Sunday goulash that feeds the week

November is when one pot has to do two jobs. Dinner at six, and lunch the next day.

This is American goulash: ground beef, tomato, and elbow macaroni cooked in the same pot. It is not the Hungarian kind. No paprika paste, no dumplings. It is the weeknight version a lot of families already make, written here with amounts and times so it can be cooked again without guessing.

Beef and macaroni goulash

one pot, two meals

Dinner tonight, and lunch tomorrow, from the same pot.

Prep 15 min · Cook 25 min · Total 40 min · 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound ground beef (85/15)
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
• 1 cup shredded cheddar

Steps

1. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or deep pot over medium-high. Cook the beef, onion, and bell pepper 8 minutes, breaking the meat up, until the beef is browned. Drain any extra fat.
2. Stir in the garlic, paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cook 1 minute, until it smells fragrant.
3. Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, broth, and Worcestershire. Bring it to a boil.
4. Stir in the macaroni. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook 12 to 14 minutes, stirring once halfway, until the pasta is tender and most of the liquid is gone.
5. Take the pot off the heat. Stir in half the cheddar. Scatter the rest on top, cover, and let it sit 3 minutes, until the cheese melts.
6. Rest 5 minutes, uncovered, so it thickens. Taste and add salt if it needs it.

Tip: It gets thicker as it sits. Leftovers keep 4 days in the fridge. Loosen them with a splash of water when you reheat.

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