Weight Watchers Recipe of the Day: Easy American Hamburger Goulash (aka American Chop Suey)
Today I'm sharing a recipe I've been eating since childhood, my mom's recipe for goulash. Or as they called it in the school cafeteria, American Chop Suey.
My mom learned to make this simple ground beef and macaroni skillet dish by watching her friend's mom make it back in the 1950s in a small town in rural coastal Maine.
I love how so many recipes, including longtime family favorites like this one, can work with the Weight Watchers Program. With just a few little adjustments, this dish easily becomes a Weight Watchers American Chop Suey (Goulash) Recipe!
What is Goulash?
American goulash is completely different from the Hungarian version. It's a quick and easy skillet dish combination of ground beef, onion, tomatoes, bell peppers, tomato soup and elbow macaroni. Think homemade from scratch Hamburger Helper, that was known as American Chop Suey at my local school cafeteria.
Hungarian Goulash, (traditional goulash) by comparison, is a long-simmering stew made with chunks of beef and vegetables seasoned with generous amounts of paprika.
The two dishes couldn't be more different.
Hamburger Goulash (aka American Chop Suey)
How To Make American Goulash?
There are lots of different variations of "hamburger goulash," or "American Chop Suey," out there. It's one of those recipes passed down through the generations. Everyone puts their own spin on it.
Some call for tomato sauce and others for jarred spaghetti sauce or beef broth, but I don't think they taste as good as this old-fashioned, classic American version from my mom that calls for canned tomato soup. But, my tastebuds are biased because it's the one they grew up eating.
Mom's hamburger goulash with elbow macaroni is comfort food at its best - quick, easy, tasty, and satisfying. I made it for my whole family a few nights ago and my guys each ate three servings. I can think of no better compliment for a cook.
It is also just the kind of food we can depend on in these uncertain economic times - hearty meals made from wholesome simple ingredients.
WW Friendly Hamburger Macaroni Goulash
How Many Calories and Weight Watches (WW) Points in this Classic American Goulash Recipe?
According to my calculations, each serving has about 354 calories and:
9 *SmartPoints (Green plan)
9 *SmartPoints (Blue plan)
5 *SmartPoints (Purple plan) (with whole grain macaroni)
9 *PointsPlus (Old plan)
To see your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, Click here!
Weight Watchers Friendly American Goulash Ingredients
- 2 cups (8 ounces) elbow macaroni (gluten free or whole wheat if desired)
- 2 teaspoons olive olive oil
- 1 pound extra-lean ground beef
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 2 cans (10-¾ ounces each) condensed tomato soup
- 2 cans (14 ounces each) diced tomatoes
- Pinch of cinnamon
- Pinch of Sugar
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Hamburger Goulash Recipe Substitutions & Variations
Meat: Though ground beef is traditional, any ground meat— ground turkey, chicken, pork, lamb—may be substituted. It could also be made vegetarian with the addition of meatless veggie crumbles. If you are watching WW Points opt for extra lean ground beef.
Pasta shape: Elbow macaroni noodles are traditional in this easy recipe but any small cut of pasta will work. Gluten-free pasta and whole grain / whole wheat pasta are also good choices.
Bulkier: To add more volume to your goulash for minimal calories, add more vegetables such as mushrooms, corn, zucchini, etc. or drained canned beans.
Thicker: I like to make this old-fashioned Goulash saucy. If you don't, use one can of diced tomatoes instead of two. It also thickens up a lot as it sits to make it ahead of time. Many like it better as leftovers the day after when it has thickened and the flavors have melded.
Spicier: There are lots of way to add extra flavor to suit your tastes. Soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, tomato paste, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, etc.
Southwestern/Chile Mac: For a spicy southwest/chile mac variation, add 1 cup of drained corn and 1-2 tablespoons chili powder when adding the tomatoes. (Check out this Weight Watchers Southwestern Goulash)
Cheesy: Stir in or top with your favorite grated or shredded cheese. (A cup of cheddar cheese or Parmesan cheese would be yummy.)
Italian American Goulash: Substitute marinara sauce or another tomato-based sauce for the tomato soup and Italian sausage for the ground beef.
Vegetarian/Vegan: Substitute your favorite ground plant based crumbles for the ground beef.
What Should Your Serve with Classic American Goulash?
We always enjoyed this easy goulash recipe with a simple green salad alongside. Most any vegetable makes a healthy accompaniment: zucchini, broccoli, green beans, corn, carrots, etc. If you are not concerned about calories and/or carbs, warm crusty French bread or garlic bread would be a great option.
What To Do with Leftover Goulash?
Keep leftover American goulash in a covered airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days for future quick and easy meals. (I know many picky eaters who actually prefer this classic comfort food better the next day.)
You can reheat on the stove top over low to medium heat or in the microwave (affiliate link) before serving. Freeze chilled portions in freezer bags or airtight containers for up to 4 weeks. For best results thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
If you've made this American Beef Goulash, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Easy American Hamburger Goulash
Ingredients
- 2 cups (8 ounces) elbow macaroni (gluten-free if desired) (uncooked)
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 pound extra-lean ground beef
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 2 cans (10-¾ ounces each) tomato soup
- 2 cans (14-ounces each) diced tomatoes
- Pinch of cinnamon
- Pinch of sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain.
- Meanwhile heat oil in a large skillet (affiliate link), or dutch oven, over medium heat. Stir the ground beef, onion, and pepper into the skillet, breaking up the beef into small pieces. Season with salt and pepper.
- Cook, stirring often, until the beef is no longer pink and the onion and pepper are soft (5-8 minutes).
- Stir in the tomatoes, tomato soup, cinnamon, and sugar. Simmer until heated thoroughly.
- Stir in the drained macaroni and combine well. (Alternatively, if your skillet isn't quite big enough, stir everything together in the pasta pan.) Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Recipe Notes
Hamburger Goulash Recipe Substitutions & Variations
Meat: Though ground beef is traditional, any ground meat— ground turkey, chicken, pork, lamb—may be substituted. It could also be made vegetarian with the addition of meatless veggie crumbles. If you are watching WW Points opt for extra lean ground beef. Pasta shape: Elbow macaroni noodles are traditional in this easy recipe but any small cut of pasta will work. Gluten-free pasta and whole grain / whole wheat pasta are also good choices. Bulkier: To add more volume to your goulash for minimal calories, add more vegetables such as mushrooms, corn, zucchini, etc. or drained canned beans. Thicker: I like to make this old-fashioned Goulash saucy. If you don't, use one can of diced tomatoes instead of two. It also thickens up a lot as it sits to make it ahead of time. Many like it better as leftovers the day after when it has thickened and the flavors have melded. Spicier: There are lots of way to add extra flavor to suit your tastes. Soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, tomato paste, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, etc. Southwestern/Chile Mac: For a spicy southwest/chili mac variation, add 1 cup of drained corn and 1-2 tablespoons chili powder when adding the tomatoes. Cheesy: Stir in or top with your favorite grated or shredded cheese. (A cup of cheddar cheese or Parmesan cheese would be yummy.) Italian American Goulash: Substitute marinara sauce or another tomato-based sauce for the tomato soup and Italian sausage for the ground beef. Vegetarian/Vegan: Substitute your favorite ground plant based crumbles for the ground beef. Click here to see your WW Points for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site. 9 *SmartPoints (Green plan) 9 *SmartPoints (Blue plan) 5 *SmartPoints (Purple plan) (with whole grain macaroni) 9 *PointsPlus (Old plan)*Points® calculated by WW. *PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® calculated by Simple Nourished Living; Not endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc. All recipe ingredients except optional items included in determining nutritional estimates. SmartPoints® values calculated WITHOUT each plan's ZeroPoint Foods (Green plan, Blue plan, Purple plan) using the WW Recipe Builder.
More Variations of American Goulash
- Here is a One-Pot Recipe from Spend with Pennies
- Here's an American Goulash / Johnny Marzetti Recipe made in the Instant Pot (affiliate link) Pressure Cooker from The Country Cook
- This is a Healthy Take on Old-Fashioned Goulash from Eating Well
More Great Recipes for Ground Beef for Weight Watchers
- Southwestern Hamburger Goulash - An easy American goulash recipe with flavors of the southwest.
- Easy Taco Soup - Easy and delicious soup with all the flavors of a taco perfect for a weeknight dinner.
- Easy Hamburger Macaroni Soup - A simple warm and satisfying soup that is pure comfort food.
- Easy Healthy Ground Beef Enchilada Skillet - An easy dinner the entire family is sure to love.
Martha is the founder and main content writer for Simple-Nourished-Living.
A longtime lifetime WW at goal, she is committed to balancing her love of food and desire to stay slim while savoring life and helping others do the same.
She is the author of the Smart Start 28-Day Weight Loss Challenge.
A huge fan of the slow cooker and confessed cookbook addict, when she's not experimenting in the kitchen, you're likely to find Martha on her yoga mat.
This post contains affiliate links to products I like. When you buy something through one of my Amazon links or other (affiliate links), I receive a small commission that helps support this site. Thank you for your purchase!
updated with new content and photos 1/2023
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Margaretdwallace
My mom used to make this
Years ago to feed our family of 7. It tastes great and very filling. She always made a big pan of biscuits to go with it. Thanks so much because everyone in my family had forgotten how to make it!
Sheri
Always yummy!
Kim
Quick & easy to make.
Great comfort meal on a rainy day!
Loved it.
Pat Young
Love the recipe but wondering if I use whole grain pasta if that would significantly reduce the points since on my plan whole wheat pasta is 0 points.
Thank you
Pat
Martha McKinnon
Hi Pat, you can click the Personal Points link the recipe which will take you to the WW Recipe Builder. From there you can change the ingredients to your liking. Hope this helps.
Connie
Absolutely delicious and easy. Used 1 can of diced tomatoes which contained onion and green pepper so I didn’t add a full green pepper (although I would have if it was for only me). Left out the sugar and cinnamon also. Thank you.
Cindy
Your goulash recipe brought back childhood memories, l am 84 and my Mom made it for us. I got married and had six children , l made it for my children. I continued making it for my great grand children. I still make it about twice a month. Old recipes and memories are the best to hang on to. Thank you for refreshing an old memory.
Dawn
Lovely comfort food on a chilly rainy day. I will definitely make it again. I’ve seasoned the meat with cumin, garlic,smoked paprika celery seed and celery salt. Added onion, green pepper, celery and some shredded carrots. Then added into the sauce what is called for in the recipe plus an extra soup and grated Parmesan.
Martha McKinnon
Dawn, Your additions sound delicious. Thanks for sharing. ~Martha
Smoke
Great easy to change up and fit everyone’s palate
Kellee
I would like to make this as a meal prep for work lunches, how long can this be refrigerated? Also, I will be using ground turkey instead. Thanks!
Martha McKinnon
Hi Kellee, I believe this should last 5-7 days in the fridge. ~Martha
Mike
I have made this my entire life with a few different ingredients. My father had a restaurant and this was our Wednesday daily special. We would add celery and cream of mushroom soup and cream of celery soup. Makes it creamier and more flavorful. In fact, I'm making it today for an ice fishing trip as our main dish for one night of the trip.
Martha McKinnon
Hi Mike. Thanks for sharing your ideas for creating tasty creamy variations. Enjoy your ice fishing trip. ~Martha
Jan
Hello. Planning to try this. I might add zucchini. I was wondering if I should drain the cooked hamburger....probably a dumb question but I noticed draining wasn't mentioned. Thank you! Jan
Jan
Hello, Me again. I realized there were more comments and I found my answer on the second page. Draining the cooked hamburger is optional. Thank you again and please disregard my earlier question. Jan, 3/23/23/at about 7:36 hrs.
henry john
you don't say if the tomato is straight or add water like the can instructions
Martha McKinnon
It's straight...no water. ~Martha
Melinda
My family absolutely loved this recipe!! I added Italian sausage to it one time of they all loved it as well. Thanks for a great week night meal!!
Martha McKinnon
So happy you and your family liked it!!
Deb Hendrix
Made this last night, hubby and I loved it. Used whole wheat macaroni. Will make this again and again. Tku for sharing...
Peter Goodwin
Why, and don't tell me it's to make money! I know that. Why are there so many ads and detours without consideration of the individual who's just after the recipe that, you'd like to share? Very disconcerting!
Martha McKinnon
Hi Peter, There's a "Jump to Recipe" link at the top of every recipe post. Click it and it will take you to the recipe bypassing all the text and advertising. Hope this helps. ~Martha