My brother begs for this sweet and savory tomato pasta every single week. It is packed with rich flavor and feeds a hungry crowd with practically zero effort.

This slow cooker 5-ingredient Amish goulash is exactly the kind of sweet and savory tomato pasta my brother begs for every single week. It’s cozy, budget-friendly, and made with pantry staples, but it tastes like you fussed over it all afternoon. The recipe leans on that old-fashioned Amish-style comfort: tender elbow macaroni, a rich, slightly sweet tomato sauce, soft onions, and plenty of hearty ground beef. Everything comes together in one slow cooker, so you can feed a hungry crowd with practically zero effort—perfect for busy weeknights, church potlucks, or those days when you just want to scoop big bowls of something warm and familiar for the people you love.

I like to ladle this goulash into big bowls and sprinkle the top with a little extra black pepper or a handful of shredded cheese if I have it. Add a simple green salad with ranch dressing and some buttered garlic toast or warm dinner rolls to round out the meal. For kids, serve it with carrot sticks, apple slices, and a little dish of ranch or hummus on the side. It also reheats really well, so it’s great for lunch the next day with a crisp pickle spear or some steamed green beans.

Servings: 8

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, crumble and cook the ground beef until it is browned and no pink remains, 6–8 minutes. As it cooks, break it into small pieces so it mixes nicely with the pasta later. Drain off any excess grease.

Add the diced onion to the hot skillet with the browned beef and cook, stirring often, until the onion is soft and translucent, about 4–5 minutes. This step builds that rich, savory base that balances the sweetness of the sauce.

Transfer the cooked beef and onions to the slow cooker. Pour in the sweet tomato pasta sauce and the beef broth. Stir everything together until well combined, making sure the meat is evenly distributed throughout the sauce.

Cover the slow cooker and cook the sauce mixture on LOW for 4–5 hours or on HIGH for 2–3 hours. This slow simmer lets the flavors deepen and gives you time to go about your day while dinner takes care of itself.

About 30–40 minutes before you want to eat, stir the uncooked elbow macaroni into the hot sauce in the slow cooker. Make sure all the pasta is pushed down and fully submerged in the liquid so it cooks evenly.

Cover and cook on HIGH for 20–30 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the macaroni is tender but not mushy. Slow cookers vary, so start checking at 20 minutes. If it looks too thick, you can splash in a little extra broth or hot water.

Once the pasta is tender and the goulash is glossy and saucy, give it a final stir, taste, and adjust the seasoning if you like with a pinch of salt or pepper (optional). Serve hot straight from the slow cooker, scooping down to get plenty of beef, onions, and pasta in every bowl.

If your family likes things extra sweet and tangy, you can stir in a tablespoon of brown sugar or a splash of ketchup along with the sauce, though the sweet pasta sauce usually does the trick on its own. For picky eaters who shy away from onions, dice the onion very small so it melts into the sauce, or cook it and then blend a cup or two of the sauce mixture before adding the pasta so the flavors are there without the visible pieces. If you prefer a lighter version, use ground turkey or a 50/50 mix of beef and turkey; just be sure to season to taste at the end. To sneak in some veggies, add a cup of finely chopped bell pepper or grated carrot when you cook the onion—they’ll soften and blend into the sauce. For a cheesier twist, sprinkle shredded cheddar or mozzarella over the top in the last 5 minutes of cooking and cover until melted. If you need to stretch the meal even further for a big crowd, stir in an extra cup of broth and another cup of dry pasta, then watch the liquid and add a bit more broth or water as needed so it stays saucy. Leftovers thicken as they sit, so when reheating, just stir in a splash of water or broth to bring back that glossy, spoonable texture.