Cheesy American Goulash is a hearty old-fashioned baked casserole that's easy to make with ground beef, spicy tomato sauce, and pasta casserole with lots of cheese. One of my favorite classic cafeteria comfort foods from the 1950s is economical and made with pantry ingredients.
♨️Ingredients
Ground beef—may substitute ground turkey or chicken.
Pasta—Elbow macaroni or similar
Onion and garlic
Tomatoes—sauce and diced
Cheese—cheddar and mozzarella
Pantry ingredients—basil, seasoning salt, and black pepper
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- ♨️Ingredients
- 👨🍳How to Make Cheesy American Baked Goulash—Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
- 🥣Variations and Options
- 👨🍳To make classic American goulash (no cheese)
- 🥣Baking dish sizes
- ↕️Adjusting the recipe for goulash for two or a crowd
- 📋Other recipes you will love
- 🍽️Serving
- ❄️Storage and reheating leftovers
- ❓FAQs
- 📖 Recipe
Featured Comment by Anne:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Just the greatest Dr. Dan!! The ingredients are budget-friendly, and this was an easily prepared dish...We will enjoy this many times. Thanks for sharing."
This cheesy American-style baked beef goulash recipe has been a staple in school cafeterias for decades. Now you can make your own like the lunch lady. The cheesy topping is not always used, but it makes it special. This easy, tasty everyday recipe will be a favorite of kids and the whole family.
I like to make a double batch for extra leftovers. It freezes well but is easy to make as goulash for two if you wish.
👨🍳How to Make Cheesy American Baked Goulash—Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
1. Cook the pasta to al denta while working on the meat sauce.
2. While the meat is browning, chop onion and mince or crush garlic and add to the meat while browning.
3. Brown ground beef over medium-high heat, adding the onion halfway through and the garlic near the end.
4. Mix spices with tomato products in a baking dish.
5. Add the ground beef along with the pasta and mix well.
6. Stir in shredded cheddar cheese.
7. Top with shredded mozzarella.
8. Bake until golden brown—about 30 minutes.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
🥣Variations and Options
Any pasta can be used, but elbow macaroni is traditional.
You can use ground turkey or chicken to replace the ground beef.
You can vary the cheese any way you want. I added cheddar to the casserole and topped it with mozzarella, but all cheddar is more than I had in the '60s.
There is already some paprika in the seasoning salt. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of paprika if you want a more Hungarian-type taste.
You can make an Italian version using Italian sausage, jarred spaghetti marinara sauce, and changing the cheese to mozzarella and Parmesan.
Other spices, like oregano, rosemary, or thyme, may be added for different flavors. You can also try some Worcestershire sauce or a sprinkle of crushed red pepper.
While mixing the sauce, add other vegetables, like chopped bell pepper, celery, corn, drained black or kidney beans.
👨🍳To make classic American goulash (no cheese)
Just eliminate all the cheese. Without the cheese, you can turn it into an easy one-pan dish.
- Brown the ground beef with the onion and garlic, then drain.
- Add all the sauce ingredients to the meat and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- Lastly, add the pasta and continue to simmer until tender, usually about 10-12 minutes, depending on the pasta.
🥣Baking dish sizes
A full recipe makes just over 8 cups and needs a 2 ½ quart casserole, or any bigger dish where the ingredients will fit will work. A full-size cake pan or casserole dish will be fine.
A half recipe will fit in a 6X8, 8-inch round or a 1 ½ quart casserole dish.
A recipe and a half will fit in a standard-size cake pan or full-size casserole. A double recipe will not fit a standard baking pan that most home cooks will have.
↕️Adjusting the recipe for goulash for two or a crowd
This recipe is easy to adjust to the size you need. A full recipe makes just over 8 cups for 6 servings.
- Use the recipe card and adjust the number of servings.
- Use the amount of ingredients in the ingredient list, not the instructions—those do not adjust.
- Use the pan size discussed above and cook to goldern brown.
📋Other recipes you will love
For other comfort food casseroles, you may enjoy Easy Chili Mac, Tuna Noodle Casserole, Cheesy Jambalaya, Baked Chicken Spaghetti, and Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli and Rice Casserole.
🍽️Serving
Serve with a nice bread like Stand Mixer Lunch Lady Rolls or Honey Wheat Rolls. Add a green salad or hot vegetable to round out the meal.
❄️Storage and reheating leftovers
Like many casseroles, it is a little better warmed up the next day.
Stored in an airtight container, it is good refrigerated for 3-4 days or frozen for 3-4 months.
To reheat: Thaw first if frozen—reheat in the microwave or the oven covered.
❓FAQs
Some other names for American goulash or similar dishes are American Chop Suey, chili mac, beef with macaroni, Slumgullion, Johnny Marzetti casserole, or just goulash.
They are not even close to the same thing.
Hungarian Goulash is a thick stew with lots of meat and vegetables heavily seasoned with paprika as the primary seasoning.
American goulash is more of a casserole, usually with ground beef, elbow macaroni, and a seasoned tomato sauce that is not too heavy on paprika. Frequently with cheese, but extra vegetables are optional.
📖 Recipe
Cheesy American Goulash
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Video Slideshow
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 cup dry elbow macaroni pasta
- 1 onion - small or ½ medium
- 2 cloves garlic - crushed or minced
- 15 oz tomato sauce
- 14 ½ oz diced tomatoes - not drained
- 1 teaspoon dry basil
- 2 teaspoon seasoning salt - Lowery’s suggested
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° convection or 375° conventional.
- Heat water and start cooking 1 cup of pasta to al denta.
- Chop 1 small or ½ medium onion and crush or mince 2 garlic cloves.
- Brown 1 pound of ground beef over medium-high heat. Add the onion to the ground beef about 5 minutes into cooking, and the garlic the last minute of cooking. Drain the cooked beef.
- Prep a 2 ½ quart baking dish with PAM cooking spray. Alternate baking dish sizes are discussed in the post.
- To the baking dish, add one 15 oz can of tomato sauce, 14 ½ oz diced tomatoes, 1 teaspoon of basil, 2 teaspoons of seasoning salt (I used Lowery's), and ½ teaspoon of black pepper. Mix well.
- Add the ground beef along with the pasta and mix well.
- Stir in 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese.
- Top with ½ cup of shredded mozzarella.
- Bake until golden brown—about 30 minutes.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- A full recipe uses a 2 ½ quart casserole dish, but it will be fine as long as it fits in the dish.
- The post discusses pan size and instructions for half and larger recipes.
- You are cooking to the browned top, not by time.
- To make classic American goulash, you can skip all the cheese. Use these instructions, or see the post for a one-pan method.
- If you feel "goulash" must have more paprika than what is in the seasoning salt, add 1 teaspoon of paprika.
- Optional ingredients and seasoning are in the post.
- It is good refrigerated for 4 days and will freeze well for 4 months.
- Nutrition is based on a serving size of about 1 ½ cups.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
© 101 Cooking for Two, LLC. All content and photographs are copyright protected by us or our vendors. While we appreciate your sharing our recipes, please realize copying, pasting, or duplicating full recipes to any social media, website, or electronic/printed media is strictly prohibited and a violation of our copyrights.
Editor's Note: Originally published November 16, 2013. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, video, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Anne Davis says
Just the greatest Dr. Dan!! The ingredients are budget friendly, and this was an easily prepared dish. We like a little warmth in our dishes, so I added diced tomatoes with jalapeno, garlic pepper, and some Dash seasoning to the mixture. The melted cheese topping was a welcome finishing touch.
We will enjoy this many times. Thanks for sharing.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Anne,
I do love this recipe but I tend to forget about it.
Thanks so much for the note and rating. I will make it again this week.
Dan
Karen says
Hi DrDan,
I made this last night for dinner...my first night of retirement!
I was very good, my husband had three servings!
I was confused about the 1 cup of dry pasta, as compared to the directions of 1 pound. I used 2 cups dry and it worked out great.
Thank you
Karen
JAMES UREN says
Dr Dan, we made your 'goulash' recipe and only changed by deleting some salt here and there. We brought some over to our elderly neighbor and she exclaimed "Oh my gosh, this is just like my family's 'slumgullion' but with cheese on it!" I'm 72 and I had completely forgotten that term. My grandgirls have had an absolute fit over that name
Val says
Oh! My mother called it that! I always thought she made it up. I wonder where it comes from.
Kimberlee Kleine says
Hi Dr. Dan-
I'm making this up, will let it sit a day in my fridge, and then want to freeze it. Can you please give me suggestions on how to defrost (do I need to defrost? can it go straight in the oven?)and timing and temp in the oven. Thanks! Kimberlee
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Kimberlee,
I have not frozen this but we do lasagna frequently. So it would be about the same. We do precook before freezing but only due to the egg.
We usually cook frozen, covered with foil until near the end. We go for 160 plus just to have it very hot. It does seem to vary a lot in time.
I would say about 90 minutes but it is usually under control of my wife since it is her dish. 350 degree oven. It would be faster if thawed first. To do that, I would do 1-2 days in the refrigerator.
Hope that helps some. This will vary by size and thickness. Also, deep freezer vs refrigerator freezer.
Dan
Denise says
Dr. Dan,
This tastes just like my mom’s. Thanks for the wonderful memories and delicious dish.
DrDan says
Hi Denise,
Welcome to the blog.
It is that old fashion taste. Plus great for leftovers.
Thanks for the note and rating.
Dan
Janie says
Hi Dr. Dan, this is the recipe I have been looking for. I loved lunchroom Goulash. Can’t wait to try it. I’m making your crockpot bbq ribs recipe this weekend. I’ve never had ribs turn out so good until I used your recipe. Thank you
DrDan says
Hi Janie,
Welcome to the blog.
I was thinking of setting in the junior high cafeteria when I did this. It is right on for my experience since they used cheese.
Glad those easy ribs are good for you.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Valerie says
Funny how I happened to crave this after seeing Betty helped the hippie making goulash on Mad Men episode and here I’m trying yours out today. On the show, it was prepared differently but this one brings me back to my childhood. It smells good and perfect portion dish for me and my buzzband.
Deb says
This is pretty much how my mom and my husband's made goulash in the 50s and 60s. This definitely Goulash! Thanks for sharing this :)
Chuck Peters says
Going to make this soon hoping it will taste like I remember moms in the fifties
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Chuck,
Welcome to the blog.
It is the taste I remember for most of the 1960s. I expect it is the same as the 1950s.
I hope it works for your memories.
Dan