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Slumgullion, also known as American Goulash, is a deliciously easy dinner of ground beef simmered in a tomato sauce all day, then elbow macaroni added in at the end. The macaroni is cooked IN the sauce at the end, making this a one-pot dish the whole family will love!
If you are looking for another family-friendly ground beef recipe, try this Homemade Hamburger Helper!
Easy Slumgullion Recipe
Slumgullion is more commonly known as American goulash or chop suey, (not to be mistaken for a Hungarian Goulash which is completely different!) While you can make this on the stovetop, this is the type of recipe that is best cooked low and slow all day in your slow cooker. The ground beef becomes a soft, velvety texture after cooing all day and adding in the pasta thickens the entire dish thanks to the starch in it. It also saves you time and dishes when you cook the pasta in the ground beef mixture at the end.
Using Cooked Pasta
If you don’t like the starchy texture that you get when you cook the pasta IN the dish, simply add only 1/2 cup beef broth to the mixture instead of the two full cups. You won’t need any extra liquid if you aren’t cooking the pasta in the slow cooker at the end.
Adding in uncooked pasta does thicken up the mixture and add a starchy texture, which we love, but may not be for everyone.
Types of Pasta to Use
While elbow macaroni is the traditional choice here, you can use whatever pasta you want, including g broken-up spaghetti or fettuccine noodles. Rotini would also work! No matter which one, make sure to cook it fully at the end in the beef mixture, or beforehand and add it in. Some pasta will take longer to cook than others, so adjust your timing for that.
Enjoy!
The Fast and Slow Team
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Slumgullion
- Prep Time
- 30 minutes
- Cook Time
- 5 hours
- Course
- Main Course
- Cuisine
- American
- Servings
- 6
- Calories
- 375
- Equipment
- Slow Cooker
- Author
- Fast & Slow Cooking
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 medium white onion minced minced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- one 28 ounces can diced tomatoes
- 1 can condensed tomato soup
- 1/2 cup ketchup more to taste as wanted!
- 1 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 cups dry macaroni
Instructions
- Fry the ground beef and onion in a large skillet until cooked completely. Drain any excess fat then add in the garlic, saute until fragrant.
- Place the ground beef mixture into the bottom of a slow cooker.
- Add in all of the remaining ingredients, except the macaroni. Stir.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours or on LOW for 7-8 hours.
- Half an hour before you are ready to eat, add in the macaroni noodles and stir until mixed through.
- Cover and cook until the macaroni is soft, stirring once in a while to ensure that the macaroni doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. If needed, add more beef broth to thin out the sauce at the end.
- Remove from heat and serve with cheese sprinkled on top.
Recipe Notes
- You can add in a sprinkle of sugar to cut the acidity of the tomatoes, but the ketchup should add enough sweetness!
Nutrition Information
All calories and info are based on a third party calculator and are only an estimate. Actual nutritional info will vary with brands used, your measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
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Please rate this recipe in the comments below to help out your fellow cooks!
Ken says
Amazing throw back dish to meals my grandmother and mother would make! I threw in the full 16 oz box of elbows and probably had an additional 1/4 pound of hamburger but no issues! I love the sweetness the cup of ketchup brought. Added a pinch of salt and pepper to the meat, onions, and garlic – but that was it. So awesome. Mix in some grated cheese before you serve!
Damon says
This dish was too sweet, way too much ketchup. Next time I’d quarter the ketchup and maybe add a bay leave. Other ingredients worked well.