This slow cooker 6-ingredient Amish goulash is the kind of old-fashioned supper that’s always a yes in my house. It reminds me of the hearty, thrifty dishes the farm wives around here have leaned on for generations—stretching ground beef, pantry tomatoes, and a few simple staples into something that feeds a crowd. Everything starts right in the slow cooker by pouring crushed tomatoes over raw ground beef and four easy items, then letting it putter away all afternoon while you go about your day. By suppertime, the house smells like the kitchens I grew up in, and you’ve got a cozy, Midwestern-style meal with hardly any fuss.
Serve this Amish goulash in wide bowls with a sprinkle of extra shredded cheddar on top if you like, and maybe a spoonful of sour cream for richness. It’s wonderful with buttered bread or dinner rolls to mop up the sauce, and a simple side like green beans, coleslaw, or a crisp lettuce salad helps balance the hearty noodles and beef. Around here, I like to put a jar of dill pickles on the table and let folks help themselves—nothing fancy, just good, honest food that fills everyone up.
Slow Cooker Amish GoulashServings: 6
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds raw ground beef (80–90% lean)
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 cups dry elbow macaroni (about 8 ounces), uncooked
Directions
Set a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker on the counter. Spread the raw ground beef evenly in the bottom of the crock, breaking it up gently with your fingers or a spoon so it’s in small clumps.
Sprinkle the chopped onion evenly over the raw ground beef. Season with the salt and black pepper, scattering them over the top.
Pour the crushed tomatoes evenly over the raw ground beef and onions in the slow cooker, covering the meat completely. Do not stir; you want the tomatoes sitting right on top of the beef so it cooks gently underneath.
Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on HIGH for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, or on LOW for 5 to 6 hours, until the ground beef is fully cooked and can be easily broken apart with a spoon.
Once the beef is cooked through, use a wooden spoon or spatula to break up the meat and stir everything together well, mixing the beef, onions, and tomatoes into a saucy mixture.
Stir in the dry elbow macaroni, making sure the pasta is mostly submerged in the tomato and beef mixture. If it seems too dry to cover the noodles, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water, just enough so the pasta is tucked into the sauce.
Cover again and cook on HIGH for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the macaroni is tender but not mushy.
Taste and adjust seasoning with a little more salt and pepper if needed. Ladle the goulash into bowls and serve hot.
Variations & Tips
For a cheesier version, stir 1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar or Colby cheese into the hot goulash right before serving, letting it melt into the sauce. If your family likes a little more flavor, you can add 1 teaspoon of garlic powder or 1 teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning along with the salt and pepper, keeping the spirit of simple pantry cooking. To stretch the meal even further, add an extra 1/2 cup of dry macaroni and a splash more water or broth. This recipe also works nicely with half ground beef and half ground pork if that’s what you have on hand. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheat best with a spoonful of water stirred in before warming, as the pasta will continue to soak up the sauce. If you’d like to freeze it, cook the beef and tomatoes as directed, cool, and freeze that base—then add the macaroni later when you reheat, so the noodles stay firm.
