Not Your Lunch Lady's Goulash

Yep...here's another one of Tonya's recipes from 4 little Fergusons.  She makes family-friendly meals because she feeds a family of 6 every day...and feeds them well. Her children have been trained to eat what is before them, and they are not picky eaters at all.  They eat things I wouldn't even eat!

Tonya never cared for goulash growing up, and only ate it at school. 

She was so impressed with this tasty goulash recipe she found at a Weekend Potluck party, that she raved.  

So of course, I had to try it too.  My hubby loves goulash and it had been a long time since I'd made it. Goulash is one of those dishes that tastes better the 'older' it gets. I've never thought to add worchestershire to my goulash before and we loved the flavor boost it gave. 

This is a great recipe for a large family as it serves 8 generous portions. And it's cooked on top of the stove...no oven required. 

NOT YOUR LUNCH LADY'S GOULASH 

2# ground beef (I used lean)

1 onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

8 ozs. sliced fresh mushrooms

(I used a lg. can, drained)

6 garlic cloves

3 c. water

1 - 29 ozs. tomato sauce

1 - 28 ozs. diced tomatoes, undrained

1 TB. Italian seasoning

1 tsp. smokey paprika

1 tsp. sugar

1-1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, optional

garlic powder, salt & pepper to taste

3 Tb. worchestershire sauce

3 c. uncooked elbow macaroni 

shredded cheese of choice to melt over the top

In large stock pot, cook beef over medium high heat, until no longer pink.  Add onion, pepper and mushrooms.  Cook until tender, about 3 - 5 minutes. 

Add garlic, water, tomato sauce, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, paprika, sugar, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, salt, pepper and worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil; cover and reduce heat. 

Allow to simmer for 20 minutes.  Add elbow macaroni, stirring well.  Cover and simmer 15 minutes longer, or until macaroni is done. (Check while they cook to see if you need to add more water). If there's already too much, just allow to simmer until it thickens. 

If using cheese, add now. Allow to set covered for 10 minutes before serving. 

Yield: 8 servings

Serve with salad or veggies and rolls and you're all set. 

Linked to Weekend Potluck             Meal Plan Monday