I grew up with a single parent. My mom and dad didnt meet and get married until I was in middle school. I guess that makes him my “step dad” but honestly, he’s daddy – that’s all that matters.
Being a single parent in Northern Minnesota in the 80’s was NOT a simple task. Every single job was a minimum wage nightmare at a few dollars an hour. I can remember mom working 3 jobs just to make bills – was it tough? Yes. Do I still value every second of it? Absolutely. I learned how to manage a food budget and make a dinner at a very early age. Mom didnt hide the fact that we were poor, but she didn’t use it as an excuse either. We ate well, I never went hungry, and I always had clean and well mended clothes.
While I don’t need to cut corners, I still do. Sometimes, I still go back to some of the old standards because I remember the taste and it’s like a hug from my mom. This is one of those recipes. Burger, tomato, pasta – done.
This Goulash recipe is one every Grammy had in her repertoire and honestly – every single one is different. This is my mom’s recipe. It’s way better with home-canned tomatoes, but store bought work also. Give this one a try when you’re short on funds, short on time, or maybe both.
Goulash – A Childhood Friend
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/2 medium onion diced fine
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 lb elbow macaroni
- 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
Instructions
-
Preheat Oven to 375 Degrees
-
In a large pot, bring 5-6 cups of water to a boil and salt well, pour in pasta and stir - cover
-
In a skillet over medium heat,crumble and brown ground beef, onion and garlic.
-
When the hamburger is browned, drain well and add back to the skillet
-
Pour in tomato and heat gently until pasta is done
-
Drain pasta pour back into the large pot
-
Add tomato sauce mixture into pasta and mix well, season with salt and pepper
-
Put into the oven for 20 minutes until heated through.
-
Enjoy!
