Looking for quick and easy dinner ideas? Look no further than 4-Ingredient Quick & Easy Goulash! It's simple, easy, family-friendly, budget-friendly comfort food that just seems to be loved by all.
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This is one of those family-friendly, budget-friendly dinner recipes that's been passed down through generation after generation in our family. In fact, my Dad remembered my grandmother making this dish for dinner all the time when he was growing up.
And then when I was growing up? -- I remember having it all the time, too.
And now? You guessed it - we have it all the time, as well. Probably at least once every-other-week. Our daughter is the newest generation to love this quick and easy goulash, too.
It's simple, easy, family-friendly, budget-friendly comfort food that just seems to be loved by all.
What's to Love About This Recipe?
So why has 4-ingredient goulash been so popular in our family and stood the test of time? Well first off, it's just plain good-old comfort food. -- That's the main reason. But it's got a few other fabulous perks, too:
In the earliest generations of our family, I'm sure it was the budget-friendly reason that brought about the love and reliance on this recipe. My Dad was the youngest of 7 children and the family wasn't at all what you would consider well-off. In fact, the word "poor" is much closer to the appropriate description.
So stretching the dollar was a way of life for my grandmother in the 1930s and 1940s when my Dad and his 6 siblings were growing up.
And we're pretty sure reliance on this Goulash recipe started well before that, being handed down to my grandmother from my great-grandmother before her. (Did you know Campbell's condensed tomato soup was introduced in 1897??)
Now a-days? -- I'm glad to be able to say our family has much more money at its disposal, but we stick with this classic comfort food recipe simply because we love it. Especially on those nights when we just need to get dinner on the table quick.
Stir everything together until it's well mixed, and finish it all off with a good sprinkling of salt and pepper.
And that's all there is to it - SUPER quick and easy to make.
Serve it up with an easy vegetable on the side, and you're good to go with a hearty family-friendly meal.
For some reason, corn is always our go-to veggie with this. Corn & Goulash just seem to go together. -- So much so, that Dad always stirred his corn right into his Goulash on his plate!
Now, I know that true goulash is a Hungarian slow-cooked stew generally with meat and vegetables seasoned with paprika ... and that goulash purists are probably going to beat me up over using the goulash name for this simple dinner dish.
But that's what our generations of family have just always called it.
This quick and easy version of goulash is also commonly referred to as American goulash or American chop suey, and is really not related to true Hungarian goulash in any way.
But no matter what you call it, one thing's for sure - it's just plain good-old comfort food. Simple, easy, family-friendly, budget-friendly comfort food that has sure stood our family's test of time.
- Family-friendly - Despite its simplicity, this quick Goulash is really tasty with flavors and ingredients loved by both kids and grown-ups alike.
- Easy - 4 simple ingredients, boil water, brown ground beef, stir ingredients together ... and that's pretty much it. Dinner truly doesn't get much easier than that.
- Time-friendly - This dish is done in the time it takes to cook macaroni noodles. Which indeed is pretty quick in dinner-dish terms.
- Budget-friendly - Those four simple ingredients? ~ They don't cost a whole lot ... and the recipe stretches a pound of ground beef out to feed multiple mouths easily.
In the earliest generations of our family, I'm sure it was the budget-friendly reason that brought about the love and reliance on this recipe. My Dad was the youngest of 7 children and the family wasn't at all what you would consider well-off. In fact, the word "poor" is much closer to the appropriate description.
So stretching the dollar was a way of life for my grandmother in the 1930s and 1940s when my Dad and his 6 siblings were growing up.
And we're pretty sure reliance on this Goulash recipe started well before that, being handed down to my grandmother from my great-grandmother before her. (Did you know Campbell's condensed tomato soup was introduced in 1897??)
Now a-days? -- I'm glad to be able to say our family has much more money at its disposal, but we stick with this classic comfort food recipe simply because we love it. Especially on those nights when we just need to get dinner on the table quick.
Quick & Easy Goulash Ingredients:
So just what are the 4 ingredients in this 4-Ingredient Quick & Easy Goulash? They're pretty simple:
- Ground beef - The protein base of the dish. Choose whatever % lean/fat ratio you prefer. We generally use 80%/20% ground beef for its full flavor.
- Macaroni - The noodle component of the dish that "stretches" the ground beef, making this the budget-friendly dish that it is. Regular elbow macaroni noodles are best. -- We just don't think it tastes "right" with other noodles!
- Chopped onion - Seasons the meat and the goulash overall. One regular yellow onion is all that's needed.
- Campbell's condensed tomato soup - Simply and easily creates the goulash's tasty sauce. Two cans provide the perfect amount of sauce for the recipe's amount of ground beef and marcaroni.
Now, we joked growing up that my Dad could only cook 2 things - popcorn and this Goulash. If Mom said, "Dad's cooking dinner tonight," you knew a big pot of Goulash was about to hit the table.
But the funny thing?
Dad would always leave out the onion! Yes, he'd turn an already-simple 4-ingredient recipe into an even simpler 3-ingredient one ... not bothering to take the time to chop up the onion.
If Mom said, "Dad's cooking dinner tonight," you knew a big pot of Goulash was about to hit the table.
My friends, I don't recommend cooking Goulash Dad's way. That one onion truly does add a lot of great flavor to the dish. So don't be like Dad ... take the time to chop that onion. (I mean, come on, Dad ... chopping an onion is really not that hard!)
How to Make 4-Ingredient Quick & Easy Goulash:
Dinner truly doesn't get much easier than this quick and easy Goulash. -- Get 4 simple ingredients, boil a pot of water, brown some ground beef and onion, and stir the ingredients together -- in a nutshell, that's pretty much it!
To get the goulash sauce going, first chop one onion. Then brown a pound of ground beef and the chopped onion together in a saute pan, draining off the grease when the ground beef is done.
Add in 2 cans of condensed tomato soup.
Stir that all together until well combined, and you've got the Goulash's tasty sauce.
Then combine the ground beef-tomato soup mixture with cooked macaroni noodles.
Start boiling the water for the noodles before you begin browning the ground beef, and the noodles and sauce should be done and come together at pretty close to the same time.
And that's all there is to it - SUPER quick and easy to make.
This quick and easy version of goulash is also commonly referred to as American goulash or American chop suey, and is really not related to true Hungarian goulash in any way.
Serve it up with an easy vegetable on the side, and you're good to go with a hearty family-friendly meal.
For some reason, corn is always our go-to veggie with this. Corn & Goulash just seem to go together. -- So much so, that Dad always stirred his corn right into his Goulash on his plate!
Now, I know that true goulash is a Hungarian slow-cooked stew generally with meat and vegetables seasoned with paprika ... and that goulash purists are probably going to beat me up over using the goulash name for this simple dinner dish.
But that's what our generations of family have just always called it.
This quick and easy version of goulash is also commonly referred to as American goulash or American chop suey, and is really not related to true Hungarian goulash in any way.
But no matter what you call it, one thing's for sure - it's just plain good-old comfort food. Simple, easy, family-friendly, budget-friendly comfort food that has sure stood our family's test of time.
Check out these other comfort food main dishes:
- Easy Baked Mostaccioli
- Homemade Spaghetti & Meatballs
- Baked Homemade Meatballs
- Pizza Spaghetti Bake
- Pasta in Creamy Sausage Sauce
- Spinach Lasagna Roll-Ups with Sausage
- Vegetable Lasagna with Broccoli
- More main dish recipes
Thank you for stopping by The Kitchen is My Playground. We'd love to have you back soon!
Yield: 6-8 servings
4-Ingredient Quick & Easy Goulash
Looking for quick and easy dinner ideas? Look no further than 4-Ingredient Quick & Easy Goulash! It's simple, easy, family-friendly, budget-friendly comfort food that just seems to be loved by all.
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 30 Min
Ingredients
- 2 c. uncooked elbow macaroni
- 1 to 1 1/4 lb. ground beef
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 (10.5 oz.) cans condensed tomato soup
- salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook macaroni in salted water, according to package directions. Drain well. Return to the cooking pot.
- While macaroni is cooking, brown the ground beef and chopped onion together; drain. Add tomato soup, a little salt, and a little pepper, to taste. Stir to combine and heat until the soup is heated through.
- Add ground beef-soup mixture to the macaroni; stir together until well combined. Season with additional salt & pepper, to taste.
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Have you tried it with bell peppers? And I was thinking about doing a can of tomato soup and a can of Petite diced tomatoes? Yay or nay? Lol.
ReplyDeleteHello Sonya, We have never tried with bell peppers. Part of the fun in cooking is taking a recipe and personalizing. If you make the changes you mention please stop by and let us know how it works out. I have to say it does sound interesting.
DeleteOmg I can’t believe I’m not the only one who makes this. My mom made this back in the 60s for a cheap meal. I made it for my kids and hubby and they love it. I know the tomato soup isn’t traditional but for some reason it gives it something. I do add green peppers sometimes just to give it some more veggies but yes, onions are a must. And 80/20 ground beef. Brings back memories.
ReplyDeleteGreat, some of my favorite memories are cooking family recipes. That is actually how the BLOG started.
DeleteYum, goloush! My granndmothers recipe calls for diced tomatoes instead of the tomato soup. I changed it up by using fire roasted diced tomatoes, rotini instead of macaroni and an 8oz can of tomato sauce. Sometimes I'll add parmasan cheese and some red pepper flakes. It's one of those great comfort foods.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your grandmother's recipe. So often family recipes that have been past down are the best ones.
DeleteI can't wait to try this recipe. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteSounds good, but have you tried making it with spaghetti/pasta sauce?
ReplyDeleteWe have not but it sounds interesting; please let us know how it turns out.
DeleteMy family makes something similar. We add celery and don’t add noodles. We eat it over mashed potatoes.
ReplyDeleteWe
Thank you for sharing. We may have to try a recipe similar to what you have described.
DeleteWe add a can of diced green chile and a little shredded cheese. Love this recipe with garlic bread on the side!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds good; thank you for sharing your tweaks.
DeleteHow many people will the recipe feed
ReplyDeleteThe recipe servers 6 to 8. Enjoy!
DeleteI've made this and Yes it's easy and delicious!
ReplyDeleteThis is the recipe my mother used 45 years ago. She would throw in a can of diced or stewed tomatoes, and cut about a one inch cube of velveeta!
ReplyDeleteMy mom added a. Can of pork and beans.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your mother's variation of this recipe; it sounds good.
DeleteThis is so easy and so delicious! Glad I tried it!
ReplyDeleteOne of my kids favorite meals!! Thanks for sharing at the What's for Dinner party. Hope your week is starting great!
ReplyDeleteWith two cans of the tomato soup, it was a bit on the sweeter side. We added a can of diced tomatoes, garlic, Italian seasoning. It was good and very easy! Next time I'll try with one can of soup. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI use vegetable soup instead of tomato soup
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your tweak. Part of the fun of cooking is to personalize a recipe.
DeleteHow did it turn out?
Do you still add the water with the tomato soup like it says or just use the paste?
ReplyDeleteHi, we cannot vouch for using tomato soup; we only tested the recipe with paste.
ReplyDeleteOMG this has been my go-to since I was a teen, got the recipe from an Aunt of mine. Only difference was a squirt of ketchup for the extra tang. I love lots of pepper in mine too. I love this!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing. It is heartwarming to see recipes like this one being passed down through generations.
Delete