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    🏠Home » Recipes » Comfort Food Recipes

    Cheesy American Goulash

    Jan 2, 2021 | Last Updated Apr 14, 2021 by Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

    Recipe Table of Contents    
    4.2 from 114 votes

    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.

    closeup image of cheesy American Goulash
    American Goulash

    Table of Contents
    • ♨️What is Goulash?
    • 👨‍🍳Ingredients
    • ❄️Storage
    • 📖Comfort Food Recipes
    • 🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
    • 📖Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

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    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

    My rating system of a 4 out of 5 so very nice.

    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

    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, Pasta Recipes
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    🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions

    raw burger with cheese and pasta

    Preheat oven to 350° convection or 375° conventional. And heat water and start cooking 1 pound of pasta.

    raw burger in pan

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

    chopped onion on white board

    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.

    spray casserole dish with PAM

    Prep a 2 ½ quart baking dish with PAM.

    mixing spices into sauce in casserole dish

    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.

    adding browned burger to the sauce

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

    adding cheese on the casserole

    Stir in 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese.

    topping the casserole with cheese

    Top with ½ cup mozzarella.

    browned casserole dish

    Bake until golden brown. About 30 minutes.

    cheesy goulash on a white plate
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    📖Recipe

    closeup image of cheesy American Goulash

    Cheesy American Goulash

    From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
    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.
    Tap to leave a Rating
    4.2 from 114 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 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.
      raw burger with cheese and pasta
    • Start brown 1 pound of ground beef over medium-high heat.
      raw burger in pan
    • 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.
      chopped onion on white board
    • Prep a 2 ½ quart baking dish with PAM.
      spray casserole 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.
      mixing spices into sauce in casserole dish
    • Add the ground beef along with the pasta and mix well.
      adding browned burger to the sauce
    • Stir in 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese.
      adding cheese on the casserole
    • Top with ½ cup mozzarella.
      topping the casserole with cheese
    • Bake until golden brown–about 30 minutes.
      browned casserole 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.

    My 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. A 9X13 cake pan size will work but be thinner. Also, you may need a little more cheese on top.
    2. 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.
    3. You are cooking to the browned top not by time.
    4. 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.
    5. If you feel "goulash" must have more paprika than what is in the seasoning salt, add 1 teaspoon of paprika.
    6. Vary the cheeses to what you like.
    7. Like many casseroles, I feel it is better the second day.
    8. It is good refrigerated for 3-4 days and will freeze well for 3-4 months.
    9. 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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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. 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

    2. 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.

    3. 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

    4. 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.

    5. 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

    6. 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
    7. 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

    8. Dave

      September 04, 2016 at 10:39 pm

      Ok, great, thank you very much!

      Reply
    9. 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

    10. 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
    11. Tina Marie

      August 10, 2016 at 10:21 pm

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

      Reply
    12. 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
    13. Samantha

      December 14, 2014 at 5:34 pm

      3 stars
      I am trying this recipe today, I cant wait to give it a try, this is my first time preparing a meal like this, im sure I could do this. Thanks for your advice and your step-to-step tutorial of how to do it.
      I will let you know at a later time that this worked out the way I intended it to be.

      Reply
    14. mj stone

      October 03, 2014 at 5:53 pm

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

      Reply
    15. 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

    16. LunaTechChick

      November 19, 2013 at 5:22 pm

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

      Reply
    17. 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.

    18. 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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