Old Fashioned Goulash Recipe

Old Fashioned Goulash Recipe is an American classic recipe of hamburger meat, tomato sauce, and pasta. It’s a one-pot comfort meal that uses common ingredients, feeds a crowd, and is budget-friendly.

Old Fashioned Goulash or American Chop Suey

Depending on where you live, you may refer to this recipe as American Chop Suey. I grew up calling it Goulash. By all accounts from the research I’ve done, it’s the same recipe. 

Traditionally, the recipe has elbow macaroni, but I didn’t have elbows and used Fusilli better known as corkscrew pasta instead.

Most Goulash recipes have cheese in it. I grew up eating a version of Goulash, but my Grandmother never put cheese in it. Naturally, if you don’t include cheese, it’s even cheaper to make. (Good grief, cheese is expensive!!)

Sometimes, she put green peppers in it, which I promptly picked out. I don’t put green peppers in my recipe.

Is American Goulash or Hungarian Goulash the Same Thing?

No. A traditional Hungarian Goulash is a stew that is filled with beef and onions and spiced with paprika. Whereas, American Goulash is more of a tomato, beef, and macaroni dish. As well, it differs from spaghetti in that the pasta is cooked in the sauce for Goulash. For spaghetti, the pasta is cooked separately from the sauce and it’s combined to serve.

This makes a lot so it’s great for feeding a crowd at potlucks and holidays. It’s great for family dinner if you like having leftovers… or you’re the Duggers!😲

Growing up we had bread or rolls with our Goulash. Now, with everyone watching carbs, I serve it with a simple green salad.

Slow Cooker Method

This is one recipe that I prefer to cook on the stovetop. After all, you can make it in one pot on the stove. I don’t like pasta cooked in a slow cooker. It becomes gummy in texture. Therefore, I recommend cooking the pasta separately then adding it to your Goulash the last 15 to 20 minutes.

Here’s the entire slow cooker method.

Cook ground beef, garlic, and onions on the stovetop, then add to the slow cooker.
Stir in all remaining ingredients except pasta. Let it simmer on high for 2 to 3 hours or on low for 5 to 6 hours.

Cook the noodles. (You actually do this in advance and refrigerate them.)
Add the pasta to the slow cooker and cook until it’s heated through. Serve immediately.

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