Easy Dairy-Free American Goulash

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Easy American Goulash, also known as American Chop Suey in the northeastern US, is a classic savory meat-and-noodle casserole.

This recipe uses basic pantry items, so the meal prep is simple and the dish is budget-friendly.

And, since it’s made without cheese, it’s also dairy-free.

It’s a perfect, hearty dinner solution for busy weeknights.

So, about this dish…

This simple pasta dish was inspired by traditional Hungarian goulash—a stew of meat, vegetables, and Hungarian paprika.

The word ‘goulash’ comes from the Hungarian ‘gulyás,’ meaning ‘cattle herder,’ and it was based on ‘gulyáshús,’ or ‘herdsmen’s meat,’ a simple, hearty meal eaten by cowboys.

However, the American version is quite different.

In the early 1900s, a lot of American families needed to eat on a tight budget. To stretch their ground beef and keep the meal hearty like Hungarian goulash, they added noodles and a tomato base to the beef.

The new dish they created is what is known as American goulash. However, it is not really a stew but rather a casserole.

In New England and in parts of the Northeast, it’s often called American Chop Suey, although the dish has no relation to Chinese cuisine. The name simply refers to a ‘hodgepodge’ or random mixture of ingredients.

What does it mean when recipes say “to taste” about an ingredient?

When recipes say “to taste,” it means that you can put in as little or as much as you like to your own taste. Some recipes have many ingredients that a cook can adjust to their own taste when cooking (not so much when baking though).

The best way to calculate what your taste is with a recipe that you are not yet familiar with is to first taste the dish and then add the “to taste” ingredient GRADUALLY, a little at a time—a splash of this or a pinch of that—until the dish is just the way you like it.

Make sure to stir the ingredient after each time you add it so that the flavor will distribute evenly and become part of the dish. Then taste again. Repeat until you reach your personal preference.

Note: If you plan on using the recipe again, it is highly recommended to make a note of what and how much you added so that you can refer to it next time.

What does it mean when a recipe says that an ingredient is “optional”?

If an ingredient is “optional,” it means that you can add it in or not based on your own preference. An optional ingredient can be flavor-related (i.e., salty, sweet, spicy, etc.), appearance-related (garnish), or even something like nuts or chocolate chips in baking.

What does “savory” mean?

“Savory” refers to foods that are not sweet, such as foods that taste salty, spicy, or herbal.

Everyday pantry essentials to keep in your kitchen (suggested)

I like to keep a LOT of ingredients in my kitchen at all times in order to be able to make several dishes with very short notice.

Seasoning and flavoring:

• salt (my recipes use regular table salt)
• ground black or white pepper
• granulated garlic or garlic powder (I prefer granulated)
• onion powder
• sweet paprika and/or sweet pepper flakes (paprika is ground dried red pepper, pepper flakes are crushed dried red pepper)
• hot paprika, hot pepper flakes, or cayenne pepper (moderately spicy dried ground chili pepper) for those occasional spicy dishes
• ground turmeric
• ground cumin
• ground cinnamon
• ground ginger
• ground nutmeg
• ground cloves (for pumpkin flavors)
• sugar (granulated)
• brown sugar
• chicken consommé powder / beef bouillon powder (regular or vegetarian)
• onion soup mix
• onion flakes (substitute for fresh onion—3 tablespoons for 1 medium onion).
• various herbs
• additional spices to adapt taste to preference

Misc:

• oil / margarine / butter / cooking spray
• coconut cream as a dairy-free cream substitute
• flavorless milk substitute as a dairy-free milk alternative
• cornstarch as a thickening agent
• flour
• baking powder
• baking soda
• bread crumbs or cornflake crumbs (you can make these with your blender or food processor) for coating
• condiments, such as ketchup, mustard, barbecue sauce
• tomato sauce/tomato paste/canned tomatoes—diced or crushed/pasta sauce
• soy sauce (makes a great flavoring for savory foods)

We always have eggs in the fridge and onions, rice, and potatoes on our shelves, as well as pasta.

In addition, having some fresh vegetables in the fridge, such as carrots, celery, tomatoes, bell peppers (various colors), etc., can be very useful when putting together a quick but delicious meal.

It is also a good idea to have some ground meat or chicken (breast, ground, or in parts) in the freezer for anyone who likes meat dishes in a snap.

Because I do this, this recipe is one of the many that I can make any time.

So, what ingredients are needed to make this recipe?

ground beef
macaroni
diced or crushed tomatoes
onion
tomato paste
chicken or beef soup powder
Italian dressing mix
white granulated sugar
carrot (optional)
celery stick (optional)
additional chopped vegetables (optional, as desired)
oil for frying

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Yield: 4 servings

Easy American Goulash

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Also known as American Chop Suey, this delicious and simple macaroni and meat dish is dairy-free and budget-friendly.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 pound macaroni
• 1 28-ounce can diced or crushed tomatoes
• 1 medium onion, chopped or diced small
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons chicken or beef soup powder (or to taste)
• 1 tablespoon Italian dressing mix
• 1 tablespoon white granulated sugar
• 1 diced carrot (optional)
• 1 diced celery stick (optional)
• additional chopped vegetables (optional, as desired)
• oil for frying

Instructions

1. In a medium-large pot, make macaroni according to instructions on the package.
2. In another pot or skillet, fry the onion (and carrot and celery and other chopped vegetables if you are adding them in) on medium heat until soft, then add the ground beef, canned tomato, tomato paste, soup powder, Italian dressing mix, and sugar and cook until the meat has cooked through and the mixture has become a meat sauce.
3. Mix the meat sauce in with the cooked macaroni.

Notes

You can garnish if you want to (the photo shows a parsley garnish).

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 667Total Fat: 33gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 127mgSodium: 578mgCarbohydrates: 48gFiber: 8gSugar: 18gProtein: 47g

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