from heat, and serve with shredded cheese on top.