Mom's Goulash in the Microwave

There were no microwaves when my mom made this, so she did it on the stove top. She never gave us the recipe and I have discovered it through trial and error. You never forget the taste! I started with a recipe in a microwave cookbook and have adjusted the ingredients over time. If anyone is home when you are cooking, you will have company in the kitchen! Serve with Caesar salad, oven-baked garlic butter French bread and red wine. Microwave temperatures vary, so keep checking to see if these power levels work for you.

• Preparation Time: 10 mins
• Cooking Time: 25 mins
• Total Time: 35 mins
• Calories: 327 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup sliced celery
• ¼ teaspoon caraway seed
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1 (8 ounce) package uncooked elbow macaroni
• 1 (10 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni, and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain.

Step 2

Meanwhile, crumble the ground beef into a 2 quart or larger casserole dish. Add the onion, celery and garlic. Cook in the microwave on High for 5 to 6 minutes, or until beef is no longer pink. Stir once during cooking. Drain off the grease.

Step 3

Stir the tomatoes, tomato sauce and sugar into the beef, and season with paprika, oregano, caraway seed, cayenne pepper and salt. Cover, and cook in the microwave on power level 8 for about 14 minutes, or until celery is tender and the flavors have blended.

Step 4

Remove from the microwave, and mix in the cooked macaroni. Cook for 2 to 3 more minutes, until heated through. Serve.