Elbow Noodles and Ground Beef Tomatoes
Weight Watchers Recipe of the Day: Easy American Hamburger Goulash (aka American Chop Suey)
Today I'm sharing a recipe I've been eating since childhood, my mom's recipe for goulash. She learned to make this simple ground beef and macaroni skillet dish by watching her friend's mom make it back in the 1950s in a small town in rural coastal Maine.
American goulash is one of those recipes handed down through the generations that can be made in a wide variety of ways.
What is Goulash?
American goulash is completely different from the Hungarian version. It's a quick and easy skillet dish of ground beef, onion, tomatoes, tomato soup and elbow macaroni. Think homemade from scratch Hamburger Helper, that was known as American Chop Suey at my local school cafeteria.
Hungarian Goulash, by comparison, is a long-simmering meat and vegetable stew seasoned with generous amounts of paprika.
The two dishes couldn't be more different.
Hamburger Goulash (aka American Chop Suey)
How To Make American Goulash?
There are lots of different variations of "hamburger goulash," or "American Chop Suey," out there. Some call for tomato sauce and others for jarred spaghetti sauce, but I don't think they taste as good as this old-fashioned, classic version from my mom that calls for canned tomato soup. But, my tastebuds are biased because it's the one they grew up on.
Mom's hamburger goulash with elbow macaroni is comfort food at its best - quick, easy, tasty, and satisfying. I made it for my guys a few nights ago and Mac ate three servings. I can think of no better compliment for a cook.
It is also just the kind of food we can depend on in these uncertain economic times - simple, wholesome and inexpensive.
WW Friendly Hamburger Macaroni Goulash
How Many Calories and WW Points in this Classic American Goulash Recipe?
According to my calculations, each serving has about 354 calories and:
9 *SmartPoints (Green plan)
9 *SmartPoints (Blue plan)
5 *SmartPoints (Purple plan) (with whole grain macaroni)
9 *PointsPlus (Old plan)
To see your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, Click here!
Hamburger Goulash Recipe Substitutions & Variations
Meat: Though ground beef is traditional, any ground meat—chicken, turkey, pork, lamb—may be substituted. It could also be made vegetarian with the addition of meatless veggie crumbles.
Pasta shape: Elbow macaroni is traditional but any small cut of pasta will work.
Bulkier: To add more volume to your goulash for few calories, add more vegetables such as mushrooms, corn, zucchini, etc.
Thicker: I like to make this old-fashioned Goulash saucy. If you don't, use one can of diced tomatoes instead of two. It also thickens up a lot as it sits to make it ahead of time. Many like it better as leftovers the day after when it has thickened and the flavors have melded.
Spicier: There are lots of way to add more flavor to suit your tastes. Soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, tomato paste, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, etc.
Southwestern/Chile Mac: For a spicy southwest/chile mac variation, add 1 cup of drained corn and 1-2 tablespoons chili powder when adding the tomatoes.
Cheesy: Stir in or top with your favorite grated or shredded cheese.
Vegetarian/Vegan: Substitute your favorite ground plant based crumbles for the ground beef.
What Should Your Serve with Classic American Goulash?
We always enjoyed our goulash with a simple green salad alongside. Most any vegetable makes a healthy accompaniment: zucchini, broccoli, green beans, corn, carrots, etc.
If you've made this Hamburger Goulash, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Easy American Hamburger Goulash
A simple healthy satisfying dish - old-fashioned comfort food at its best with.
Servings (adjustable): 6
Calories: 354
- 2 cups (8 ounces) elbow macaroni (gluten-free if desired) (uncooked)
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 2 cans (10-¾ ounces each) tomato soup
- 2 cans (14-ounces each) diced tomatoes
- Pinch of cinnamon
- Pinch of sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste
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Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain.
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Meanwhile heat oil in a large skillet, or dutch oven, over medium heat. Stir the ground beef, onion, and pepper into the skillet, breaking up the beef into small pieces. Season with salt and pepper.
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Cook, stirring often, until the beef is no longer pink and the onion and pepper are soft (5-8 minutes).
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Stir in the tomatoes, tomato soup, cinnamon, and sugar. Simmer until heated thoroughly.
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Stir in the drained macaroni and combine well. (Alternatively, if your skillet isn't quite big enough, stir everything together in the pasta pan.) Season with salt and pepper to taste.
I like to make this old-fashioned Goulash saucy. If you don't, use one can of diced tomatoes instead of two.
And of course, you don't have to use elbow macaroni. Any small to medium pasta shape will work. The last time I made it I used gluten-free brown rice rotini.
For a spicy southwest variation add 1 cup of drained corn and 1-2 tablespoons chili powder when adding the tomatoes.
Click here to see your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site.
9 *SmartPoints (Green plan)
9 *SmartPoints (Blue plan)
5 *SmartPoints (Purple plan) (with whole grain macaroni)
9 *PointsPlus (Old plan)
Nutrition Facts
Easy American Hamburger Goulash
Amount Per Serving (1 cup)
Calories 354 Calories from Fat 68
% Daily Value*
Fat 7.5g 12%
Saturated Fat 2.3g 12%
Cholesterol 67mg 22%
Carbohydrates 42.5g 14%
Fiber 4.4g 18%
Sugar 13.8g 15%
Protein 29.8g 60%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
*PersonalPoints® calculated by WW. *PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® calculated by Simple Nourished Living; Not endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc. All recipe ingredients except optional items included in determining nutritional estimates. SmartPoints® values calculated WITHOUT each plan's ZeroPoint Foods (Green plan, Blue plan, Purple plan) using the WW Recipe Builder.
More Easy Healthy Ground Beef Recipes for Weight Watchers
- Southwestern Hamburger Goulash - Inspired by flavors of the southwest
- Easy Taco Soup - easy and delicious soup with all the flavors of a taco
- Easy Hamburger Macaroni Soup - A simple warm and satisfying soup
- Easy Healthy Ground Beef Enchilada Skillet
Martha is the founder and main content writer for Simple-Nourished-Living.
A longtime lifetime WW at goal, she is committed to balancing her love of food and desire to stay slim while savoring life and helping others do the same.
She is the author of the Smart Start 28-Day Weight Loss Challenge.
A huge fan of the slow cooker and confessed cookbook addict, when she's not experimenting in the kitchen, you're likely to find Martha on her yoga mat.
More about Martha McKinnon
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