{"id":13273,"date":"2016-08-13T07:47:49","date_gmt":"2016-08-13T14:47:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dailywaffle.com\/stage1\/?p=13273"},"modified":"2018-07-20T10:34:06","modified_gmt":"2018-07-20T17:34:06","slug":"i-love-the-80s-american-goulash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailywaffle.com\/stage1\/i-love-the-80s-american-goulash\/","title":{"rendered":"I Love the 80s: American Goulash"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s a little surprising that the wave of nostalgia that\u2019s overtaking books and tv and toys\u00a0in the last few\u00a0years hasn\u2019t made it\u2019s way to food. Stranger Things<\/em><\/a> and\u00a0Strawberry Shortcake dolls and totally misguided live action remakes of 80s cartoons like Jem and the Holograms have captured our collective imagination (more or less), but that longing for the good old days hasn’t made it to food. \u00a0Food is actually swinging in a completely opposite direction, either in \u201cThat\u2019s so crazy!!\u201d shock value (I\u2019m looking at you Swedish Fish Oreos) or hipstery \u201cLet\u2019s put everything in a bowl and\u00a0pretend its new and amazing.”<\/p>\n

\"american<\/p>\n

I\u2019m throwing my arms in the air like that section at the baseball game always trying to start the wave, and looking back at the foods of my childhood that aren\u2019t quite in the pantheon of true classics. \u00a0No doubt a few dishes\u00a0will be sniffed at disdainfully by some as regrettable food. Screw it, these are the dishes that for better or worse made us who we are, or at least made me who I am.<\/p>\n

We’ll start with that Midwest favorite, Goulash. It’s so straight forward you really don’t need a Helper<\/em>. \u00a0There’s no dressing it up with oregano or basil, or adding green pepper, as I’ve seen some recipes suggest. \u00a0This isn’t Italian. It’s so old school, we used to add a little bit of sugar to sweeten up those canned tomatoes. It’s not even necessary today.\u00a0Originally this was served with white sandwich bread, buttered so thickly\u00a0that your teeth left bite marks in the butter.<\/p>\n

Goulash\u00a0isn’t about challenging culinary boundaries or proving your prowess in the kitchen. It’s just about getting food on the table that sticks to your bones, that can stretch a pound of ground beef further than it’s intended to go, and that can take you back to a time when Choose Your Own Adventure<\/a> was the biggest decision you’d have to make all week.<\/p>\n\t\r\n\t

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American Goulash<\/h2>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tServes: 4<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t
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The 80s nostalgia is strong with this simple beef and macaroni dish. Some people dress it up with garlic or oregano, but I keep it simple, the way my dad's midwestern family made it. <\/p><\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t

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Ingredients<\/h3>\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t
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  • 1\/2 pound large elbow macaroni<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
  • 1 lb. ground beef<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
  • 1 medium onion, diced<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
  • 1 14.5 oz. can ready cut tomatoes<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
  • 1 8 oz. can tomato sauce<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
  • 1 6 oz. can tomato paste<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
  • salt to taste<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t
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    Instructions<\/h3>\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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    Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni to al dente, according to package directions (typically 5-6 minutes). Drain the noodles and set aside.<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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    Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the ground beef. Add the onion and cook for 5-6 minutes until translucent. Stir in the tomatoes, sauce and paste and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Add the noodles and cook until warmed through, about 2-3 minutes. Season with salt to taste.<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t