Busy? Try this Simple Goulash Recipe

This Crock Pot Goulash recipe is easy and delicious! Great recipe for busy schedules. - SahmReviews.com

Scott and I came from very different backgrounds. Until he was an adult, Scott never lived in the same place for more than a couple years. His parents were employed by the government which meant moving on demand. On the other hand, I lived in the same home from the time I was 4 until I moved out. Our parents’ work situations were quite different, with my parents working out of our home for most of my childhood and his reporting to a military base. But when it came to mealtime, we have some similar memories which only come to the surface when we stumble across them.

As an example, we both grew up smashing the base of a head of lettuce to break the core loose. I remember helping prepare dinner at a friend’s house when I was in my teens and her mother had never seen such a trick. So when Scott did the same thing, it was another confirmation that we had a connection. Recently we discovered another thing neither of us realized was a childhood staple of the other: Goulash. I hailed from an Italian background with spaghetti and gnocchi being our go-to family recipes for both regular meals and holidays. But sometimes the schedule was busy and mom wanted something easy and that’s when she would throw on a pot of Goulash to stew all day. These days, slow cookers, Crock-Pots and Instant Pots make it even easier. My Crock-Pot is an important tool in my arsenal of kitchen gadgets and appliances because it gives me the option to toss ingredients inside then walk away. When you have a busy schedule and don’t have time to commit to too much preparation time, that’s pretty important. This Goulash recipe is a snap:

This Crock Pot Goulash recipe is easy and delicious! Great recipe for busy schedules. - SahmReviews.com

Ingredients for Simple Crock-Pot Goulash

2 lbs ground beef
2 large white onion
3 cloves fresh garlic
3 cups water, vegetable or beef broth
1 quart diced tomatoes
2 15 ounce cans tomato sauce
2 cups uncooked shaped pasta (elbow, farfalle, fusilli, rotini, penne, etc.)
2 tbsp Italian seasoning
3 tbsp soy sauce
3 bay leaves
1 tbsp seasoned salt

This Crock Pot Goulash recipe is easy and delicious! Great recipe for busy schedules. - SahmReviews.com

I know I said this is easy, but there’s more to it than simply tossing it all in the slow cooker. To ensure the beef is cooked properly, you’ll need to brown it in a pan before adding it to the other ingredients. While you’re add it, might as well saute the onions and garlic while you’re browning the ground beef because the flavors of sauteed onions will add another layer of flavor to the dish.

This Crock Pot Goulash recipe is easy and delicious! Great recipe for busy schedules. - SahmReviews.com

This is where the recipe preparation achieves the status of a walk-away dish. Add all the remaining ingredients to slow cooker, including uncooked noodles. Stir it together to help evenly distribute the herbs and spices.

This Crock Pot Goulash recipe is easy and delicious! Great recipe for busy schedules. - SahmReviews.com

Among the additional ingredients is soy sauce, something you don’t typically see in a pasta dish. Including soy sauce rounds out the saltiness of the Goulash without adding a bunch of table salt.

This Crock Pot Goulash recipe is easy and delicious! Great recipe for busy schedules. - SahmReviews.com

Here’s the hard part… you have to wait for it to be done. When the pasta is cooked to your liking (approximately two hours), remove the bay leaves and dish into bowls. Top with Parmesan cheese and serve with crackers for a hearty recipe that’s easy and delicious.

What is your go-to recipe that you toss in a slow cooker?

32 thoughts on “Busy? Try this Simple Goulash Recipe

  1. I love slow cookers, I even make my dog her food in one 🙂 I do not eat a lot of red meat but use my slow cooker for chicken stews and curries all the time. I wonder and am going to try this goulash recipe with ground chicken instead of beef and see how it turns out. Thanks for this recipe

  2. This looks like super yummy comfort food. I love making things in the slow cooker too because that totally helps to ensure that dinner is ready on time! I am going to have to try this.

  3. This looks like the perfect food for colder weather where I lived. I like to make chilies and beef stews in our slow cooker but I might have to try making this for my kids. I know they’re going to like it.

  4. I cant tell you how many times I have made this recipe. Usually off the top of my head or stealing a few pointers from the web. I always have the ingredients and it is such a comfort meal.

  5. I love crockpot recipes because they are great for busy school nights. Goulash is always a quick and easy family meal that tastes delicious!

  6. I love goulash. When my son and hid best friend would get together as teenagers, this was their favorite thing to make. This recipe looks yummy.

  7. I have totally forgot about Goulash & we like it! I have to pin this so I can surprise my husband. I have my crockpot ready! Cooking food in the crockpot is delicious! The ingredients simmer in their own juices. Thank you for sharing!

  8. My family LOVES it when I make goulash. This recipe is easy and I like that it’s made in the crock pot. Going to give it a try next week. Thanks!

  9. Definitely going to try this out. I’m always on the look out for great slow cooker recipes (I love coming home from work and having dinner ready!).

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *