Goulash is NOT Hungarian Hamburger Helper!

It's cold outside in Oklahoma. Like, really cold. I need comfort food, and I need it today!

This is why it's vital to my happiness to make goulash. It's also vital to my dog's happiness because he's straight up driving me nuts. Good thing he's so cute!

So here we go with Goulash. My Grandma Coday made this at most family occasions, and we all loved it. It's easy, yummy, and feeds a lot of people. 

It's not, as an unnamed dud told me earlier, Hungarian Hamburger Helper. This person has obviously never had really good goulash. (I can't even!)

I mean, look!

I start out with a drizzle of olive oil in a hot pan, along with a package of ground beef.

I also add garlic powder, salt and pepper to my taste. 1 chopped onion and 1 chopped bell pepper, adding that to the meat.

Then I just start browning the meat.

Next, I start adding more seasoning.

I add a dash of Oregano.

Some dried basil.

A little bit of parsley flakes.

Some red pepper flakes.

And then some more salt and pepper if I think it's needed.

Once the meat is brown, I start adding the tomatoes. I started with two 14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes.

1 can of tomato sauce.

Add a can of water to your tomato/meat mixture.

Don't worry if it looks soupy, that's what goulash is all about, and it will cook down.

However, if you are really worried about it, add a small can of tomato paste to help thicken it up faster.

Lastly, add two bay leaves and let simmer uncovered for about an hour.

Milo was super excited about the wait.

Once the tomato sauce has tightened up, start on the macaroni. You can use elbow or bow tie if you like, but I like shell pasta.

I cook mine separate, to the point where it's not quite done, then add it to my sauce to finish off.

I do it separate because I use a lot of salt in my pasta water for flavor, and I also like to ladle in more pasta water to the sauce if I think it's needed.

So that's it! My version of goulash. Super simple, but my favorite comfort food in winter.

Your shopping list:

1 package of ground beef

1 onion

1 bell pepper

Salt and pepper

Garlic seasoning

2 bay leaves

2 medium cans of diced tomatoes

1 medium sized can of tomatoe sauce

1 small can of tomato paste 

Oregano, basil, red pepper and parsley flakes (not a lot, just to your taste)

Your choice of pasta