Bobby Dean’s Ghoulash

I am so far behind on recipes and various things to tell you about, it’s staggering.  Usually I know exactly what I’m going to write about before I even get near the laptop, but tonight … I was torn.  There are just too many possibilities!  But then I spied this picture of a ghoulash recipe I made last week, and thought it would be the perfect thing to kick off this crazybusy holiday week.  Who doesn’t want an easy, peasy, family-approved one pot meal on one of the busiest weeks of the year?

Last week, when I was trying to plan my menu for Christmas Eve dinner, I grabbed Y’all Come Eat, a cookbook from Bobby and Jamie Deen, otherwise known as Paula Deen’s sons.  After just a few minutes of flipping through the pages, I had folded down more than a dozen corners of recipes to try.  This was the first recipe I’ve tried from the cookbook, and I think we’re off to a good start.

Bobby says that his mom’s Ghoulash was one of his favorite foods growing up, and she still makes it for his birthday.  When it’s not his birthday, he whips up his own version, sometimes topping it with sour cream and jalapenos.  I love recipes that lend themselves to personal toppings.  (I topped mine with sour cream and shredded Cheddar)

Whenever I’m trying a new recipe with the kids, I tend to hold my breath.  They are, without a doubt, my toughest audience.  Nick can love something one day, and outeat any adult, and then the next day swear that it’s never passed his lips.  My little fickle foodie.  As for Madeline?  Well, her biggest issue, aside from the fact that she wears most of her meals, is that she doesn’t want to sit still long enough to eat.  The high chair is history, so getting her to sit and eat a meal, unrestrained, is a challenge at best.  For this meal, she ate a few bites at the table, and then took off.  After dinner, as I was cleaning up the kitchen, her and Nick were racing around on an invented obstacle course.  Every time she raced past me, I stuck out the fork and she’d stop for a bite.  A small enough bite so I didn’t have to worry about her choking while running, of course, but a bite just the same.  By the time they were done with their sprints, she had polished off the whole bowl.  She’s an adorable piece of work, that one.

As for the recipe?  Both kids loved it, as did the babysitter, who is picky about ground beef.  I liked that it was a one-pot meal and a crowd pleaser.  It’s totally easy and uses basic ingredients that will satisfy most picky palates.  The ease of cooking the pasta right in the same pot, and the one pot meal aspect makes it a perfect weeknight meal, especially this week when time is short but your to-do list is long.

Good job, Bobby Dean!

Bobby’s Ghoulash
Recipe courtesy of Y’all Come Eat

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 pounds ground beef
2 large onions, finely chopped
1 (29-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni

In a Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Brown the ground beef in the oil about 10 minutes, breaking meat up with a fork as it cooks. Add the onion, cook and stir for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients except the macaroni. Reduce heat, simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Add the elbow macaroni, stir well, return the lid to the pot, and simmer for about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to sit about 20 minutes more before serving.

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