Denise's Goulash

Canning season has just wrapped up for yours truly! Nothing makes a person prouder than to have only one jar not seal properly the whole summer. One pesky pint of tomatoes held out pinging for me so I knew I had to get it refrigerated and used. Lasagna (I've been craving), stuffed shells or spaghetti? Which would it be? Lo and behold, the next day it seemed like every single social media outlet had posts about American Goulash. I haven't fixed that in ten forevers, so I thought I'd add my version out there while making use of the tomatoes.

For years, we cooked for everyone at Andy's on Sunday afternoons. This is way before he and I ever tied the knot. It was a joint effort between the two of us and nobody ever left hungry. One Sunday he decided to fix goulash. I'm thinking macaroni, tomatoes, etc. like I grew up eating and later fixing for my kids. No. Andy's Goulash was white, had egg noodles and corn. It's good but definitely different.

One thing I have always done differently than what I ate when I was growing up was to melt sliced cheese on the top. I started doing that over thirty years ago. Skip the oven and shredded cheese. It's just not the same. Just lay how ever many slices you want to use on top, cover it and let it melt. Once you transfer it to your plate, carefully blend it in with the pasta and meat. The only seasonings I use are salt and pepper. This isn't a dish with an Italian flair. Yum! This is so simple but tasty. Did I mention quick? Add a few slices of garlic bread and a salad on the side and you have a super fast meal.

INGREDIENTS
1 lb. hamburger
1 onion chopped
1 jar (or can) diced tomatoes
1 15 oz. can of tomato sauce
1-1/2 cups of macaroni, cooked, drained and set to side
5 or more slices of cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

 In an extra large skillet, brown the hamburger meat and onions. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Drain grease. Add the tomatoes and sauce and stir until blended well. Stir in the macaroni and evenly distribute through the meat and sauce mixture.

 Top with a minimum of five slices of cheese.

Lower the temperature to medium. Cover and let cook until the cheese starts to bubble. Notice the sauce thickens up and some is absorbed by the pasta.