Goulash is one of those foods that takes me back to my childhood days and school lunches. In elementary, I remember having the best school lunches; delicious calzones, fluffy rolls and saucy wonderful goulash.

Healthier Italian Goulash | Hungry Healthy Girl

Goulash is great because it feeds an army, the kiddos love it and it’s also really easy to sneak lots of veggies in…… it’s truly the comfort food of all comfort foods. Oh yeah, it’s a pretty great dinner to carb-load before a 22 mile long run, too!

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Healthier Italian Goulash

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 1 hr
Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins
A one skillet recipe, healthier Italian goulash is kid-friendly and packed with veggies.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion finely chopped, about 1 cup
  • 2 carrots, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
  • 2 stalks celery, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
  • 8 ounces mushrooms, finely chopped or ground in a food processor
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 pound lean ground turkey, chicken or beef
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 tablespoon seasoned salt
  • 1.5 tablespoons soy sauce or liquid aminos
  • 28 oz crushed tomatoes , (I recommend Contadina brand with Italian herbs.)
  • 14.5 oz tomato sauce, (I recommend Contadina brand.)
  • 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 cups whole grain elbow macaroni, uncooked
  • salt and pepper to taste, taste first, I didn't need to add any salt or pepper.
  • grated Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley to garnish, optional

Instructions 

  • Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery to heated skillet and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the ground turkey, seasonings and soy sauce (or liquid aminos) and cook until the meat is slightly browned, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks, about 5 minutes.
  • Stir crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and chicken broth into meat mixture and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to simmer, place a lid on the skillet and allow this to cook for 15 minutes.
  • Stir in elbow macaroni, return the lid to the pot, and continue to simmer for about 30 minutes.
  • If desired, garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley. Serve with garlic bread and enjoy!!

Notes

I find that kids don't object to whole grain noodles when they are covered in delicious sauce. If your kiddos won't eat them, feel free to use regular elbow noodles. Just check them more often as they should be done quicker.
Author: Kim
Course: Main
Cuisine: Italian
Serving: 10g, Calories: 366kcal, Carbohydrates: 55g, Protein: 31g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 42mg, Sodium: 1405mg, Potassium: 1196mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 11g, Vitamin A: 4017IU, Vitamin C: 20mg, Calcium: 107mg, Iron: 6mg

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Healthier Italian Goulash | Hungry Healthy Girl

All of the flavors in this one-skillet pasta meal come together so perfectly. I used Contadina Brand crushed tomatoes with Italian Herbs and Contadina Brand tomato sauce; which have a truly authentic taste of Italy.

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Using the mushrooms, either very finely chopped or processed in a food processor is a great trick for making your ground meat go further. And if you’re not much of a mushroom fan, don’t worry….. you won’t even taste them….. I promise. I also snuck in carrots and celery and surprisingly the kiddos didn’t say a word. This meal tastes that good. As you can see below, the kiddos definitely approved!

Healthier Italian Goulash | Hungry Healthy Girl

Something to think about…..

What meals take you back to your childhood?

Have you ever had goulash?

Every mealtime masterpiece starts with Contadina and ends with a clean plate. While many people enjoy posting photos of their food before they eat, we believe that a clean plate afterwards is the true testament to a delicious meal. And that meal is a labor of love, so share your gratitude with a clean plate celebration on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Contadina

“Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Contadina via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Contadina.”