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Weeknight American Goulash

Weeknight American Goulash is a hearty pot of tender elbow macaroni nestled in a rich, tomato-forward sauce with savory ground beef, onions, and garlic. Worcestershire, Italian seasoning, and bay leaves give it depth, while sofrito adds a gentle, aromatic warmth. Serve it for cozy family dinners or casual gatherings when you want comfort in a single bowl.

  • Prep20 mins
  • Cook1 hr 5 mins
  • Serves8
  • DifficultyEasy
Weeknight American Goulash

easyChef Pro health score

Calculated from USDA-referenced nutrient data for the ingredients in Weeknight American Goulash, not estimated by an AI model. The same recipe returns the same score every time.

53 Health Score
Glycemic ImpactFair
49 / 100
Carb quality, not quantity. Higher is better.
Nutritional DensityPoor
30 / 100
Nutrients per calorie. Higher is better.
Energy DensityGood
92 / 100
Calories by weight. Higher means more food for fewer calories.
NOVA Processed Culinary Ingredients
2 / 4
Processing level, 1 (whole) to 4 (ultra-processed). Lower is better.

How it scores for each health goal

The same recipe scores differently against different goals, because the goal changes the calculation rather than filtering a list. Set your goal in easyChef Pro and every recipe is scored against it.

43
Heart Health
50
Metabolic
56
Digestive
46
Inflammatory
62
Performance
55
General Wellness
  1. 1

    Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the beef; cook and stir until browned and crumbly, about 10 minutes. Drain and discard the grease. Stir in the onions and the garlic; cook and stir until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes.

  2. 2

    Stir in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, water, sofrito sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, seasoned salt, and bay leaves.

  3. 3

    Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover the pot; simmer, stirring occasionally, until the flavors blend, about 20 minutes.

  4. 4

    Add the macaroni to the pot, cover, and continue simmering until the macaroni is tender and the flavors are completely blended, about 25 minutes.

  5. 5

    Discard the bay leaves.

About This Recipe

Weeknight American Goulash is made with 12 ingredients and serves 8. It takes about 1 hr 25 mins and is rated easy. Key ingredients include Diced Tomatoes, Dried Bay Leaves, Garlic, and Italian Seasoning. Each serving provides about 534.04 kcal, and is a good source of protein.

Recipe Questions

What is Weeknight American Goulash made of?
The main ingredients are Diced Tomatoes, Dried Bay Leaves, Garlic, Italian Seasoning, Lean Ground Beef. The full list of 12 is above.
How long does it take to make Weeknight American Goulash?
About 1 hr 25 mins in total: 20 mins to prepare and 1 hr 5 mins to cook.
How many calories are in one serving?
One serving provides about 534.04 kcal. The full nutrition breakdown is above.
Is Weeknight American Goulash easy to make?
This recipe is rated easy, with 12 ingredients and 5 steps.
Is Weeknight American Goulash healthy?
Weeknight American Goulash has an easyChef Pro health score of 53/100. Per serving, it provides 534.04 calories and 34.27 g of protein, or 69% of the Daily Value. It is a good source of dietary fiber and iron. Worth noting per serving: sodium at 771.88 mg (34% of the Daily Value), saturated fat at 3.27 g (16% of the Daily Value) and added sugars at 3.75 g (8% of the Daily Value). It contains Wheat, Gluten, Tomatoes, Garlic and Onions, so it may not be suitable for people with those allergies or dietary restrictions. Whether it fits your goals depends on your complete meal plan and nutritional needs. Remix it in easyChef Pro to adjust the ingredients and generate fresh nutrition and scores.

How easyChef Pro scores recipes and products

easyChef Pro analyzes up to 41 nutrients using data sourced from USDA and other verified food databases. Its scoring method uses the nutrients relevant to nutrition quality, calorie density, processing level, and your selected health goal. Recipes and food products get a health score from 0 to 100, calculated using consistent rules instead of being estimated by AI. The same nutrition data, serving size and health goal will produce the same result.

The calculation evaluates nutrients, calorie density, processing level, and how well the food supports your selected health goal. Protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients can strengthen the score. High amounts of sodium, saturated fat, added sugar and other nutrients may lower it.

Your health goal also matters. easyChef Pro evaluates recipes and products across six health areas and adjusts their importance for your selected goal. This means the same food may be a better fit for one health goal than another.

For recipes, changing an ingredient, quantity or serving size changes the nutrition and may change the score. Remix the recipe in easyChef Pro to calculate fresh nutrition and scores for the version you actually make. Product scores are based on the nutrition and serving information associated with that specific product.

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