Goulash aka American chop suey is by far, one of the most inexpensive, filling, tasty meals that the whole family enjoys. It’s comfort food if you will, and while it’s delicious the first day, like most pasta recipes, it’s even better as leftovers!
Do you remember eating Goulash as a kid? I know I do! It was one of my favorite dishes. What is Goulash, you ask? Well, it’s basically American Chop Suey. A hearty mix of pasta and ground beef in a simple tomato sauce. This dish is easy to make and perfect for a busy family on the go! So, next time you’re looking for something comforting and affordable, give Goulash a try!
I was reading through some older posts in the dinners under $2.50 section of the forums and when I created that forum, I didn’t mean that the dinners were under $2.50 per Serving, I meant that the entire meal (for the entire family!) was under $2.50! It’s fairly easy to make a decent dinner for $10 ($2.50 per Serving), but sometimes it’s a little more difficult to keep the meals dirt cheap.
When I first shared this recipe on our site, it was less than two dollars to prepare for the entire family. This entire meal is still under five dollars, without even trying. It could obviously be made more frugally by using home-canned tomatoes, homemade pasta, and ground venison.
Goulash aka Chop Suey
Budget101 Chop Suey Price Breakdown
Budget101 Chop Suey Price BreakdownThe prices listed were taken directly off Walmart’s website and are current as of February 29, 2020.
Elbow Macaroni (1 Box ) $0.78
Diced Tomatoes (1 Can ) $0.46 (generic is fine)
Ground Turkey- 1 lb Italian $2.58 (Walmart frozen section)
minced garlic (2 tsp )$0.09
onion (one-half) $0.32
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$4.23 serves 4-6 people (plus leftovers)
Goulash- American Chop Suey Recipe
You’ll Need:
- 1 Box Elbow Macaroni
- 1 lb Ground Turkey- Italian
- 1 Can (undrained) Diced Tomatoes
- 2 tsp garlic, minced
- 1/2 finely chopped onion
Boil the macaroni until tender, in the meantime, brown the ground turkey, add the onions, cooking until translucent. Add 1 can of diced tomatoes (un-drained), minced garlic, a sprinkle of garlic salt, Italian seasoning, chopped fresh basil (basically whatever you have on hand that you like).
Drain macaroni, add the seasoned burger/tomato mix. Stir, and serve hot.
I don’t know the origin of the recipe, I have heard people refer to it as goulash, chop suey, etc, but what I do know, is that it is a super simple, dirt-cheap meal that I was raised eating on a fairly regular basis.
To switch it up, transfer it to a casserole dish, and top with a couple of handfuls of your favorite shredded cheese. Bake at 350°F until the cheese melts about 15 minutes.
We also sometimes use the all purpose ground beef mix to make this dinner even quicker. If you have bell peppers, or celery on hand, you can certainly add it with the onion while cooking to beef the dish up even more.
Goulash- American Chop Suey Recipe
Equipment
- 1 skillet
Ingredients
- 1 lb Elbow Macaroni
- 1 lb Ground Turkey- Italian Flavor or ground beef, or venison
- 14.5 oz Diced Tomatoes 1 can, (undrained)
- 2 teaspoon garlic minced
- ½ finely chopped onion
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or chopped fresh basil, oregano
Instructions
- Cook the macaroni according to package directions, drain and rinse.1 lb Elbow Macaroni
- In the meantime, while the macaroni is cooking, brown the ground turkey, add the onions, cooking until the translucent.1 lb Ground Turkey- Italian Flavor, ½ finely chopped onion
- Add the un-drained diced tomatoes, minced garlic and a sprinkle of garlic salt, Italian seasoning, chopped fresh basil, and any other seasonings you prefer.14.5 oz Diced Tomatoes, 2 teaspoon garlic, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Drain macaroni, add the seasoned burger/tomato mix. Stir, and serve hot.
Notes
Alternative Serving Suggestion:
Transfer it to a casserole dish, top with shredded mozzarella or colby cheese. Bake at 350°F for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese melts.If you altered the ingedients above by doubling or tripling the recipe, you may also need to change the pan/dish size and adjust the cooking/baking time.
