If you are looking for an easy hot meal for a cold night that the whole family can enjoy then look no further. This easy one pot goulash recipe will not disappoint. If you read my recent piece on tricking my kids into eating vegetables, then you know that I am all about finding a meal everyone can eat. Bonus points to any dinner that is easy to whip up and requires minimal groceries.
The thing I love most about this recipe is that it is so versatile. While the recipe only really calls for onion and garlic, lots of other vegetables can be added in. My personal favorites are carrots and fresh tomatoes. You can also make this more like a soup by adding a cup of broth or additional pasta water. Although, if you are looking to make it more like soup, be careful not to water it down too much, as it will end up being bland. Another simple change is that you can make this with any ground meat, whatever leanness you prefer.
Easy One Pot 'Empty Your Fridge' Goulash
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 lb Ground beef Ground chicken or Turkey can be used
- 1 Onion
- 1.5 cloves Garlic
- 1 cup Pasta (Macaroni)
- 14.5 oz Diced Tomatoes
- 1/2 jar Tomatoe Sauce About 12 oz
- 1/2 cup Water (from the cooked pasta)
- 2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 tsp Salt
- Garlic Powder (to taste)
- Pepper (to taste)
- Cheddar Cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Boil water to cook pasta. Pasta should be cooked al dente (careful not to over cook as it will be added back into the pot and will cook more)
- Strain Pasta (when straining the pasta make sure to save 1/2 cup of the pasta water; set pasta aside.
- In the same pot, heat the olive oil on medium heat. Add the ground meat and cook until brown.
- While the meat is browning, make sure all vegetables are washed and diced. Any available vegetables can be used. Other than the onion and garlic cloves, I commonly add diced carrots and fresh tomatoes.
- Once the meat is browned, add the garlic cloves, onion, and other vegetables to the pot. Cook until onions are browned and softened (ensure any other vegetables added are softened).
- Add diced tomatoes and tomato sauce.
- Add seasonings and Worchester sauce and stir all together. Once mixed, add the pasta to the pot. Cover for about 10-15minutes.
- Serve and top with cheese if desired! Enjoy right away.
