Inside: This cheesy beef goulash is a meal that everyone in the family will enjoy, and as a bonus, it makes for some really fantastic leftovers. People often wonder: Can you freeze goulash, and the answer is yes! We’ll talk about how I freeze and reheat goulash in this post.
An easy baked goulash recipe like this is perfect for those days and nights where you need an easy dinner that will stretch, and offer leftovers.
This dinner is perfect for a family, or to cut in half if you need smaller portion sizes.
I am a weather meal planner, and what I mean by this is that I look at the weather forecast before coming up with a plan for the meals for the upcoming week.
It’s hard for me to eat soup on days that are 75 degrees and sunny. But, this easy cheesy goulash, it’s a good ground beef dinner whether it’s hot or cold outside!
Easy Baked Goulash
As a busy parent I appreciate meals that can be frozen and reheated if we have leftovers of it that aren’t going to get eaten in time on the first round.
This goulash is perfect, so if you’re wondering “can I freeze goulash?” the short and best answer is yes!
Another thing that people have asked about my goulash recipes is “how long is goulash good for in the fridge?” According to the State Food Safety division, a meal like this with cooked meat is good to stay in the fridge for 3-4 days, and then frozen for 2 to 6 months.
I freeze goulash by laying it in a Ziploc freezer bag, laid flat in the freezer. It’s easy as pie – then, when I’m ready to eat it, I’ll thaw it on a plate overnight and then reheat in a saucepan or in the microwave, stirring until it’s hot enough to eat.
This is perfect if you need smaller serving sizes, or need quick dinners for even the busiest nights!
With the super short list of ingredients, goulash really simple and easy, too!
Enjoy!
Easy Baked Goulash
Ingredients
- 2 lb ground beef
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup beef broth
- 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
- 2 (15 oz.) cans tomato sauce
- 1 T Italian seasoning
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 T Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 cup colby jack cheese
Instructions
- Brown ground beef, drain
- Add onions and garlic to ground beef
- Add water, beef broth, bay leaves, worcestershire sauce, seasonings and tomato sauce to ground beef mixture
- Stir mixture and simmer, covered for 20-25 minutes
- Add elbow macaroni, stir well
- Simmer 4-5 minutes, until pasta is al dente
- Move mixture to a greased 9x13 dish
- Sprinkle cheese over entire dish, cover with foil
- Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes
- Remove foil and broil for 4-5 minutes until golden brown