Baked American goulash casserole is a quick, easy, cheesy recipe with tender pasta, ground beef, a spicy tomato sauce, and gooey cheese. A simple comfort-food favorite inspired by 1950s school cafeterias.
Brown the meat while cooking the pasta. Mix everything together, stir in some cheese, and top with more. Bake until browned and bubbly—about 30 minutes. Perfect for busy weeknights and great for leftovers.
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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."
🤔 TL;DR – Recipe Summary
What: A baked American goulash casserole with ground beef, pasta, tomato sauce, and gooey melted cheese.
Why: An easy comfort-food dinner that's cheesy, hearty, and great for feeding a family.
How: Brown the meat while the pasta cooks. Mix them with the sauce, stir in some cheese, top with more, and bake until browned and bubbly.
♨️ Ingredients
Ground beef—Lean ground beef works best. Ground turkey or chicken may be substituted.
Pasta—Elbow macaroni is traditional, but another short pasta will work.
Onion and garlic—Add flavor to the ground beef and tomato sauce.
Tomatoes—Diced tomatoes and tomato sauce form the base of the casserole.
Cheese—Cheddar is stirred into the goulash, and mozzarella is added on top. Feel free to use all cheddar or your favorite combination of cheeses.
Seasonings—Basil, seasoning salt, and black pepper.
👨🍳 Quick Overview: Baked American Goulash
1. While the pasta cooks to al dente, brown the ground beef with the chopped onion and garlic.
2. Mix the cooked pasta, beef mixture, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and seasonings in a casserole dish.
3. Stir in some shredded cheddar cheese and top with mozzarella cheese.
4. Bake until browned and bubbly—about 30 minutes.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
🥣 Variations and Options
- For a more Hungarian-style flavor, add 1 to 2 teaspoons of paprika. There is already some paprika in the seasoning salt, so this is optional.
- Make it Italian by using Italian sausage, jarred marinara sauce, and topping it with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
- Change the seasonings with oregano, thyme, or rosemary. You can also add Worcestershire sauce or a pinch of crushed red pepper.
- Add more vegetables by stirring in chopped bell pepper, celery, or corn. Drained black or kidney beans also work well.
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👨🍳 Make Classic American Goulash (Stovetop)
Skip the cheese to make a classic stovetop American goulash.
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions while browning the ground beef with the onion and garlic. Drain any excess fat.
- Stir the cooked pasta into the meat along with the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and seasonings.
- Simmer for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until hot and the flavors have blended.
↕️ Adjusting the Recipe for Two or a Crowd
This recipe is easy to scale up or down. A full recipe makes just over 8 cups, enough for about 6 servings. Use the recipe card to adjust the number of servings, but always use the ingredient amounts in the recipe card—not the instructions, which do not change.
- A full recipe fits a 2½-quart casserole dish or any larger baking dish. A standard 9×13-inch baking dish will work but the casserole will be thinner.
- A half recipe fits a 6×8-inch baking dish, an 8-inch round baking dish, or a 1½-quart casserole dish.
- A 1½-times recipe fits a standard 9×13-inch baking dish or full-size casserole dish. A double recipe is too large for most standard home baking dishes.
Bake until the casserole is browned and bubbly, regardless of the pan size.
📋 Other Comfort Food Recipes
For other comfort food casseroles you may enjoy Easy Chili Mac, Tuna Noodle Casserole, Baked Chicken and Spaghetti, and Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli afnd Rice Casserole.
Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya
This cheesy chicken and sausage jambalaya casserole has classic Creole flavors and is an easy one-pan dinner that's perfect for busy weeknights.
❄️ Storage and reheating leftovers
- Like many casseroles, baked American goulash tastes even better the next day.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days or freeze for up to 4 months.
- To reheat: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator if frozen. Reheat in the microwave or cover and warm in a 350°F oven until hot.
❓ FAQs
American goulash is also known as American chop suey, chili mac, beef with macaroni, slumgullion, and Johnny Marzetti in different parts of the United States. Some families simply call it goulash.
They are completely different dishes.
Hungarian goulash is a thick beef stew heavily seasoned with paprika and made with chunks of beef and vegetables.
American goulash is a casserole or skillet meal made with ground beef, elbow macaroni, tomato sauce, and seasonings. Cheese is common but optional.
📖The Recipe Card
Baked American Goulash Casserole
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
- 14½ oz diced tomatoes - not drained
- 1 teaspoon dry basil
- 2 teaspoons seasoning salt - Lowery’s suggested
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F conventional (350°F convection).
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook 1 cup of elbow macaroni to al dente.
- 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.
- Spray a 2½-quart casserole dish with cooking spray.
- To the baking dish, add one 15 oz can of tomato sauce, 14½ 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 browned and bubbly, about 30 minutes.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- A full recipe fits a 2½-quart casserole dish or any larger baking dish.
- The post discusses pan size and instructions for half and larger recipes.
- Bake until the casserole is browned and bubbly rather than relying only on the time.
- For classic stovetop American goulash, skip the cheese and follow the stovetop variation in the post.
- For a more Hungarian-style flavor, add 1 teaspoon of paprika.
- Optional ingredients and seasonings are discussed 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 can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
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