#goulash

This Instant Pot goulash recipe is a comforting and hearty American classic. Made with ground beef, macaroni, and a savory tomato-based sauce, it's a one-pot wonder that's perfect for busy weeknights. The Instant Pot cuts down on cooking time while still delivering rich and flavorful results.

Ingredients: 1 lb ground beef. 1 onion, diced. 2 cloves garlic, minced. 2 cups beef broth. 1 can 15 oz tomato sauce. 1 can 15 oz diced tomatoes. 2 cups elbow macaroni. 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning. Salt and pepper to taste. 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese. Fresh parsley for garnish optional.

Instructions: Put the Instant Pot into saut mode and brown the ground beef with the garlic and onion that have been diced. Once the beef is browned, drain off any extra fat. In the Instant Pot, put in the elbow macaroni, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, beef broth, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Make sure to stir everything together well. Put the lid back on the Instant Pot and set it to high pressure for 5 minutes. Do a quick release of pressure when the cooking cycle is over. Carefully remove the lid and add the shredded cheddar cheese. Mix it in until it melts and is fully mixed in. If you want, you can serve it hot with fresh parsley on top.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

This recipe is one passed down in my family. It's called goulash, but it has changed from the traditional Hungarian stew to a noodle-and-sauce with meat dish. Still, it has stayed a comfort food in my household and is very easy to make!

Cheesy Beef Goulash 🍲

Ingredients

2 lbs ground beef

3 tsp minced garlic

3 cups water

2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce

2 (15-ounce) cans diced tomatoes

2 TB Italian seasoning

3 bay leaves

3 TB soy sauce

1 TB seasoned salt

2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

Saute ground beef in skillet over medium-high heat until cooked. Drain. Add garlic and saute for about 5 minutes. Add water, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, italian seasoning, bay leaves, soy sauce, and seasoned salt. Stir well. Cover and allow to cook for 15-20 minutes.

INGREDIENTS

1 Bunch Carrots with Greens

3 Large Parsnips

3-4 Stalks Celery

3-5 White Onions

2 Large Turnips

1 Bulb Garlic

3 Large Red Bell Peppers

4 Medium Tomatoes

1kg Whole Eye Beef Roast

~2 tbsp Fennel Seeds

~1 tbsp Black Peppercorns

Salt to Taste, but at least 1tbsp for the Meat

~4 tbsp Butter or Veg Oil for the Meat

A Few Glugs More Oil for Vegetables

Celery Salt

Cumin

Garlic Powder

Chili Pepper Flakes

1 Cube Vegetable Bouillon

1 Cup or More Red Wine (Chianti)

A Few tbsp Flour

PROCESS

Remove carrot greens and set aside.

Into one bowl, peel and chop or dice carrots, parsnips, and turnips; chop or dice celery and onions, bruise, peel, and roughly chop entire bulb of garlic. Set aside.

Into another bowl, dice bell peppers and tomatoes.

Remove any obvious fat lumps or blood vessels or other undesirable bits of beef roast. Slice into steaks roughly 1-1.5cm thick across the grain. Cut steaks into cubes and place in a third bowl.

In a mortar and pestle, break down Fennel seeds until none are unbroken and the insides are visibly powdered. Add peppercorns and salt and work until everything is of roughly uniform consistency.

Set pot to medium-high heat.

Sprinkle entire contents of mortar over cubed meat and mix until coated. Sprinkle with flour and mix until coated visibly and evenly.

Once pot is up to heat, add butter or oil and once that is hot, add meat to sear. Stir every 30-60 seconds to ensure no burning, but try to get good colour on all sides of meat. Once satisfied with browning, set meat aside in bowl, leaving as much of the fat in the pot as possible (it will resemble a thick gravy due to the flour).

Reduce heat to medium. Add more oil to coat the bottom of the pot and introduce the mixed vegetables from the first bowl in small batches, such that the bottom of the pan is never crowded. Add chili flakes, celery salt, cumin, and garlic powder. For each batch, soften vegetables until they just start to take colour. You will likely need to add small amounts of oil each time you add more vegetables.

Once all fried nicely, add wine and scrape loose anything stuck to the bottom of the pot. Add tomatoes and diced bell peppers. Cook until the you can see that the contents of the pot have shed much of their liquid (the liquid level will be around 2/3 the height of the vegetables overall), then return the seared meat to the pan. Add the bouillon cube and just enough water to cover all contents of the pot, then put the lid on the pot and reduce heat to simmer for at least 2 hours, but I have gone as long as 4 or 5 hours. Make sure to stir occasionally, as the fennel seeds especially like to fall to the bottom and stick. When finished simmering, remove from heat and add paprika to taste (be generous). Salt to taste.

If using carrot greens, add them for the last 10 minutes or so.