Description
This Crock Pot American Goulash is a cozy, budget-friendly comfort food classic. Made with ground beef, pasta, and a rich tomato sauce, it’s the perfect slow cooker dinner for busy nights.
Ingredients
1 lb ground beef (or Italian sausage, ground chicken, or turkey)
1 small sweet onion, finely diced
1 green pepper, finely diced (optional)
2 tsp minced garlic (or 2 fresh cloves, minced)
1 (24 oz) jar pasta sauce
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (15 oz) can petite diced tomatoes (seasoned if available)
1 cup water
1 ½ tsp Italian seasoning
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni (or other small pasta)
Instructions
In a large skillet, brown ground beef with diced onion and green pepper until beef is fully cooked and veggies are softened. Drain excess grease.
Transfer beef mixture to a 4–6 quart slow cooker.
Stir in garlic, pasta sauce, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, water, Italian seasoning, and sugar. Do not add pasta yet.
Cover and cook on Low for 6–8 hours or High for 2–4 hours.
During the last hour of cooking, stir in elbow macaroni. Cover and cook until pasta is al dente or your preferred texture.
Serve hot with garlic bread and salad.
Notes
Add pasta only in the last hour to prevent mushiness.
Swap beef for Italian sausage, turkey, or chicken for variety.
Leftovers store in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months (pasta may soften slightly).
Stir in extra water or broth if the goulash thickens too much.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 hours (low) / 2.5 hours (high)
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Serving
- Calories: 360 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 780 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg