Easy American Goulash
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 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.
This recipe for American goulash is made from ground beef and macaroni in a delicious red wine and tomato sauce. It’s totally different than Hungarian goulash, which has chunks of beef that has been slowly simmered in a paprika sauce. This one is straight up American comfort food! The beef is browned until it’s perfectly savory, the macaroni soaks up all that rich, tomatoey goodness, and the red wine adds just the right depth of flavor to make it taste like it’s been simmering all day…even though it comes together in MUCH less time. Trust me, once you take that first bite, you’ll wonder where this recipe has been all your life!
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 bell peppers
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1 28oz. can diced tomatoes
- 1 15oz. can tomato sauce
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 whole bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 cups elbow macaroni (about 1/2 lb.)
- salt to taste