Easy Beef Goulash

January 12, 2012

There are a thousand ways you can make goulash and each family has their own sacred recipe. Essentially, goulash is a rich Hungarian meat sauce made with paprika, cinnamon, and brown sugar. This version pairs the goulash with pasta but you can also use potato dumplings or store-bought gnocchi. I also like to add a bit of sour cream at the end of the cooking process to make to sauce creamy and rich. Easy beef goulash is a recipe you'll want to keep in your back pocket when you want to get dinner on the table quickly.

Easy Beef Goulash

Ingredients:

3/4 pound ground beef or ground lamb, browned and fat drained off

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 green bell pepper, chopped small

1 teaspoon Goya Adobo seasoned salt (or regular salt)

pepper to taste

1 teaspoon Italian herb blend (or ½ tsp each of oregano and basil)

2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce (I added a few dashes more)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (my addition)

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (my addition- or you may use 1 tsp of sweet paprika)

1 25 oz jar of spaghetti sauce (or homemade, if preferred)

dash of cayenne pepper, if desired

1 tablespoon brown sugar (if desired to cut the acidity of the tomatoes)

2 beef bouillon cubes (my addition)

2 cups uncooked pasta

Directions:

Brown the meat with the onion, garlic, green pepper, salt and pepper.

Add in the sauce and other ingredients except the pasta. At this point it may be put in a slow cooker/crock pot to cook on low for about 4-6 hours, if desired. If cooking on the stove, it is best simmered for approximately 1-2 hours.

Approximately 20 minutes before serving, cook the pasta according to directions.

Then add into the sauce and mix well.