1950's Hamburger Goulash

5.00 (8)
⏱ 50 mins 🍽 8 serving(s) 🏷 Meat

This nostalgic casserole, known as goulash, is a humble and comforting dish from the 1950s. It features a rich blend of ground beef, bacon, mushrooms, green peppers and onions, all seasoned with garlic and oregano. The mixture is layered with macaroni and a simple tomato sauce, then topped with Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs before baking. It's a hearty meal that doubles well for a crowd, offering a taste of classic American home cooking.

1950's Hamburger Goulash

Ingredients

  • 3/4 lb macaroni
  • 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
  • 3 cups water
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda (You could use a pinch of sugar. I find the baking soda "quaint" as it show the age of the recipe!)
  • 1/2 lb bacon, cut in small pieces (I use scissors to cut, You can use "ready cooked bacon" but it's better with a good maple cured baco)
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1/2 lb sliced mushrooms
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper
  • 1/2 cup onion
  • 1 teaspoon salt, to taste
  • 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 garlic clove, chopped fine (if you love garlic, you can use more)
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley or 1/4 cup dried parsley
  • 1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs (preferably homemade- fresh or toasted)
  • 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
  • 1 teaspoon very finely chopped parsley
  • 3/4 cup parmesan cheese

Method

  1. Boil the macaroni in salted water until it is tender.
  2. Drain the cooked macaroni thoroughly.
  3. Mix the tomato paste, water and baking soda together in a bowl and set it aside.
  4. Cook the bacon pieces in a medium frying pan until they are medium done.
  5. Put the mushrooms, green pepper and onions into the pan with the bacon and cook until tender, which should take about 5 minutes.
  6. Add the ground beef to the pan, stirring it constantly until the beef is fully cooked.
  7. Stir in all the seasonings, including the parsley, and half of the tomato paste mixture, then let it simmer for 5 minutes.
  8. Place half of the drained macaroni into a greased 9x13 inch casserole dish.
  9. Sprinkle half of the Parmesan cheese over the macaroni layer.
  10. Spread all of the cooked meat mixture over the cheese and macaroni.
  11. Cover the meat layer with the remaining half of the cooked macaroni.
  12. Sprinkle the rest of the Parmesan cheese over the top.
  13. Pour the remaining tomato paste mixture over the final cheese layer.
  14. If you like, sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the top.
  15. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

Nutrition (per serving)

Sodium1136700 mg

Recipe details

CategoryMeat
AuthorRoxygirl in Colorado