One Pot American Goulash

November 08, 2018

Oh my goulash, you guys. It’s not often that I use wine in my cooking because it can be pretty pricey, but something magical happens when you add red wine to beef, and it’s something that I just can not resist. Luckily I live near an Aldi store now so I can get a bottle of wine for about $5 that is not only good enough to cook with, but good enough that I’ll happily drink the rest of the bottle with my meal. This One Pot American Goulash is the ultimate comfort food with the richest, most yummiest red sauce ever, thanks to a splash of red wine. Seriously, you’ve got to try this one.

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Originally posted 10-8-10, updated 11-8-18.

One Pot American Goulash

Is Red Wine Mandatory?

If you want this dish to be as scrumptious as humanly possible, yes. But if you can’t get your red wine, you can substitute beef broth in its place. You’ll still have a pretty rockin’ red sauce, but it just won’t be like “make me weak in the knees” good.

Where’s the Paprika?

This is American Goulash, which is basically just beef, macaroni, and red sauce. It’s totally different than Hungarian Goulash. So if you’re looking for chunks of beef that have been slow simmered in a delicious paprika sauce, this is not it. This is just straight up American comfort food.

One Pot American Goulash

This easy one pot version of American Goulash cooks the pasta and beef in the same pot with a homemade red wine tomato sauce for extra flavor.

1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.16)
1 medium onion ($0.32)
4 cloves garlic ($0.32)
2 bell peppers ($1.58)
1 lb ground beef ($5.29)
1/2 cup red wine* ($0.72)
1 28oz. can diced tomatoes ($0.89)
1 15oz. can tomato sauce ($0.59)
2 Tbsp soy sauce ($0.12)
2 whole bay leaves (optional) ($0.30)
1/2 tsp oregano ($0.05)
1/2 tsp basil ($0.05)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes ($0.02)
1/2 cup water ($0.00)
2 cups elbow macaroni (about 1/2 lb.) ($0.50)
salt to taste ($0.05)

Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Sauté both in a large soup pot with the olive oil over medium heat until the onions are translucent. While the onion and garlic are sautéing, dice the bell peppers, then add them to the pot and continue to sauté for about two minutes more.
Add the ground beef to the pot with the vegetables and continue to sauté over medium until the beef is cooked through. Add the red wine to the pot and stir to dissolve any browned bits off the bottom of the pot.
Add the diced tomatoes (with juices), tomato sauce, soy sauce, bay leaves, oregano, basil, crushed red pepper, and water to the pot. Stir to combine, place a lid on the pot, and allow it to come up to a boil. Once boiling, turn it down to low, and let the sauce simmer for 30 minutes with the lid on, stirring occasionally.
After the sauce has simmered for 30 minutes, add the macaroni and stir to combine. Continue to let the macaroni simmer in the sauce, with the lid on, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender (about 10-12 minutes).
Once the pasta is tender, taste the goulash and add salt to taste. Remove the bay leaves, then serve.

*The type of red wine is flexible, just stay away from very sweet varieties. I used Cabernet Sauvignon.

Step By Step Photos

Begin by dicing one yellow onion and mincing four cloves of garlic. Add them to a soup pot along with 1 Tbsp olive oil and sauté over medium heat until the onion are translucent. While the onion and garlic are sautéing, dice two bell peppers. Add the bell peppers to the pot and continue to sauté for about two minutes more.

Add one pound ground beef to the pot and continue to sauté over medium heat until the beef is fully cooked. Add 1/2 cup red wine to the pot and stir to dissolve any browned bits off the bottom of the pot.

Add one 28oz. can diced tomatoes (with the juices), one 15oz. can tomato sauce, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 bay leaves, 1/2 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp basil, 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper, and 1/2 cup water. Stir everything to combine, place a lid on the pot, and allow it to come up to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to low, and let it simmer for 30 minutes. Keep the lid on as it simmers, lifting it only occasionally to stir.

Once the sauce has simmered for 30 minutes (OMG it’s already smelling good), add 2 cups macaroni (that’s about 1/2 lb.). Stir to combine the macaroni with the sauce, place the lid back on top, and let it continue to simmer until the macaroni is tender. Stir occasionally as the pasta simmers to keep it from sticking, returning the lid after each stir.