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This old fashioned goulash recipe is pure comfort. It’s rich, hearty, perfectly seasoned, and only takes 45 minutes to make.
Old fashioned goulash was a staple in my house growing up. And now that I’m an adult, it’s still a staple in my house! This recipe is so cozy and comforting. Hearty ground beef is cooked in an intense sauce of tomatoes, onions, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and many spices. Melty cheddar cheese is added for richness and texture. And of course, there’s the classic elbow macaroni!
Every time I eat old fashioned goulash, I’m transported back to my childhood. Something about the beef, tomatoes, macaroni, and cheese just works perfectly together. It’s so comforting, but it’s also easy to make! This recipe only takes 45 minutes. It’s a staple in my household when I need a filling weekday meal.
What You’ll Need
Here are all the ingredients that you need to make this rich goulash. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the page to see the exact amounts for each ingredient.
- Elbow macaroni – You can substitute other types of pasta if you want, but macaroni is the traditional choice.
- Ground beef
- Onion – I like to use a yellow onion for this recipe, but red or white onions will also work.
- Garlic
- Worcestershire sauce
- Canned tomato sauce
- Canned diced tomatoes – Use petite diced tomatoes if possible.
- Italian seasoning
- Salt
- Black pepper – Make sure to use freshly ground black pepper.
- Cheddar cheese – Shred your own cheese for best results, but pre-shredded works fine.
How to Make Goulash
Here’s how to make this simple, comforting goulash. It only takes about 45 minutes!
- Prep. Preheat your oven to 350F.
- Cook the pasta. Boil a large pot of water, and add the elbow macaroni. Cook for 3 minutes less than what the package suggests.
- Drain. When the pasta is done cooking, drain it.
- Cook the beef and onions. Heat a skillet over high heat. Add the beef and the onions, and break the meat apart. Cook until the beef is browned, about 6-7 minutes. Drain the fat from the skillet.
- Add the garlic. Put the garlic in the skillet and cook until fragrant. This should take about 1 minute.
- Mix in the wet ingredients. Add the canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to combine.
- Add the seasonings. Put the Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper into the skillet, and stir to combine.
- Mix in the pasta and cheese. Stir in the macaroni and the shredded cheddar cheese until everything is mixed together.
- Bake. If your skillet is oven safe, place it in the oven. If not, transfer the goulash to a casserole dish. Bake until the cheese is fully melted, and the goulash is bubbling. This should take 20-25 minutes. Then serve.
Recipe Tips
Here are a few tricks and tips for making this beefy goulash.
- Salt the water. For the best-tasting pasta, add a little bit of salt to the boiling water. This will give the macaroni a light seasoning.
- Adjust the seasonings. When you add the Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to the sauce, start small. Then taste the sauce, and adjust the seasonings as needed. Some people like more Italian seasoning or salt than others. Adjust the sauce to your liking.
- Get some color on the beef. Don’t be scared of getting some color on the ground meat. Browning the beef is the secret to getting the most flavor out of the meat. Make sure to cook the beef until it’s pretty brown before continuing with the recipe.
- Baking. You do not have to bake this if you are short on a time. You really just need everything to be hot, and the pasta cooked. My grandma always baked hers, so it is just how I do it.
Serving Suggestions
Since this is a traditional comfort dish, I love to serve it alongside classic sides. Here are a few of my favorite side dishes to serve with goulash. In my family it was always buttered saltine crackers that were a must with this dish.
Storage
This recipe is easy to store and reheat. Keep leftover goulash in an airtight container and it will last in the fridge for 4 days. Reheat in the microwave on 80% power in 30-second increments.
Freezing
Let the goulash cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost or thaw completely before reheating.
More American Comfort Foods to Make
I hope you loved this traditional goulash. Here are some more American comfort foods to cook.
- Beef Chili
- Copycat KFC Bowl
- Ham and Split Pea Soup
- Stuffed Pepper Casserole
- Crockpot Chicken and Gravy
Old Fashioned Goulash
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 15 oz cans tomato sauce
- 2 14.5 oz cans petit diced tomatoes
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook macaroni for 3 minutes less than the box directions, then drain.
- Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add ground beef and onions to the pan. Break beef apart, cooking for 6-7 minutes until browned. Drain any fat.
- Mix in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add in Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce, and diced tomatoes. Mix until combined.
- Stir in the Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
- Mix in cooked macaroni and cheddar cheese. If your skillet is heat-safe, you can place in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the goulash is bubbly and the cheese is melted. If the skillet is not heat-safe, transfer the goulash to a casserole dish and bake.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 days, or in the freezer for 3 months.
- Reheat in the microwave on 80% power in 30-second increments.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This s the best goulash I have ever made. Everyone loves it!
This goulash is delicious! I’ll be making this often. My husband & adult daughter both loved it. Seasoning was perfect.
My mom used to make this. Unfortunately she’s gone now, but I have never been able to get mine to taste like hers .. until now! Brings back a lot of memories.. this is my 3rd or 4th time I’ve made this goulash now. Love it! The only thing different is I use Cavatappi noodles and no cheese. So I don’t put it in the oven. And we used to have butter bread with it. But thank you!! It’s great!
Why can’t i read the comments from people. Can’t rate, haven’t made yet
All the comments are there, you scrolled by them to leave this comment. And it shows you left a 3 star rating, but haven’t made it. The post as almost 300 comments, you can page through them all if you want to read them, they are at the bottom of the post.
My husband enjoyed the goulash on a cold, windy day.
It is a dish I have not made in a while and it was easy to assemble.
I am also glad that the printing allows for changes in recipe servings.
My one confusion was that a serving was listed as 1g in the nutrition section.
Is it supposed to be 1 cup?
Also, I would find it easier if the elbow macaroni amount was in cup measurements.
Thank you.
Elbow Macaroni is sold by the pound, a box is usually 1 pound – so that is what you need to make the recipe. If you are cutting it in half, you would just use half a box.
As written is makes approximately 8 servings, to get the approximate nutrition information shown.
Simply delicious. My husband LOVED this. I served with a side salad and some buttered sliced Italian bread. I drained the ground beef, added the tomato sauce and tomatoes,seasonings and a little water then allowed the to simmer about 20 minutes while my pasta boiled seperatly. I added the cheese until melted on the stove top. Thank you for sharing.
Family have made this for years. No cheese. We do add bacon.
I made this as a quick and easy Halloween dinner. I did tweak the ingredients and spices by adding a green pepper and mushrooms. Seasoning I added about 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Everyone loved it including my one year old granddaughter.
Best goulash I’ve had since the 1970’s. Only change I made was to use Monterey Jack cheese instead of cheddar. Will definitely make it again.
I think the carb count is closer to 55g per serving, the 2 oz of pasta alone has 41g. Perhaps it was calculated with 1 pound of cooked pasta, not dry??