Goulash - American Goulash

 

When I was in middle school, I used to go to a friend's house to stay the night and hang out. Her name was Sissy. She had long dark hair and big eyes and she and her family lived differently than most. Sissy was a surprise to her parents. She had three older sisters. Her dad died when she was a young child. Her and her family rented both sides of a duplex. Her oldest sister who was married and had children lived on one side and Sissy, her mom and two other sisters lived on the other side. Sissy's mom worked the graveyard shift, while her sister's worked at night after going to college during the day. Sissy was alone in the evening until her sisters came home well after bedtime. 

Sissy's mom would cook dinner for everyone before she left for her job. The first time that I was there her mom made American Goulash and oh how much I loved it. It was the first time that I had ever had it. My dad, being a Hungarian, frequently cooked Hungarian Goulash, but that is completely different. The only time that I have had American Goulash since then I have had to cook it myself. 

Goulash is an inexpensive and hearty meal. When I looked up recipes for American Goulash, I realized that it was also a very flexible recipe, and everyone cooks it differently. I never have had a recipe to go by. I only had my memories to go on. One thing that stood out to me was how wonderful the corn tasted with the tomatoes and beef. None of the recipes that I looked up had corn in them. 

My recipe is very simple and has simple ingredients. Salt, pepper, bullion and garlic are the only spices. I can't help but think that American Goulash was born out of necessity. All the other ingredients, which aren't many, are onions, carrots, celery, peppers, ground beef, canned tomatoes, and pasta. 

I didn't have any elbow macaroni handy, so I used small shells instead. Any pasta that you have handy will work just fine in this recipe. The great thing about this recipe is its flexibility. You can use this recipe as a base as you create your own American Goulash. American Goulash may have been the inspiration for Hamburger Helper. 

1 1/2 Lbs. Ground Beef, browned.

1 Carrot, chopped

1 Stalk of celery, Sliced

1 Onion, chopped

1 Bell pepper, chopped

4 Cloves garlic, crushed

1 Can Diced tomatoes

1 Can Tomato sauce

1 Can Corn, drained

1 Tsp Beef bouillon 

1 Lb Elbow macaroni, cooked al dente

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, lightly brown ground beef then add the carrot, pepper, celery, onion and garlic. Cook for an additional 7 minutes. Add tomatoes, corn and bouillon. Stir well. Add cooked elbow macaroni. I used a little less than a pound. I just added it until it reached the sauce/pasta ratio that I wanted. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir well until fully incorporated. Let simmer for 10 minutes. Serve hot.

Options:

Add cheese to make a Cheesy Goulash

Add Rotel and taco seasoning to make a Mexican Goulash

Add chili seasonings for a Chili Goulash

Use your imagination and create your favorite Goulash 

Top with cheese and or sour cream

Serve with a salad and bread for a complete meal.

Things To Be Happy About:

A playful cat

Flocked wallpaper

Tap lights

The extra energy needed to push through the rest of the day

Seeing the surprise snow that fell overnight when you open up the curtains in the morning

The smile you get on your face when thinking about something special

Enjoy,

Mrs. Smith