On Jan 12, 6:20*am, A Moose in Love >
wrote:
> Recently, there was a bit of an argument over whether a certain dish
> was in reality a Goulash.
> Goulash is a Hungarian dish. *There is a dish which is very different,
> which is referred to as American Goulash. *These recipes are similar
> to the recipe that JH put up yesterday.http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-...oulash,FF.html
> example:
> {
> AMERICAN GOULASH
> 2 lbs lean ground beef
> 1 medium onion
> 1 medium green pepper
> 1 32 oz can tomato juice
> 2 cups elbow macaroni
> 1 16 oz can diced tomatoes
> 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
>
> Brown ground beef until done. Meanwhile, dice onion and green pepper.
> Add onions, green pepper, tomatoes, tomato juice, and macaroni. Salt
> and pepper to taste.
>
> Cook on medium low heat for 45 minutes. Serve with a sprinkling of
> Parmesan cheese.
>

No such recipe appears in my James Beard American Cookery, nor in my
old Better Homes and Gardens cookbook, nor in our 50s vintage Mirro-
Matic cookbook (which does feature a recipe for American Chop Suey)
nor in the Joy of Cooking. All the recipes for goulash therein feature
chunks of beef (sometimes veal or pork) and onions, although the
pressure cooker recipe contemplates stopping the cooking partway
through to put a rack full of vegetables on top. So where did this
notion of "American goulash" come from?

Alone among my vintage cookbooks, along with a recipe for Hungarian
goulash, my original Betty Crocker contains a recipe for "savory
noodle goulash" featuring hamburger meat and noodles, with cheese on
top. The submitter is quoted as saying it allows her to put dinner on
the table within 30 minutes. So that could be the origin: something
you whip together from ingredients you have on hand, to feed the
hungry masses in a hurry.