As I was looking for something new to do with ground meat and wanting to finish off a couple of half-empty boxes of elbow macaroni, I came across recipes for American Goulash—a dish I’d never heard of before, but quickly realized I’d eaten as a child in the form of Hamburger Helper. My version uses ground turkey and whole grain pasta and—though our version of goulash is nothing like the Hungarian dish that inspired it—I go heavy on the paprika anyway in a nod to this dish’s ancestral roots.

INGREDIENTS
1 small (4-ounce) yellow onion, chopped
1/2 ounce (about 5 cloves) fresh garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound 99% lean ground turkey
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper
1/2 tablespoon paprika
1 cup unsalted chicken stock
1 cup (8 ounces) canned no salt added tomato sauce
½ pound (8 ounces) tomatoes, diced—about 2 medium
1 cup (8 ounces) whole grain elbow macaroni pasta noodles
4 ounces cheddar cheese
¼ ounce fresh parsley, rinsed well

TOOLS
Large (12-inch) skillet
Measuring cups and spoons
Kitchen scale, optional
Cooking spoon
Cutting board
grater
Chef’s knife

METHOD
1. Combine onion and garlic with oil in skillet over medium heat. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender—about 4 minutes.
2. Crumble ground meat into skillet, season with salt, pepper, and paprika, then cook—stirring occasionally—until meat is no longer pink—about 8 minutes.
3. Add stock, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and pasta. Stir well.
4. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until pasta is tender—about 18 minutes. Meanwhile, grate cheese and chop parsley.
5. Sprinkle on grated cheese, mix well, then garnish with chopped parsley.

READY IN
30 minutes

YIELD
4 – 6 servings