I wrote about my mother's goulash in yesterday's post, and the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to make some for dinner tonight. Oh my god, I just couldn't wait for dinner and had to eat a big bowl. I was sitting at my kitchen window eating a bowl of cheesy goulash when I noticed how quiet and peaceful the outside world was. It made me think of being a kid and sitting on my grandparents' front porch. Every night, they sat in their rocking chairs and enjoyed the quiet. Papa was a whittler, and he was always doing something with a tree branch. Nanie would just watch as he made whatever he was making that night. When we went to visit in the evening, everyone sat on the front porch with a big glass of sweet tea, and my brother and I went out into the yard with a mason jar to catch lightning bugs. We would rip off the ends of these things, rub them on our shirts, and watch ourselves glow in the dark. I can't believe I ever did that or that I would do it now, but that's what we did as kids. During many of these visits, Mama would wrap up the leftovers from dinner and send them to them. Nanie loved her goulash, and when we brought her some, she would just smile from ear to ear. I've changed hers by adding a couple of spices she never had on hand. She just used salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. I like the changes, and I hope you do as well.
Mamas Goulash
- 1 lb. shredded beef
- 1/2 lb. hot breakfast sausage
- 1 medium chopped onion 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
- 8 oz. tomato sauce
- 14.5 ounces of small chopped tomatoes with their own juice
- 1 teaspoon of Italian spice
- 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp. cumin
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 2 cups of beef broth, 12 cup of water, and 14 cup of uncooked elbow pasta.
- 1 C. chopped cheddar cheese
method
- Brown the ground beef and sausage in a large, deep pan, breaking it up as it cooks.
- Remove the fat and turn the heat down to medium.
- Cook for 5 minutes after adding the onion and garlic.
- Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, chopped tomatoes with juice, tomato sauce, and spices. Add the broth, water, and elbow pasta that has not been cooked.
- Stir everything together, cover, and cook for about 7-8 minutes, or until the noodles are soft.
- Stop cooking, remove the lid, and sprinkle the cheese on top.
- Put the lid back on and let it sit until the cheese has melted.
