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    🏠Home » Recipes » Comfort Food Recipes

    Cheesy Old Fashioned Baked Goulash

    Jan 3, 2023 · Modified: Jan 22, 2023 by Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan · 36 Comments

    Recipe Table of Contents    
    4.20 from 131 votes

    Old Fashioned Baked Goulash casserole with ground beef and a cheesy kick like the lunchroom ladies made—great comfort food. Cheesy American-style baked goulash is an easy dinner recipe that will become a standard at your home.

    closeup image of cheesy American Goulash
    Jump To:
    • 😊Why you should make this recipe
    • 👨‍🍳How to make Cheesy American Baked Goulash
    • ♨️Ingredients
    • ↕️How to make a half-size recipe
    • Variations
    • ♨️What is Goulash?
    • ❓FAQs
    • ❄️Storage and reheating leftovers
    • 📖Comfort Food Recipes
    • 🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
    • 📝Recipe
    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    😊Why you should make this recipe

    • Old-fashion ground beef baked goulash that the lunch lady made for your school lunch.
    • An easy, tasty everyday dish that will be a favorite of kids and the whole family.
    • It has the addition of a cheesy topping that was not always used in the lunch room but makes it special.
    • You will want to make a large amount for great leftovers. But it is easy to cut down to "cooking for two" size.

    👨‍🍳How to make Cheesy American Baked Goulash

    1. Preheat the oven and cook pasta.
    2. Brown the ground beef with chopped onion and crushed garlic,
    3. In a casserole dish, mix tomato sauce and diced tomatoes with spices..
    4. Add the ground beef and the pasta.
    5. Stir in shredded cheese and top with more cheese. Skip the cheese for classic American goulash.
    6. Bake until golden brown–about 30 minutes.

    ♨️Ingredients

    • Ground beef—may substitute ground turkey or chicken.
    • Pasta—Elbow macaroni is classic, but other small pasta will work—cook al denta.
    • Onion
    • Garlic
    • Tomatoes—sauce and diced
    • Cheese—cheddar and mozzarella are in the recipe but using all cheddar or other cheeses are fine.
    • Pantry ingredients—basil, seasoning salt, and black pepper
    • Optional added paprika—to make it more like Hungarian goulash, add 1 to 2 teaspoons

    ↕️How to make a half-size recipe

    This is "cooking for two," so I strive to make adaptions to make recipes smaller when it makes sense. This recipe is easy to cut in half, making a more "for two" recipe, and it is easy enough that the amount of work makes sense.

    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. Cooking time will be a bit less, but you are cooking to the color, so watch that.

    Double size: To make a double-size recipe, use a 9X13 casserole dish or cake pan. Cooking time will increase some but cook to the final color.

    Variations

    • Pick the cheeses of your choice. I added cheddar to the casserole and topped it with mozzarella. But all cheddar is more than I had in the 60s.
    • Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of paprika if you want more of a Hungarian-type taste.
    • You can use jarred spaghetti sauce if you want, but the taste will be much different.
    • Other spices may be added for different flavors, like oregano, rosemary, thyme, or Italian seasoning.
    • Skip the cheese 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 a casserole—add what you want or have hanging around. Some will add bell pepper, corn, drained kidney beans, or other things.

    ♨️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.

    ❓FAQs

    Are there other names for American goulash?

    Some other names for American goulash or similar dishes are American Chop Suey, chili mac, beef with macaroni, Slumgullion, Johnny Marzetti casserole, or just goulash.

    What is the difference between Hungarian and American goulash?

    They are not even close to the same thing.

    Hungarian goulash is like a thick stew with meat and vegetables and lots of paprika.

    American Goulash is a casserole-type dish made from ground beef and usually elbow macaroni—seasoned with tomato and spices. Frequently with cheese but no extra vegetables other than tomato products.

    ❄️Storage and reheating leftovers

    Many think it is much better to warm up the next day

    Stored in an airtight container, it is good refrigerated for 3-4 days or frozen for 3-4 months.

    To reheat: Thaw first if frozen—reheat in the microwave or the oven covered.

    📖Comfort Food Recipes

    30 Minute Cheesy Jambalaya

    Classic Tuna Noodle Casserole with Parmesan Topping

    Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli and Rice Casserole

    Stand Mixer Lunch Lady Rolls

    This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.

    Casserole Recipes, Comfort Food Recipes, Easy Dinner Recipes, Pasta Recipes
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    🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions

    ground beef with goulash ingredients

    Preheat oven to 350° convection or 375° conventional.

    pouring dry pasta into boiling water

    Heat water and start cooking 1 cup of pasta to al denta.

    raw burger in large skillet

    Start brown 1 pound of ground beef over medium-high heat.

    chopped onion on a white board

    Chop one small or ½ medium onion. Add the onion to the ground beef about 5 minutes into cooking, and add 2 cloves of minced or crushed garlic to the burger the last few minutes of cooking the ground beef. Drain when done cooking.

    spray casserole dish with PAM

    Prep a 2 ½ quart baking dish with PAM cooking spray.

    mixing spices with tomato sauce

    To the baking dish, add one 15 oz can of tomato sauce, 14 ½ oz diced tomatoes, 1 teaspoon of basil, 2 teaspoons of seasoning salt (I used Lowery's), and ½ teaspoon pepper. Mix well.

    adding browned burger to the sauce

    Add the ground beef along with the pasta and mix well.

    mixing cheese into casserole

    Stir in 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese.

    topping goulash with cheese

    Top with ½ cup of shredded mozzarella.

    browned casserole in dish

    Bake until golden brown—about 30 minutes.

    cheesy goulash on a white plate
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    📝Recipe

    Cheesy American Goulash on a spoon

    Old Fashioned Cheesy Baked Goulash

    From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
    Old Fashioned Baked Goulash casserole with ground beef and a cheesy kick like the lunchroom ladies made—great comfort food. Cheesy American-style baked goulash is an easy dinner recipe that will become a standard at your home.
    Tap to leave a Rating
    4.20 from 131 votes
    Print Email CollectionCollected
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes
    Servings #/Adjust if desired 6 servings

    Ingredients

    US Customary - Convert to Metric
    • 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
    • 14 ½ oz diced tomatoes - not drained
    • 1 teaspoon dry basil
    • 2 teaspoon seasoning salt - Lowery’s suggested
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
    • ½ cup mozzarella cheese
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350° convection or 375° conventional.
      ground beef with goulash ingredients
    • Heat water and start cooking 1 cup of pasta to al denta.
      pouring dry pasta into boiling water
    • Start brown 1 pound of ground beef over medium-high heat.
      raw burger in large skillet
    • Chop one small or ½ medium onion. Add the onion to the ground beef about 5 minutes into cooking, and add 2 cloves of minced or crushed garlic to the burger the last few minutes of cooking the ground beef. Drain when done cooking.
      chopped onion on a white board
    • Prep a 2 ½ quart baking dish with PAM cooking spray.
      spray casserole dish with PAM
    • To the baking dish, add one 15 oz can of tomato sauce, 14 ½ oz diced tomatoes, 1 teaspoon of basil, 2 teaspoons seasoning salt (I used Lowery's), ½ teaspoon of black pepper. Mix well.
      mixing spices with tomato sauce
    • Add the ground beef along with the pasta and mix well.
      adding browned burger to the sauce
    • Stir in 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese.
      mixing cheese into casserole
    • Top with ½ cup of shredded mozzarella.
      topping goulash with cheese
    • Bake until golden brown—about 30 minutes.
      browned casserole in dish
    See the step-by-step photos in the post. Some recipes have an option to display the photos here with a switch above these instructions but the photos DO NOT print.

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    Recipe Notes

    Pro Tips

    1. A full recipe uses a 2 ½ quart casserole dish, but as long as it fits in the dish, it will be fine.
    2. A double recipe needs a 9X13 casserole dish or cake pan. And may take a bit longer to cook.
    3. 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. It will cook a bit faster.
    4. You are cooking to the browned top, not by time.
    5. You can skip all the cheese, cook the pasta a bit more and make this a stovetop recipe. But cooking in the oven helps tastes to blend.
    6. If you feel "goulash" must have more paprika than what is in the seasoning salt, add 1 teaspoon of paprika.
    7. Vary the cheeses to what you like.
    8. Like many casseroles, I feel it is better the second day.
    9. It is good refrigerated for 3-4 days and will freeze well for 3-4 months.
    10. 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

    Nutrition Facts
    Old Fashioned Cheesy Baked Goulash
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 351 Calories from Fat 171
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 19g29%
    Saturated Fat 9g45%
    Cholesterol 91mg30%
    Sodium 716mg30%
    Potassium 703mg20%
    Carbohydrates 17g6%
    Fiber 2g8%
    Sugar 6g7%
    Protein 29g58%
    Vitamin A 621IU12%
    Vitamin C 13mg16%
    Calcium 263mg26%
    Iron 4mg22%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Serving size is my estimate of a normal size unless stated otherwise. The number of servings per recipe is stated above. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
    Course : Main Course
    Cuisine : American

    © 101 Cooking for Two, LLC. All content and photographs are copyright protected by us or our vendors. While we appreciate your sharing our recipes, please realize copying, pasting, or duplicating full recipes to any social media, website, or electronic/printed media is strictly prohibited and a violation of our copyrights.

    Editor's Note: Originally published November 16, 2013. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.

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    1. Karen

      January 05, 2021 at 12:22 pm

      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

      Reply
    2. JAMES UREN

      November 01, 2020 at 5:58 pm

      4 stars
      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

      Reply
    3. Kimberlee Kleine

      May 18, 2019 at 1:51 pm

      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

      Reply
      • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

        May 18, 2019 at 5:18 pm

        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

    4. Denise

      March 03, 2019 at 10:23 am

      5 stars
      Dr. Dan,
      This tastes just like my mom’s. Thanks for the wonderful memories and delicious dish.

      Reply
      • DrDan

        March 04, 2019 at 4:18 pm

        Hi Denise,
        Welcome to the blog.
        It is that old fashion taste. Plus great for leftovers.
        Thanks for the note and rating.
        Dan

    5. Janie

      January 11, 2019 at 12:21 pm

      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

      Reply
      • DrDan

        January 11, 2019 at 7:08 pm

        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

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