Description
Hungarian goulash promises a hearty culinary journey through traditional flavors with tender beef, paprika-rich sauce, and root vegetables. Comforting spices and slow-cooked meat invite you to savor generations of Hungarian cooking heritage.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 lbs (907 g) ground beef or turkey
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 3 tsps minced garlic cloves
- 2.5 cups (591 ml) water
- ½ cup (118 ml) beef broth
- ½ cup (118 ml) olive oil
- 2 15-oz (425 g) cans of tomato sauce
- 2 15-oz (425 g) cans of diced tomatoes
- 1 tbsp Italian herb seasoning
- 1 tbsp adobo spice blend
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp seasoned salt
- ½ tbsp ground black pepper
- 2 cups (180 g) uncooked elbow macaroni
- 1 cup (100 g) shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup (50 g) shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Meat Preparation: Sear ground meat over medium-high heat until completely browned, breaking into fine crumbles, then set aside on a clean plate.
- Aromatic Base: In the same skillet, caramelize garlic and onions until translucent and releasing their fragrant essence, approximately 3-4 minutes.
- Liquid Integration: Return browned meat to skillet, then pour water, beef broth, tomato sauce, and diced tomatoes, creating a rich, cohesive blend.
- Seasoning Symphony: Introduce Italian seasoning, adobo seasoning, bay leaves, kosher salt, and black pepper, ensuring thorough distribution for maximum flavor profile.
- Simmering Stage: Reduce heat to low, cover skillet, and allow mixture to gently simmer for 20 minutes, enabling flavors to harmonize and intensify.
- Pasta Incorporation: Directly add elbow macaroni into the skillet, ensuring complete submersion in liquid. Continue simmering, covered, for 30 minutes until pasta reaches perfect tenderness and absorbs most liquid.
- Final Flourish: Remove bay leaves, fold in cheddar cheese until melted, then top with mozzarella, allowing brief melting before serving.
Notes
- Meat Browning Technique: Ensure ground meat is thoroughly browned with no pink spots, breaking into fine crumbs for better texture and deeper flavor development.
- Seasoning Strategy: Layer seasonings gradually, mixing Italian and adobo seasonings for complex, robust taste profile that elevates traditional goulash.
- Pasta Cooking Tip: Add uncooked macaroni directly into skillet, allowing it to absorb liquid and spices, creating a one-pot meal with maximum flavor infusion.
- Cheese Melting Hack: Fold cheddar cheese into hot mixture first, then top with mozzarella for a creamy, stretchy finish that adds luxurious texture to the dish.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking, Boiling, Frying, Sautéing, Simmering, Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9
- Calories: 490
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 850 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 26 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg