Busy? Try this Simple Goulash Recipe

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:

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

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 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.

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.

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?

Tags: Crock-Pot, Slow Cooker

32 thoughts on “Busy? Try this Simple Goulash Recipe”

I love Goulash and this sounds amazing. I love hearty foods in the winter that are warming to the body and soul!

This is a perfect cold winter weather meal. Love crockpot meals so will be giving this a try soon. Thank you!

I have not had goulash in years! Your recipe sounds and looks super simple but oh so tasty! I must try this recipe this winter.

This sounds like a great idea for busy families! I love the ingredients! Going to try it for sure!

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

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.

This looks delicious! I cannot wait to try it. We usually do pot roast in our slow cooker.

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.

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.

I like cooking pulled pork in mine. But there are really so many as it is super easy to use

We recently returned to real life after a long holiday break and I am struggling. A warm and hearty slow cooker recipe is exactly what I need. Yum!

It has been a long time since I’ve eaten Goulash, let alone made it. I like your recipe, especially since it’s in a slow cooker. I’ll have to make this soon!

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

Omg! This sounds so good! I will definitely be adding this to next week’s menu plan. I know the kids will enjoy it as well!

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.

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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!