Old School Dutch Oven American Goulash Recipe
Dutch Oven American Goulash is an ultra comforting dish, made with tender macaroni pasta, flavorful ground beef, aromatic spices, and cooked in a rich marinara sauce with tomatoes and beef broth.
Shredded cheese can be added to the goulash towards the end of the cooking time for even more decadence. While the ingredients in this American goulash may be simple, the flavor of this dish is totally addictive!
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT DUTCH OVEN AMERICAN GOULASH
American Goulash differs from authentic Hungarian goulash in that American goulash is more of a pasta-heavy dish with ground beef. Traditional goulash is closer to a stew, using chunks of beef with potatoes and other stew-like ingredients.
While it’s not clear when people in the USA started to call the modern ground beef version “Goulash”, the term seems to have stuck!
HOW SHOULD I STORE LEFTOVER AMERICAN GOULASH?
Leftover American goulash can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Thaw frozen goulash overnight in the fridge and reheat in the oven in a baking dish, covered with aluminum foil so that the pasta doesn’t dry out. Additional shredded cheese can also be added to the top of your leftovers when reheating if you wish.
IS AMERICAN GOULASH SIMILAR TO OTHER RECIPES?
It can be! This American goulash could quite easily be mistaken as Johnny Marzetti, American Chop Suey, or Beef-a-Roni which are all pasta dishes consisting of ground beef, tomato sauce and veggies.
WHAT VARIATIONS CAN I MAKE TO THIS DUTCH OVEN AMERICAN GOULASH?
- For a creamy and decadent goulash, add in some sour cream. You can detract the amount of sour cream added from the beef broth so that the dish doesn’t become too mushy.
- Adding in some white wine can deepen the flavor of this dish while keeping the meat moist too!
- I’ve used elbow pasta in this dish as it traps bits of the ground beef and sauce really well but you could use a different pasta of your choice if you wish.
- Other delicious topping ideas for this American goulash include black olives, chopped artichokes, fresh or dried Italian herbs, and parmesan cheese.
- Use a different ground meat such as ground chicken, turkey, or pork.
- Regular ground beef adds a lot of flavor to this goulash due to the fat content but you could opt for lean ground beef.
- Mozzarella cheese and cheddar cheese are great options for this American goulash. Use either or even a combination.
TIPS FOR MAKING AMERICAN GOULASH
- Make sure to remove the bay leaves before adding the shredded cheese. These leaves are edible, but won’t taste great if left in the dish. They are used just to add some flavor to the dish while all of the ingredients cook together.
- I don’t cook the pasta separately from the rest of the ingredients, otherwise the pasta can become overly mushy. If you have cooked the macaroni pasta separately, only add it to the rest of the ingredients just prior to serving.
- Always shred your cheese yourself from a block of cheese. Pre Shredded cheese is likely to contain an artificial coating to extend the shelf life, which prevents the cheese from melting well. The artificial coating also affects the taste of the cheese.
- Leftovers must be completely cool before storing in the fridge or the freezer.
Dutch Oven American Goulash
Ingredients
Method
- In a Dutch oven, cook the ground beef and onion together until the onion softens and the meat cooks through, about 3-5 minutes.
- Drain any grease.
- Add the beef broth, marinara sauce, diced tomatoes, bay leaf, Italian seasoning, soy sauce, garlic powder, paprika, seasoned salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil.
- Turn heat down to medium low and simmer for 5 or 10 minutes, covered.
- Add the elbow macaroni and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender, about 12-15 minutes. Don’t overcook.
- Remove the bay leaves and adjust the seasonings to taste.
- Add the shredded cheese, optional. If you are using a Dutch oven, you can pop it in the oven and melt and brown the cheese if desired.
