Crock Pot American Goulash (+Video)
A true comfort meal, this Crock Pot American Goulash is a tasty fix-it and forget-it recipe that the whole family loves!
A COMFORTING CROCK POT RECIPE
Everyone has that one recipe that really brings them comfort, mine happens to be this Crock Pot American Goulash. With all the flavors combined it is just perfect for a great dinner time meal. This is one recipe that we have been making for years and one that I wanted to try and make in a slow cooker. This recipe is super simple and effortless to put together. I always think the longer a sauce simmers, the better it tastes and that is just what you get with this Crock Pot American Goulash recipe.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
American Goulash is a simple meal made with ground beef, pasta, onions and green pepper stirred together in a tomato sauce.
American goulash and Hungarian Goulash are vastly different. American goulash is made with ground beef, macaroni noodles and mixed with an Italian-style tomato based sauce. Hungarian Goulash is a thick stew made with chunks of meat and vegetables that is heavily seasoned with Hungarian paprika.
This dish goes by many different names depending on region. Some other names include: Slumgullion, American Chop Suey and Johnny Marzetti.
The simple answer – no one is really sure. There aren’t really any similarities other than the beef. We know the American Goulash we are familiar with today was first mentioned in a cookbook in 1914. So perhaps someone combined a bunch of these ingredients and decided to borrow the name “Goulash” from the immigrant Hungarian community and it took off from there.
This can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container where it will keep for up to 3-4 days. This can also be frozen. Note: when you freeze food like pasta, the pasta will become a little mushy because it will keep absorbing the liquid. To freeze, place in a freezer bag and lay it flat in the freezer, this will keep for up to 3 months. To defrost, remove to the refrigerator overnight and you can reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- ground beef
- sweet onion
- green pepper
- garlic
- pasta sauce
- tomato sauce
- petite diced tomatoes
- water
- Italian seasoning
- granulated sugar
- elbow macaroni
HOW TO MAKE CROCK POT AMERICAN GOULASH:
Brown and crumble ground beef along with diced onions and pepper in a large skillet. Cook until meat is fully cooked and onions and peppers are softened. Drain excess grease. Note: Many slow cookers have a sauté option. Please feel free to use this option on your slow cooker for less dirty dishes.
Add ground beef mixture into a 4-6 quart slow cooker.
Stir in garlic, pasta sauce, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, water, Italian seasoning and sugar. (DO NOT ADD MACARONI NOODLES YET)
Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for about 2-4 hours. Everything is already cooked so we’re basically just letting everything simmer and for the flavors to come together. During the last hour of cooking, add in the macaroni noodles and stir. Cover again. Cook until noodles are al dente (or softer if you prefer).
Then serve!
We enjoy eating this with some fresh garlic bread and a salad.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
Crock Pot American Goulash (+Video)
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small sweet onion, finely diced
- 1 green pepper, finely diced (optional)
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic (jarred or fresh)
- 24 ounce jar pasta sauce (I like Rao’s Roasted Garlic Sauce)
- 8 ounce can tomato sauce
- 15 ounce can petite diced tomatoes
- 1 cup water
- 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
Instructions
- Brown and crumble 1 pound ground beef along with 1 small sweet onion, finely diced and 1 green pepper, finely diced in a large skillet. Cook until meat is fully cooked and onions and peppers are softened. Drain excess grease.
- Add ground beef mixture into a 4-6 quart slow cooker.
- Stir in 2 teaspoons minced garlic, 24 ounce jar pasta sauce, 8 ounce can tomato sauce, 15 ounce can petite diced tomatoes, 1 cup water, 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning and 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar. (DO NOT ADD MACARONI NOODLES YET)
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for about 2-4 hours. Everything is already cooked so we’re basically just letting everything simmer and for the flavors to come together.
- During the last hour of cooking, add in 1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni and stir. Cover and cook until noodles are al dente (or softer if you prefer).
- Then serve! We enjoy eating this with some fresh garlic bread and a salad.
Video
Notes
- Note: Many slow cookers have a sauté option. Please feel free to use this option on your slow cooker for less dirty dishes.
- Switch out your meat to turkey or chicken if you’d like.
- This can be cooked on high for 2-4 hours.
- Penne and ziti can be substituted for the macaroni.
- This can be frozen, see my tips above.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
