Melanie's Goulash

A very easy and delicious weeknight dinner. Naturally dairy-free.

Serves 4

1 pound lean ground beef

2 cans (15 oz) stewed tomatoes (do not drain)

1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce

3 stalks celery, sliced

1/2 onion, chopped

2 tsp. Paprika

1/2 - 1 tsp. celery salt

fresh cracked pepper

Fresh grated parmesan (optional)

Macaroni noodles or pasta of choice

Let's make goulash:

Brown ground beef with the chopped onions and celery. Drain. Return to the saucepan and add stewed tomatoes (see notes below) and tomato sauce. Add seasonings and salt & pepper to taste Let simmer for 30-40 minutes for flavors to blend. Serve over pasta of your choice. Sprinkle with fresh parmesan (optional).

Do What You Want (DWYW)

Use ground turkey in lieu of ground beef. I prefer to make this as a sauce and serve over pasta. Traditional goulash is made with the pasta cooking in the sauce while it simmers. I feel it makes the sauce too thick. I prefer to serve my goulash as a hearty sauce. You can control how much or how little pasta you consume. Be the judge on the seasoning level. I tend to add more celery salt, sometimes I add garlic powder.

Notes: I pour my stewed tomatoes into a bowl and break up the larger pieces by hand before adding them to the sauce. I don't like having large pieces of tomatoes, and this step helps.