Classic Goulash

SERVES: 4

COOK TIME: 35 Min

Classic dishes never go out of style, and this easy recipe for Hungarian goulash will be one of your favorites. Watch them clean their plates once you set this classic goulash on the table. Goulash is one of those old-world dishes that never fails to please, and now you can learn how to make old fashioned goulash in just a few simple steps. With savory seasonings and hearty stick-to-your-ribs appeal, this Classic Goulash is a perfect meal to satisfy a hungry gang!

What You'll Need

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 medium-sized green bell pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, quartered
1 (28-ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
1 (8-ounce) package elbow macaroni, cooked according to package directions
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

What to Do

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add ground beef, bell pepper, onion, and mushrooms, and cook 6 to 8 minutes, stirring to crumble the beef, until no pink remains; drain excess liquid.
Add remaining ingredients except cheese; mix well. Place in a 2-1/2-quart casserole dish, cover, and bake 22 to 25 minutes.
Remove casserole from oven, uncover, and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake uncovered for 5 to 7 minutes, or until heated through and cheese is melted.

Notes

Classic Goulash made our reader favorites list for 2010! Check out all the top 20 recipes of 2010.
If you enjoyed this recipe, be sure to check out our collection pages: Easy Pasta Bake Recipes and Easy Goulash Recipes (we've got some great goulash recipes on there!).

Or, if you're looking for a different comfort food recipe, be sure to check out Mom's Tuna Noodle Casserole or Chicken Fried Steak Casserole.

Nutritional InformationShow More

Servings Per Recipe: 4

Amount Per Serving % Daily Value *
Calories 817
Calories from Fat 349
Total Fat 39g 60 %
Saturated Fat 15g 77 %
Trans Fat 1.6g 0 %
Protein 50g 99 %

Amount Per Serving % Daily Value *
Cholesterol 141mg 47 %
Sodium 1,990mg 83 %
Total Carbohydrates 65g 22 %
Dietary Fiber 3.1g 12 %
Sugars 13g 0 %

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mcjaeger68 7834255

Oct 22, 2016

Hungarian or not, this is just like my mother used to make! I am going to try it very soon!

7105

Jan 20, 2016

how can you make the classic goulash recipe in a crockpot

Test Kitchen Team

Jan 21, 2016

Hi there! To make this recipe in your slow cooker, you will need to add a 1/2 cup of water, then cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours or on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours. Enjoy!

7105

Jan 19, 2016

How can I make this in a slow cooker

SJerzGirl

Nov 08, 2015

Although this does look good, there is nothing at all Hungarian about this recipe. And, the pasta in the photo is NOT elbow macaroni. It looks more like curly bucatini or trattolle.

annehubbard 540414 6

Aug 26, 2015

This is spaghetti!

ginabudney 8976992

Mar 18, 2015

I love this recipe because it was super easy to make and took no time at all. I had everything in my cupboard. On a cold night, perfect go to meal. Will be feeding my family more of this dish soon.

jalexis3 2404243

Nov 07, 2014

This was one of the very first Mr. Food recipes I tried years ago and it is very good. Have been making it ever since with just a few tweaks to satisfy us.

liquidsoapdish 233 4974

Sep 25, 2014

Super easy to make, but pretty bland (even after adding jalepenos and seasoning), on the bright side there was a TON of leftovers for a house full of men...

luvmocha

Aug 23, 2014

This was very good and will make again.....I didn't use the oil as the ground beef has enough fat in it already. We also enjoy a goulash I have made for years using ground beef, onion, lots of green pepper, tomatoes, ketchup ( because it's sweeter than tomato sauce), sweet basil, and macaroni. So yummy! I used to use a pasta called elbow spaghetti, its slightly longer than macaroni and not as thick, but I can't find it any more.

Susanne

Aug 22, 2014

Hey who cares where it came from it was good so just enjoy it!!

lmtownse 3428608

Jan 20, 2014

I made this last night and I'll never make goulash any other way again. I left out the green pepper because I can't eat it and I used more macaroni because neither of us likes a lot of sauce, but it was still delicious. My husband is not normally a fan of casserole dishes but he said I could make this for dinner any time.

charb123 1111190

Jan 20, 2014

7730630 This Lady is right this is American goulash,not Hungarian .

dkrslorenz 4772744

Jan 18, 2014

Mom use to call this Hillbilly Goulash and used diced tomatoes and tomato sauce instead of spaghetti sauce.

jaasimon 7730670

Nov 19, 2013

You should not call this Hungarian goulash. It is not. Hungarian goulash is a completely different dish.

foodcodes

Nov 19, 2013

I have learned that in different parts of the country similar / same foods have different names. Where I am from, I never even saw this dish. Ghoulash (now Hungarian) was different and used chunks of meat, not ground. When I moved to where I am now a good friend said "how about if I bring over some ghoulash". Needless to say, I was dismayed when I saw what it was. The better examples I can think of are 'hoagie', 'hero', 'sub(marine)' and plenty more including some that I don't yet know.

Bellerophon

Jan 18, 2014

In many parts of the country, any dish with an ingredient list similar to this -- pasta, hamburger, tomatoes, and the like, -- is called 'goulash', even among folks who never even heard of Hungary!

snperch

Aug 23, 2013

while this is good, it is truly an American goulash. It is in no way even close to being a Hungarian goulash!

hazieloops 9719458

Jun 03, 2013

It was a good dish overall, it needed more seasoning, mine was kid of bland. My 2 year old enjoyed it and asked for seconds. I used yellow bell pepper instead of green and garlic salt instead of garlic powder because it was all I had. Next time, I'll follow the recepie completely and maybe it will turn out better.

peg9 3238

Mar 28, 2013

Jar sauce can be improved w/ red wine & sugar, + herbs & spices you know you like. Too thick, add some v-8 juice. Too thin, reduce it over medium heat. Diced onion & minced garlic (instead of powder) are good additions as well. Hope that helped.

beardkab 2751038

Mar 26, 2013

I love fast and easy receipes; however, I have not been thrilled with the jarred spaghetti sauce I have used. Any suggestions?

sadewyer 4585691

Aug 19, 2013

I've done a little personal "research" on spaghetti sauces. For my taste there are two great ones available, and they aren't loaded with sodium like some are. Rao and Gia Russa are the best. Or to really get low sodium start with Pomi and add your own seasonings. The first two are in glass jars, the third is in a box.....so no worries about that nasty BPA stuff! Good Luck!

lindabell1007

Sep 29, 2013

I always add red pepper flakes, onion power or salt along w/ mince onions, garlic powder& or salt. Whenever I use jar sauces. Always taste them and then start adding extra spices.

Bellerophon

Jan 04, 2014

Check your Target store's food section for Giada De Laurentiis' jarred spaghetti sauce. Fabulous!

Kamicat

Mar 22, 2013

It always amazes me when a recipe says to brown the ground beef in oil. Unless you use the 96% lean kind, there is pleny of fat in the beef to brown it without sticking. Just start it over medium heat until some fat is melted out, then add the onion, pepper, etc. And of course, for those who are concerned, decrease the salt or omit it as there is lots in the spaghetti sauce and cheese

beachsquirrel 8716 971

Oct 17, 2012

This stuff is so delicious! Left out the mushrooms because I don't like them. But followed the recipe and made no other changes. Just the thing to make when you have ground beef but don't know what to do with it. Goes together fast and uses ingredients you probably already have. No need to run out and buy an ingredient you'll use once and never use again.

manannahudson 6839 381

Aug 22, 2012

This dish was excellent fast very inexpensive, I substituted, I used garlic powder instead, I used 1 can of tomatoe sauce to make homemade sauce, instead elbow macaroni I used rotillini pasta..Shared with my son & his family. He said Mom this FIRE!!LOL

sallyh

Feb 07, 2011

I use Italian bulk sausage instead of the hamburger - YUMMY. Instead of the spag. sauce, I use diced tomatoes and some tomato paste.

ajwoolverton 37932 42

Jan 14, 2011

There is only 3 of us so I thought this would be good because it serves 4 and that way my husband would have leftovers during the week. After mixing this all up I realized that this was going to feed a large group!!! So next time I will ONLY use 1 lb of beef and cut everything else in half also. Beside that the dish was very good and would highly recommend it. Itwas very tasteful.

brazilli2003 37853 33

Jan 14, 2011

First time I have seen a reciepe this close to my Grandmothers who was born around 1890. Only in the depression days they didn't know what spaghetti sauce was. She would brown the meat and onion, add a jar of home canned tomatoes, salt, pepper, chilli powder, a little catsup, a little more water, then add the dry macaroni and turn on low and let it cook in the skillet. We still make it today. This is a very good modern version.