Classic American ground beef goulash casserole with a cheesy kick like the lunchroom ladies made—great comfort food. Also known as American Chop Suey, chili mac, or just goulash, this easy dinner recipe will become a standard at your home.
Introduction
Most of my generation will remember the old school lunch goulash. It was one of the things they could do right. Add a lot of cheesy topping; I'm in lunchroom heaven.
While I'm told this is more of a Midwest thing, I suspect other regions (I'm looking south) have similar dishes. Other names such as American Chop Suey, chili mac, beef with macaroni, or just goulash. I was searching for chili mac when it dawned on me it was goulash.
Give it a try today, and you'll have an easy, tasty everyday dish that will be a favorite of kids and the whole family.
My Rating
A nice solid 4 for this everyday type recipe.
♨️What is Goulash?
If you think of this as a cheesy tomato hamburger casserole, you will be about right. And it is great comfort food, especially with the added cheese.
Some feel that the term goulash needs some heavy paprika. There is some in the seasoning salt, and feel free to add a teaspoon or two of paprika if you wish, but to me, the taste is just right, lunchroom goulash with lots of cheese.
American goulash is more "freestyle" while Hungarian goulash has multiple specific variations and lots of opinions of what is right or wrong. I'm more of a freestyle guy.
👨🍳Ingredients
There is enough spicing in this dish that you can use the ground meat of your choice, like turkey or chicken.
Pick the cheeses of your choice. I added cheddar to the casserole and topped it with mozzarella. But all cheddar is more when I had in the 60s.
Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of paprika you want more of a Hungarian type taste.
You can skip the whole cheese thing and make it a stovetop dish. Cook the macaroni a little longer and just mix it all in one pot. I prefer cheese and oven-baked.
Any pasta can be used, but elbow macaroni is traditional.
This is just a casserole. Add what you want or have hanging around. Some will add green pepper, corn, or other things.
❄️Storage
Many think it is much better warmed up the next day, and I think that may be true if served straight up without the baking.
This is good refrigerated for 3-4 days or frozen for 3-4 months.
📖Comfort Food Recipes
Classic Tuna Noodle Casserole with Parmesan Topping
Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli and Rice Casserole
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
Preheat oven to 350° convection or 375° conventional. And heat water and start cooking 1 pound of pasta.
Start brown 1 pound of ground beef over medium-high heat.
Chop one small or ½ medium onion. Add the onion to the ground beef about 5 minutes into cooking, and add two cloves of minced or crushed garlic to the burger the last few minutes of cooking the ground beef. Drain when done cooking.
Prep a 2 ½ quart baking dish with PAM.
To the baking dish, add one 15 oz can tomato sauce, 14 ½ oz diced tomatoes, one teaspoon basil, two teaspoon seasoning salt (I used Lowery's), ½ teaspoon pepper. Mix well.
Add the ground beef along with the pasta and mix well.
Stir in 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese.
Top with ½ cup mozzarella.
Bake until golden brown. About 30 minutes.
📖Recipe
Cheesy American Goulash
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound dry pasta - about 2 cups
- 1 onion - small or ½ medium
- 2 cloves garlic
- 15 oz tomato sauce
- 14 ½ oz diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 2 teaspoon seasoning salt - I used Lowery’s
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° convection or 375° conventional. And heat water and start cooking 1 pound of pasta.
- Start brown 1 pound of ground beef over medium-high heat.
- Chop one small or ½ medium onion. Add the onion to the ground beef about 5 minutes into cooking, and Add two cloves of minced or crushed garlic to the burger the last few minutes of cooking the ground beef. Drain when done cooking.
- Prep a 2 ½ quart baking dish with PAM.
- To the baking dish, add one 15 oz can tomato sauce, 14 ½ oz diced tomatoes, one teaspoon basil, two teaspoon seasoning salt (I used Lowery's), ½ teaspoon pepper. Mix well.
- Add the ground beef along with the pasta and mix well.
- Stir in 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese.
- Top with ½ cup mozzarella.
- Bake until golden brown–about 30 minutes.
My Private Notes
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- A full recipe uses a 2 ½ quart casserole dish but as long as it fits in the dish, it will be fine. A 9X13 cake pan size will work but be thinner. Also, you may need a little more cheese on top.
- To cut this recipe in half, use an 8X8 or 6X9 dish. Also, skip the tomato sauce and just use the can of diced tomatoes.
- You are cooking to the browned top not by time.
- You can skip all the cheese, cook the pasta a bit more and make this a stovetop recipe. But the cooking in the oven helps tastes to blend.
- If you feel "goulash" must have more paprika than what is in the seasoning salt, add 1 teaspoon of paprika.
- Vary the cheeses to what you like.
- Like many casseroles, I feel it is better the second day.
- It is good refrigerated for 3-4 days and will freeze well for 3-4 months.
- Nutrition is based on a serving size of about 1 ½ cups.
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Editor's Note: Originally published November 16, 2013. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Karen
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
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Karen,
Welcome to the blog.
You did find an error. It should say 1 pound in the recipe card area. That is about 2 cups. Now fixed.
Glad it worked well for you and thanks for "see something, say something.
Dan
JAMES UREN
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
Kimberlee Kleine
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
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
Dr. Dan,
This tastes just like my mom’s. Thanks for the wonderful memories and delicious dish.
DrDan
Hi Denise,
Welcome to the blog.
It is that old fashion taste. Plus great for leftovers.
Thanks for the note and rating.
Dan
Janie
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
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
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.