I know it’s a day past Halloween, but I couldn’t resist a terrible pun. That’s right, I made goulash, or ghoul-ash for the spooky set.
My friend and gaming buddy Jenny made goulash in a crock pot earlier this year for one of our epic Pathfinder games, and I immediately fell in love. And, more importantly, I thought that it would be an amazing dish for my Dutch oven year.
It just took about half a year to get to it. Thankfully, she was able to track down the recipe and then remember what she actually did for the most part, and then, I took that and adapted it yet again and added some ingredients she omitted and some ingredients from another recipe.
Authentic Hungarian it probably is not. But Jenny’s recipe was so good I wanted to eat it again, and none of the other recipes were nearly as inspiring as hers.
Also, spooky it is not. I just happened to make it this time of year. Maybe it’s just dressed up as a ghoul? I tried. Sorry.
Here’s what I did:
Ingredients
- 1 (16 oz.) box rotini (or medium pasta), cooked according to package directions
- 1 ½ lb. ground beef, lean
- 2 T. vegetable oil
- 2 medium onions, diced
- 2 medium carrots, chopped
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
- 4 to 5 T. paprika (a mix of smoky and spicy if you’ve got it, or whatever you like, to taste)
- 2 cloves garlic (I used the jar stuff)
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 8 oz. shredded cheddar
Directions
Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Meanwhile, brown the meat in a large Dutch oven on the stove top over medium heat, about 10 minutes. Add the oil and onions, carrots, and bell pepper, and cook another 5 to 7 minutes until the vegetables are softened. Add the diced and crushed tomatoes, garlic, bay leaves, paprika, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil, which shouldn’t take long.
Remove from heat, and stir in the cooked pasta and cheddar.
Cover the goulash, and bake in the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes until bubbling. Let cool slightly, and enjoy!