Classic Baked Goulash

A classic goulash baked with mozzarella cheese and bread crumbs to give it a gourmet taste! Easy for a weeknight kid friendly dinner.

You don’t need a lot of ingredients for this recipe and I bet you already have most of them on hand! 

I like to buy the ingredients for this recipe and freeze them, so I can make it whenever and I don’t have to worry about ingredients going bad! The meat, onions, and cheese are what I freeze and the rest is kept in the pantry. 

Most goulash recipes are cooked on the stovetop but this one we are going to bake in the oven a bit to give it that nice crispy top! 

Here are some of my other favorites for dinners!

Cheesy Chicken Quesadillas: Toasty and cheesy flavor packed Chicken Quesadillas. An easy weeknight or lunch meal to satisfy any craving. 

Chicken Prosciutto Pasta: Chicken and prosciutto tossed in a creamy parmesan garlic sauce. A simple and savory weeknight dinner. 

Brisket Grilled Cheese Sandwiches: A savory brisket grilled cheese sandwich smothered in cheddar and Monterey jack cheeses. A quick and easy meal that is an upgrade from a grilled cheese sandwich. 

Stuffed Baked Potatoes:  Baked potatoes stuffed with  creamy chicken, beef, and cheese. Perfect for a weeknight meal, filling side dish, or appetizer!

Southwest Stuffed Peppers: Bell peppers stuffed with southwest flavored shredded chicken, rice, corn, and cheese melted over the top.  An easy, healthy, and filling weeknight meal. 

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff : Easy to prepare, slow cooked and delicious! This Beef Stroganoff is comfort food at its best!

Ingredients for Classic Baked Goulash

•  Ground Beef or Ground Turkey: Either will work in this recipe. If you do use the ground beef, make sure to drain the grease off after cooking it. I usually use the ground turkey to be healthier and it also doesn’t seem to have the grease that the beef has.
• Onion: Brings a nice flavor to the dish, make sure to chop it up on the smaller side and cook it with the meat. Can be left out if making it for kids or someone who does not like onions.
• Garlic Cloves: Cooked in with the meat to give it lots of flavor. Fresh garlic works best but you can use the garlic in a jar or even garlic powder if you don’t have the fresh stuff.
• Elbow Macaroni Noodles: Any kind of pasta will work in this recipe. Macaroni are the traditional ones to use but we have also used the mostaccioli, egg noodles, and even rotini noodles.
• Marinara Sauce: One big 23 ounce jar will be all you need, you can even get the sauce that has extra flavors in to for an extra flavor boost. Try the sauce with Italian herbs and fresh garlic, it is so yummy!
• Mozzarella Cheese: Added on top of the pasta and meat before baking. Get the shredded cheese so it spreads out nice.
• Bread Crumbs: Spread on top of the cheese to give the dish a nice crisp top after baking.
• Oregano: Added for an Italian flavor. The dried herb can be used.
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: Added for a little bit of heat to the dish. You can leave this out if you do not wish to have it spicy.
• Olive Oil: Used to cook the meat in the first steps of the recipe.

How to make classic baked goulash for Kids

Kids love this meal and you can easily remove some ingredients to make it even more kid friendly! You can also sneak in some cooked veggies to give this a healthy boost!

When I make this for my own kids I only use the ground turkey, pasta, marinara sauce, cheese, and bread crumbs in it. But you know your own kid! So leave in whatever they like! I also like to add a little bit of carrots or broccoli chopped up very small into the sauce, to add some hidden veggies to their meal!

Steps to make Classic Baked Goulash

• Add a little olive oil in a pan on the stovetop. Add the onions and garlic and cook until tender.

• Add the ground beef or ground turkey and cook until browned, breaking up in smaller pieces.

• Add the marinara sauce, salt, pepper, oregano, and red pepper flakes and simmer for 10 minutes. 

What kind of pasta to use in classic baked goulash?

I prefer the macaroni elbow pasta noodles, but really any kind of pasta could work with this! I know my kids like the egg noodles, mostaccioli noodles, and also the bow tie or rotini pasta noodles too. Pick your favorite and go with it.

• Cook noodles in a separate pan until al dente. Drain and then add to the pan with the sauce.

• Pour noodles and sauce mixture into a casserole dish.

• Top with mozzarella cheese and bread crumbs.  

• Bake at 350 degrees F. for 20-30 minutes!

Don’t forget about Desserts!

Homemade Whoopie Pies: Classic whoopie pies have a creamy vanilla frosting that is sandwiched between two little chocolate cakes. A quick and easy dessert to make that is super delicious!

Cream Puffs: Light and fluffy homemade cream puffs with a vanilla cream filling. Easy dessert to make that everyone will love. 

No Bake Cheesecake: A light and fluffy cheesecake topped with crushed graham crackers. A no bake dessert that is fast and delicious! 

Scotch A Roos: A Rice Krispie like treat but made with peanut butter and topped with a chocolate butterscotch mix. With only 6 ingredients these are super easy to make!

Marshmallow Pops: Easy kids treat made with marshmallows and melted almond bark. Decorate to match any holiday or party theme!

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies: Soft and chewy oatmeal peanut butter cookies made without flour.  Super quick and easy dessert the whole family will love!

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls: Perfectly soft and chewy homemade cinnamon rolls.  A breakfast treat filled with cinnamon swirl and topped with cream cheese frosting. 

Vanilla Cupcakes: Moist vanilla cupcakes that are topped with a buttercream frosting. These are so easy to make from scratch using simple ingredients. 

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