GOULASH

Goulash

Here's the thing.  My Dad would eat this Goulash pretty much every day if we would let him!  Growing up, Goulash was ALWAYS on the weekly menu, and was always a favorite of Dad and my brothers.  The gooier and cheesier, the more they loved it! 

​Over the years the recipe has had to change, more out of necessity than anything else!  When we moved away from the Twin Cities, a lot of our favorite food items were no longer available.  Which leads to lots of boxes of grocery staples being picked up whenever we visit home, and very careful planning and storage at this end.  Do you have any favorite foods from your childhood that you have a hard time finding now?

Grampa B's Goulash

Growing up, Mom always used Creamette brand macaroni products - a staple created and marketed in the Minneapolis area.  And there used to be mini-elbow macaroni that she would use for this casserole.  Creamettes doesn't make the mini-elbow macaroni any longer, and we have made the switch to local products here in Ohio - but alas, still no mini-elbows!

​Loaded with fresh tomato flavor, just the right spices, and topped with lots of melted cheese, this is about as good as it gets for a fast and family-friendly meal!

Everything cooks up easily in a single skillet...

Tender noodles, savory tomato sauce and meat...

Topped with a LOAD of your favorite melted cheese. YUM!

REV:  And I was a little bit aghast when I looked at the photos I took and posted when this recipe was first shared - I think it looks a little bit more appealing now, wouldn't you agree?  YIKES - nothing like a few years of working with your camera and lenses to have a different idea of what looks appetizing!

​Dad's gone now, but I still think of him every single time that I make this for my family.  He would have been smiling and the first in line to dish up - and I would so love to have one more dinner with him!

circa 2008

Looks a little bit better in 2010?

Now you may wonder about the can of tomato soup.  This is really more tradition than anything else, but it does add just the littlest bit of sweetness and creaminess to the recipe.  Feel free to leave it out if you want to, but I leave it in for old times sake!

I also use whatever cheese I happen to have available when I make this - it doesn't need to be American cheese unless you want it that way - cheddar, Colby-jack or mozzarella all work wonderfully too!  And it's a great way to use up all those little bits of cheese that you have leftover in your fridge.

​This one's for you Dad!

Skillet Goulash