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    🏠Home » Recipes » Comfort Food Recipes

    Cheesy Old Fashioned Baked Goulash

    Jan 3, 2023 by Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan · Last modified: Oct 30, 2023 · 37 Comments

    Jump to Recipe - TOC - Print

    Cheesy Old Fashioned Baked Goulash casserole with tender pasta, spicy tomato sauce with ground beef, and a cheesy kick like the lunchroom ladies made—an easy recipe for an economical dinner.

    You will want to make a large amount for great leftovers. It freezes well, but is easy to cut down to a "cooking for two" size.

    ♨️Ingredients

    Ground beef—may substitute ground turkey or chicken.
    Pasta—Elbow macaroni or similar
    Onion and garlic
    Tomatoes—sauce and diced
    Cheese—cheddar and mozzarella
    Pantry ingredients—basil, seasoning salt, and black pepper
    Optional added paprika—to make it more like Hungarian goulash, add 1 to 2 teaspoons

    Cheesy American Goulash on a spoon
    Jump To:
    • ♨️Ingredients
    • 👨‍🍳How to make Cheesy American Baked Goulash
    • ↕️How to make a half-size or double-size recipe
    • Variations
    • Serving
    • ❄️Storage and reheating leftovers
    • ❓FAQs
    • ♨️What is Goulash?
    • Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
    • 📖 Recipe
    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    Featured comment from Denise:
    "This tastes just like my mom’s. Thanks for the wonderful memories and delicious dish."

    This cheesy American-style baked goulash recipe has been a staple in grade school lunchrooms for decades. Now you can make your own like the lunch lady.

    It adds a cheesy topping that was not always used in the lunch room but makes it special. This easy, tasty everyday recipe will be a favorite of kids and the whole family.

    For other comfort food casseroles, you may enjoy Tuna Noodle Casserole with Parmesan Topping, Cheesy Jambalaya, Baked Chicken Spaghetti, and Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli and Rice Casserole.

    👨‍🍳How to make Cheesy American Baked Goulash

    1. Cook pasta and brown the ground beef with chopped onion and crushed garlic.
    2. In a casserole dish, mix tomato sauce and diced tomatoes with spices.
    3. Add the ground beef and the pasta and stir in some shredded cheese.
    4. Top with more cheese, but skip all the cheese for classic American goulash.
    5. Bake until golden brown–about 30 minutes.

    This is a summary of the steps and ingredients. See the recipe card or the step-by-step photo instructions below for complete instructions.

    ↕️How to make a half-size or double-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, creating 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 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, but the taste will be much different.
    • Other spices, like oregano, rosemary, thyme, or Italian seasoning, may be added for different flavors.
    • 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.

    Serving

    Serve with a nice bread like Stand Mixer Lunch Lady Rolls or Honey Wheat Rolls. Add a green salad or hot vegetable to round out the meal.

    ❄️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.

    ❓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.

    ♨️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.

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    ↑Jump to Table of Contents

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

    Casserole Recipes, Comfort Food Recipes, Easy Dinner Recipes, Pasta Recipes

    Have you tried this recipe, or have a question? Join the community discussion in the comments.

    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
    Cheesy Old Fashioned Baked Goulash casserole with tender pasta, spicy tomato sauce with ground beef, and a cheesy kick like the lunchroom ladies made—an easy recipe for an economical dinner.
    Tap to leave a Rating
    4.19 from 148 votes
    Print Email CollectionCollected
    Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes 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
    Some recipes have an option to display the photos here with a switch above these instructions but the photos DO NOT print. Otherwise step-by-step photos are in the post.

    Your Own Private Notes

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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

    Calories : 351 kcal (18%)Carbohydrates : 17 g (6%)Protein : 29 g (58%)Fat : 19 g (29%)Saturated Fat : 9 g (45%)Cholesterol : 91 mg (30%)Sodium : 716 mg (30%)Potassium : 703 mg (20%)Fiber : 2 g (8%)Sugar : 6 g (7%)Vitamin A : 621 IU (12%)Vitamin C : 13 mg (16%)Calcium : 263 mg (26%)Iron : 4 mg (22%)
    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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    About Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

    Hi, welcome to 101 Cooking for Two. I'm DrDan, I'm a board certified physician and a lover of cooking delicious easy recipes I have perfected at home for two or larger household. As an award winning educator, let me guide you to finding the joys of cooking everyday food at home.
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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
      • Val

        March 31, 2023 at 3:55 pm

        Oh! My mother called it that! I always thought she made it up. I wonder where it comes from.

    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

    6. Valerie

      May 28, 2018 at 5:51 pm

      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.

      Reply
    7. Deb

      May 06, 2018 at 3:25 pm

      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 :)

      Reply
      • Chuck Peters

        June 09, 2020 at 10:31 pm

        Going to make this soon hoping it will taste like I remember moms in the fifties

      • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

        June 09, 2020 at 11:24 pm

        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

    8. jeanne

      April 09, 2018 at 1:18 pm

      this is NOT goulash Wheres the papika? Goulash is made with chunks of beef and lots of paprika I dont know what this is but you should not label it goulash Cheesy Mac, maybe

      Reply
      • DrDan

        April 09, 2018 at 1:30 pm

        In the seasoning salt... OK, not a lot. Ground beef is commonly used in the American version. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_goulash

        So this is like all those American school lunches.

    9. Shelley

      January 26, 2018 at 3:12 pm

      Should you add more tomatoe when re heating casserole next day?

      Reply
      • DrDan

        January 26, 2018 at 3:17 pm

        Hi Shelley,

        I have never thought it needed it.

        Dan

    10. Mary anne

      December 24, 2017 at 1:19 pm

      Can I make on stove top as my oven is out (thank you GE). How does the cheese taste the day after

      Reply
      • DrDan

        December 24, 2017 at 1:26 pm

        That probably won't work well. The "sauce" needs to simmer some and the oven does that in this recipe. And the pasta tastes better after some simmering in the sauce.

        The cheese does do quit well the next day for when your oven is fixed.

    11. Judy Uhl

      November 06, 2017 at 5:56 am

      This will be perfect for today. I haven't made this in a long time! Cole slaw on the side!

      Reply
      • DrDan

        November 06, 2017 at 8:46 am

        Hi Judy,
        This one always takes me to the school cafeteria except I think mine is better.
        Have a good day and thanks for the note.
        Dan

    12. Heather Jernstad

      November 13, 2016 at 6:58 pm

      I grew up having this, but my mom added kidney beans as well. Thank you for the recipe!

      Reply
    13. Joyce

      November 06, 2016 at 4:34 pm

      Delicious....good cool weather recipe....family loved it...
      Always asking me to make it and its easy.

      Reply
      • DrDan

        November 06, 2016 at 7:01 pm

        Thanks Joyce, I haven't done this ou one this fall yet. As you said, cold weather comfort food. I see it in the near future.
        Dan

    14. Dave

      September 04, 2016 at 10:39 pm

      Ok, great, thank you very much!

      Reply
    15. Dave

      September 04, 2016 at 10:32 pm

      Hey Dan, question, for the diced tomatoes ( I'll be getting a can), do I include the juice? Or do I strain it out and put in just the tomatoes?

      Reply
      • DrDan

        September 04, 2016 at 10:34 pm

        Add the tomatoes with the juice.

        Dan

    16. DrDan

      August 10, 2016 at 10:48 pm

      Hi Tina, I haven't done or even thought of this recipe for several years, I do love it on a cool fall day. I especially love having the leftovers. I'm scheduling it for October.
      Thanks for the note.
      Dan

      Reply
    17. Tina Marie

      August 10, 2016 at 10:21 pm

      I made this and everyone loved it! thanks for sharing :)

      Reply
    18. Stephen

      March 26, 2016 at 1:47 pm

      5 stars
      I like adding some basil,paprika and bacon to give a nice smokey flavor

      Reply
    19. mj stone

      October 03, 2014 at 5:53 pm

      I like using Amish noodles instead of pasta...
      Uummm Uuummmmm better

      Reply
    20. Judy Uhl

      November 21, 2013 at 2:00 pm

      Just made today, I used low sodium seasoned salt and dreamfields pasta. It smelled great cooking in the oven! Can't wait for supper!

      Reply
      • Dan Mikesell

        November 21, 2013 at 8:33 pm

        Thanks, I hope it works well for you

    21. LunaTechChick

      November 19, 2013 at 5:22 pm

      OH EM GEE!! This is DEF happening! Soon. Yay!

      Reply
    22. Heidi Menocal

      November 18, 2013 at 9:18 pm

      oops. my mistake. I see it now.

      Reply
      • Pat Bischoping

        January 07, 2020 at 12:40 pm

        5 stars
        Excellent recipe. I have to blend the tomatoes since I have a picky eater who doesn’t like chunks of tomato.

    23. Heidi Menocal

      November 18, 2013 at 9:15 pm

      You forgot to mention adding the pasta. It is in the pictures, just not the recipe.

      Reply

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