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Thanks Grandma! This recipe for Grandma’s Hungarian Goulash is a go-to recipe anytime of the year in our household. An easy and old fashioned goulash recipe with the added bonus that your pantry probably already contains the ingredients. A filling meal that feeds a family with no muss, no fuss ingredients and preparation and isn’t that why we love recipes from Grandma!
Grandma however was Irish. So how did Grandma from Ireland have a Hungarian recipe in her repertoire?
Two words: The Depression. Grandma and her husband were Irish immigrants raising five children and with seven mouths to feed and needed frugal and affordable meals. She passed this recipe along and Grandma’s Hungarian Goulash is a comfort food staple on our menu particularly for fall and winter.
I love to pair the Goulash recipe with this yummy Old Fashioned Bread Pudding Recipe for the perfect cozy comfort food meal from start to finish.
Old Fashioned Goulash With Spaghetti Instead Of Macaroni?
You will notice spaghetti is used in this recipe. I admit until a few weeks ago I thought Hungarian Goulash was made with spaghetti – imagine my surprise when I searched Hungarian Goulash on Pinterest and was presented with a huge selection of recipes.
But all the recipes used macaroni! Really! Obviously you can easily substitute macaroni for the spaghetti and add paprika or spices or garlic to suit your taste. Grandma wasn’t big on using spices so spice up this version of the classic recipe as desired.
One of the benefits of not spicing up the recipe is this recipe makes a satisfying comfort food that kids will enjoy.
How To Make Hungarian Goulash
INGREDIENTS
Serves 4.
One pound of ground round or ground sirloin
1/2 cup diced onions
1 14 ounce can of dark kidney beans
1 14 ounce can of diced tomatoes
Spaghetti for 4 servings
Salt & pepper to taste
Parmesan Cheese optional (but highly recommended!)
DIRECTIONS
- Boil enough spaghetti for four servings.
- Reserve one cup of water from spaghetti to use later.
- While boiling the spaghetti, brown the ground beef with the onions.
- Once the ground beef is browned, drain the fat from the ground beef and onion mixture. This is optional.
- Drain the can of dark kidney beans and then add to ground beef and onion mixture.
- Add entire can of diced tomatoes to the pan.
- Add spaghetti to mixture.
- Bring the Hungarian Goulash to a boil then lower heat to simmer.
- Simmer Hungarian Goulash for a minimum of 20 minutes. If the goulash needs additional liquid use the reserved water from boiling the spaghetti and continue to simmer.
- Plate and sprinkle with parmesan cheese if desired.
What To Serve With Hungarian Beef Goulash?
Serve goulash with your favorite salad and freshly baked bread or rolls. I highly suggest sprinkling grated parmesan cheese on the goulash prior to serving, but that is optional!
Can You Freeze Goulash?
Absolutely! This is a dinner that freezes very well. I freeze single serve portions to pop in the microwave when ready to be served.
Goulash Kitchen Tip
Break the spaghetti into halves before cooking to easily enjoy this recipe.
One of my favorite kitchen gadgets is the pasta measuring gadget I purchased years ago. I love this little pasta hack!
For some reason I am pasta measuring challenged. I’d have thought after years of making pasta I could eyeball the amount of pasta needed.But it always seems to be too much or too little pasta. No problems now as I rely on this dependable gadget.
Print Pin
Grandma's Hungarian Goulash Recipe
Grandma's Old Fashioned Goulash recipe is a quick goulash recipe and the perfect comfort food. An inexpensive dinner made with ingredients already in your pantry.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword Hungarian Goulash recipe, Old fashioned Goulash
Prep Time 30 minutes minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes minutes
Total Time 45 minutes minutes
Servings 4
Author The Savvy Age
Ingredients
- One pound of ground round or ground sirloin
- 1/2 cup diced onions
- 1 14 ounce can of dark kidney beans
- 1 14 ounce can of diced tomatoes
- Spaghetti for 4 servings
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Parmesan Cheese optional but highly recommended!
Instructions
Boil enough spaghetti for four servings.
Reserve one cup of water from spaghetti to use later.
While boiling the spaghetti, brown the ground beef with the onions.
Once the ground beef is browned, drain the fat from the ground beef and onion mixture. This is optional.
Drain the can of dark kidney beans and then add to ground beef and onion mixture.
Add entire can of diced tomatoes to the pan.
Add spaghetti to mixture.
Bring the Hungarian Goulash to a boil then lower heat to simmer.
Simmer Hungarian Goulash for a minimum of 20 minutes. If the goulash needs additional liquid use the reserved water from boiling the spaghetti and continue to simmer.
Plate and sprinkle with parmesan cheese if desired.
Serve with a salad and freshly baked bread or rolls.
Notes
Grandma's Hungarian Goulash freezes well and of course tastes even better the next day!
More Grandma’s Recipes
Old Fashioned Bread Pudding
Grandma’s Irish Soda Bread
Grandma’s Crustades (Mini appetizers)
Grandma’s Mac N Cheese
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Comments
andriaperry says
Sounds wonderful! I do have everything to make this too.
Reply
Sandy KS says
I miss my grandmother goulash. It was her to go meal to feed a bunch of people on a limited budget. Not sure how she made hers. As she is no longer around to ask. I have not anybody’s that taste like hers since. I bet your goulash is great too!! Thank you for reminding me of happy memories from my childhood.
Reply
tab says
You are welcome, I have great memories of Grandma! Now I wish we had her pie crust recipe which she made better than anyone 🙂
Reply
Martha DeMeo says
I’v made this with spaghetti but never knew it was Hungarian goulash! In my early days, my grandmother would call it stretch a meal! LOL
Reply
tab says
It’s definitely a meal stretcher ! Grandma called it Hungarian Goulash but she may have had a twinkle in her eye when saying it 🙂
Reply
My mother-in-law used to make Hungarian Goulash (with macaroni) and she put okra in hers. 🙂 Haven’t had this dish in quite awhile. Will have to try out your recipe.
Reply
tab says
Okra is an addition I have not heard of ! Interesting!
Reply
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