{"id":2156,"date":"2026-02-07T22:08:25","date_gmt":"2026-02-07T22:08:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/?p=2156"},"modified":"2026-02-07T22:08:25","modified_gmt":"2026-02-07T22:08:25","slug":"the-comforting-30-minute-midwest-dinner-i-make-on-repeat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/?p=2156","title":{"rendered":"The Comforting 30-Minute Midwest Dinner I Make On Repeat"},"content":{"rendered":"


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On dark winter nights, my Iowan mother and Missourian grandmother would stir together hearty pots of soul-warming goulash. The one-pot stovetop wonder would come together in a simmering marriage of ground beef, onion, garlic, tomato sauce, and elbow macaroni.\n<\/p>\n

No frills, no tricks. Goulash is straightforward feeds-a-crowd comfort food found in farm kitchens and at church suppers across the Heartland. And, when I\u2019m feeling homesick, it\u2019s a warming, nostalgic Midwest meal that hits the spot.\n<\/p>\n

Funny share: As a kid, I thought the name \u201cgoulash\u201d came from the sticky, saucy, noodle-smacking sound that came from the pot when my grandmother stirred the finished product. Turns out, goulash is originally a Hungarian import that\u2019s more of a chunky beef-and-paprika stew than the one-pot, ground-beef-and-pasta situation I grew up with. The direct Hungarian translation: cattle herder or cowboy.\n<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Why Everyone Loves Goulash <\/span> <\/h2>\n

Midwest goulash isn\u2019t trying to impress anyone. It\u2019s like a casserole: warm, filling, and proudly mushy. Goulash feeds a crowd and tastes even better the next day. It\u2019s like a hand-made quilt on a January night\u2014reliable and has always been around.\n<\/p>\n

Goulash is born from pantry staples, so it\u2019s very economical. It requires one pot and minimal clean up, and it goes hand in hand with potlucks, snow days, and weeknight dinners.\n<\/p>\n

My No-Nonsense Midwestern Goulash Recipe <\/span> <\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n

Stacy Allen \/ Food Stylist: Julian Henserling \/ Prop Stylist: Christina Daley<\/p>\n

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\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The longer the finished goulash sits in the pot, the thicker it will be. It\u2019s recommended to turn off the heat and let it stand uncovered for at least 5 minutes before serving.<\/em>\n<\/p>\n

Makes: <\/strong>8 servings
Prep Time: <\/strong>5 minutes
Cook Time: <\/strong>25 minutes
Total Time: <\/strong>30 minutes\n<\/p>\n

Ingredients<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n

    \n
  • 2 pounds ground beef<\/li>\n
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced<\/li>\n
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped<\/li>\n
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced<\/li>\n
  • 2 cans (15 ounces) diced tomatoes<\/li>\n
  • 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce<\/li>\n
  • 1\u20132 tablespoons ketchup<\/li>\n
  • 1\u00bd teaspoons salt<\/li>\n
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper<\/li>\n
  • 1\u00bd teaspoons paprika<\/li>\n
  • \u00bd teaspoon sugar<\/li>\n
  • 2 cups dry elbow macaroni<\/li>\n
  • 1 cup beef broth<\/li>\n
  • Dash of Worcestershire<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Instructions <\/span> <\/h3>\n
      \n
    1. In a Dutch oven or large pot, brown ground beef over medium heat. Drain excess grease if needed.<\/li>\n
    2. Stir in onion and bell pepper and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute.<\/li>\n
    3. Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, ketchup, salt, pepper, paprika, sugar, and Worcestershire. Stir well and bring to a gentle simmer.<\/li>\n
    4. Stir in dry elbow macaroni and broth.<\/li>\n
    5. Cover and simmer on low for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender.<\/li>\n
    6. Serve with dinner rolls and butter or Saltine crackers.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Midwestern Goulash Variations <\/span> <\/h3>\n
        \n
      • Add diced Yukon potatoes or use them instead of macaroni.<\/li>\n
      • Sprinkle shredded Cheddar or Colby cheese on top.<\/li>\n
      • Replace ground beef with cubed pork.<\/li>\n
      • Use V8 or tomato juice.<\/li>\n
      • Sub chili sauce for ketchup.<\/li>\n
      • Add celery or corn for texture and color.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n


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        On dark winter nights, my Iowan mother and Missourian grandmother would stir together hearty pots of soul-warming goulash. The one-pot stovetop wonder would come together in a simmering marriage of ground beef, onion, garlic, tomato sauce, and elbow macaroni. No frills, no tricks. Goulash is straightforward feeds-a-crowd comfort food found […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2157,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2156","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kitchen-tips"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2156","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2156"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2156\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2157"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2156"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2156"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2156"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}