Easy Baked Goulash

Yield: Serves 4 | Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 50 minutes

This dish is one of my favorites. Not because it is super simple, but because a little while back I competed on a television show called Cutthroat Kitchen. This show, on the Food Network, is a wacky one. There are obstacles and time restraints, themes and sabotages, and you still need to cook delicious food. I was challenged to make traditional Hungarian goulash, and this recipe is quite close to the one that I made on TV, a dish that led me to a final round, which I ended up winning! It’s a one-pot wonder that has enough Hungarian paprika to pack a punch and plenty of mushrooms and crazy corkscrew noodles.

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons olive oil

8 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced

1 onion, diced

6 garlic cloves, minced

2 pounds lean ground beef

1 (28-ounce) jar marinara sauce

8 ounces elbow macaroni or cavatappi

½ cup water

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly coat a 9 × 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

2. In a large skillet, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sauté the mushrooms, onion, and garlic over medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook, stirring to break up the meat, until no longer pink. Add the marinara, pasta, water, paprika, salt, and pepper.

3. Pour into the baking dish.

4. Bake for 45 minutes. Serve.