What do you call this dish?

United States
December 29, 2007 2:48pm CST
A dish that consists of ground beef, pasta and tomato sauce all mixed together. To me, it is goulash. I have also heard it called American chop suey and a couple of other things. Do you make this? And what do you call it?
6 people like this
12 responses
@Kowgirl (3490)
• United States
29 Dec 07
Yes I do make that and my grandkids love it. I put onions and green pepper in mine and sometimes add corn or green beans so it becomes a meal in a bowl. It sure is good on a cold winter night. We call it goulash,too No matter what name it has it's still a good dish to serve.
2 people like this
• United States
29 Dec 07
I like it with peppers too. Never had it with corn or green beans.
@Kowgirl (3490)
• United States
29 Dec 07
American schoolash and American Chop Suey, American goulash exists in a number of variant recipes. The essentials are elbow macaroni, ground beef or hamburger, and tomatoes in some form, whether canned whole, as tomato sauce, tomato soup, and/or tomato paste. The closest pre-boxed, commercial version of American Goulash is General Mill's Hamburger Helper. Other ingredients that might be added by regional tastes include corn, bell peppers, onions, celery, kidney beans, or chile peppers in the southwest U.S..
2 people like this
@urbandekay (18278)
30 Dec 07
Except in spag bol the pasta (Spaghetti) is cooked separately and the post seemd to imply they were mixed together here for cooking. all the best urban
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
29 Dec 07
I call it macaroni casserole. It is not goulash, because goulash contains sour cream and you cut up the meat. I think goulash is sort of ah Hungarian type of stew and has red paprika. I know that when I used to live in British Columbia, they called the dish you listed as goulash, and it is not American Chop suey. It is straight macaroni casserole and that is what I always called.
• United States
29 Dec 07
I have known it to be called American Chop Suey too. Funny how such a simple meal can be called so many different things.
@Modestah (11179)
• United States
31 Dec 07
I hvae never heard the term american chop suey, though, how funny. yep it is always a goolash to me, also with the peppers, onion and garlic like mentioned in your other post.
• United States
31 Dec 07
Suspenseful, I know that traditional goulash is Hungarian and very different from this dish, but I think as people change dishes slightly and regionally, words take on different meanings for different people. I heard it called American chop suey in a different part of the US than were I live, and I realized that differences exist even in regions of the same country. I also have heard people call it macaroni casserole, but usually when they call it that they add cheese and bake it, which I do occasionally.
• United States
29 Dec 07
I call it goulash. My hubby gets perturbed when I call it this because he says that isn't what true goulash is. Goulash is supposed to be made of meat and no pasta. So, I then call it American goulash.
@urbandekay (18278)
30 Dec 07
More particularly Goulash is strongly flavoured with paprika. all the best urban
• United States
31 Dec 07
That's good- American goulash. That sets it apart from traditional goulash, which is very different. It will help clear up the confusion for some.
@brimia (6581)
• United States
30 Dec 07
It sounds like bolognese or johnny marzetti...that's what they called it at my middle school
@brimia (6581)
• United States
31 Dec 07
that's a good question...I'm not sure :) It's interesting, we often assume everyone uses the same names or descriptions for things. I'd never heard of goulash used for a pasta dish...I thought it was strictly a Hungarian description
• United States
31 Dec 07
I've never heard johnny marzetti before. Is that a local thing for you?
@Modestah (11179)
• United States
31 Dec 07
if the pasta is elbow macaroni, and there is corn in it, and paprika and perhaps some cheese my mother always called it goolash - she usually made it with leftover spaghetti sauce. though I doubt it is much like authentic hungarian goolash
• Canada
2 Jan 08
I posted a recipe for Hungarian Goulash in my answer. You are right this dish may be called Goulash in the US but it is quite different.
• United States
1 Jan 08
Sounds closer to authentic than mine. Paprika seems to be a major ingredient, I don't use it.
@lilybug (21107)
• United States
30 Dec 07
In the house I grew up in it would be called goulash if made with elbow macaroni. I think my mom used to put onion in it too. I also had it at school on the lunch menu several times and the school called it goulash too. I have not made it in forever though. I may just have to make a big pot of goulash some night soon. It is terribly easy to make.
@lilybug (21107)
• United States
31 Dec 07
I like to eat pasta as leftovers. I usually make too much of it on purpose.
• United States
31 Dec 07
I just finished up the last of the pot a made the other night. So good leftover.
@deebomb (15304)
• United States
30 Dec 07
It appears that everone has a different idea of what goulash is. My family has always called maccaroni with hamburger and tomatos and tomato sauce goulash since way back in the 50s. sometimes we would top it with cheese and bake it in the oven. It was sometimes varied with onions and bell peppers. a lot of foods have different names according to the reagion that you are in.
• United States
31 Dec 07
Yes, it seems to be a regional difference. I grew up calling it goulash. It was not until recently that I heard so many other names for it.
@urbandekay (18278)
29 Dec 07
I don't know what this dish is but I do not think it is Goulash, since I do not think Goulash included pasta. all the best urban
@irishidid (8688)
• United States
30 Dec 07
Officially it may not contain pasta, but I grew up calling it that.
1 person likes this
• United States
31 Dec 07
No, it is not traditional goulash, but it has come to be called that by many people.
@Sissygrl (10912)
• Canada
1 Jan 08
I have not made it before, but my mom used to make it often. We called it golash :) we put more then that in it though, like onions, corn, pretty much anything you wanna put in it. Lemmie see if i can find a good recipe for it. --Hungarian Goulash Ingredients: 2 pounds Beef Chuck 1 teaspoon Salt 2 Onions 2 tablespoons Lard Or Shortening 2 tablespoons Sweet Hungarian Paprika, (Imported) 2 Bay Leaves 1 quart Water 4 Potatoes -- Peeled And Diced 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper ***Dumplings*** 1 Egg 6 tablespoons All-Purpose Flour 1/8 teaspoon Salt Directions: Cut beef into 1" squares, add 1/2 tsp salt. Chop onions and brown in shortening, add beef and paprika. Let beef simmer in its own juice along with salt and paprika for 1 hour on low heat. Add water, diced potatoes and remaining salt. Cover and simmer until potatoes are done and meat is tender. Prepare egg dumpling batter: Add flour to unbeaten egg and salt. Mix well. Let stand for 1/2 hour for flour to mellow. Drop by teaspoonful into goulash. Cover and simmer 5 minutes after dumplings rise to surface. Serve hot with dollops of sour cream.
• United States
31 Dec 07
We call it Goulash too. We generaly start with a base of noodles and tomato sauce and add what ever we have. Kind of a clean out the pantry meal. Some times we add corn or beans . Cheese makes it great. I really thought it was just something my mom made up when we were to poor to go shopping.
• United States
1 Jan 08
My husband and I each thought the same thing when we first made it. I guess it's more popular than we thought.
@KissThis (3003)
• United States
30 Dec 07
In my family we make a dish similar to what you describe. We make it with hamburger, onion, can tomatoes, and any shape pasta that you want. Top it with some shredded cheddar cheese. We also call this Goulash. We also make a dish called Tuna Goulash as well. Simple really. Tuna, can tomatoes, and again any shape pasta.
• United States
31 Dec 07
I don't know about tuna- I'm not a fan. I sometimes top the goulash with mozzarella cheese and bake it. That is very good.
@vera5d (4005)
• United States
30 Dec 07
i would consider it spaghetti...no matter what the type of pasta...this could be just me though, but that's how i make spaghetti sometimes :)