You could call Slumgullion the dinner that goes by many names. You might know it as American goulash, or American Chop Suey, or maybe even Johnny Marzetti or Beefaroni. But no matter what you call it, you can know this — it’s comforting, stick-to-your-ribs stuff. An American comfort food institution, you see it a lot in the Midwest and South, and you see it made many different ways. Truly a “whatever you have on hand” dish, you’ll see different vegetables, spices, and cheeses used but you’ll always see three foundational things included — ground beef, macaroni, and tomatoes.

What Ingredients Do You Need for Slumgullion?

It’s the type of dish where you can throw in whatever you might have left in the fridge, but the basics are:

• Ground beef.
• Macaroni.
• Crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce.
• Onion and garlic.
• Bell pepper.
• Beef broth.
• Cheddar cheese.
• Your preferred seasonings. We use Worcestershire, bay leaf, Italian seasoning, and paprika.

How Do You Make Slumgullion?

It is basically like making stew, but much, much faster.

You want a big pot or Dutch oven, and you’ll start by softening the vegetables and browning the ground beef. Once the beef has cooked through, you stir in the tomatoes and your liquid, along with the seasonings (paprika, Italian seasoning, and the like) and bring everything to a boil.

Simmer the beef for twenty minutes or so, which helps to give it a very tender texture. Then, stir in that macaroni, and boil it long enough to make the pasta tender.

Cheese goes in at the very end and just needs to be stirred in until it’s melted. Cheddar always feels classic to me here but there are so many different cheeses that work well. Experiment with whatever you have on hand!

It’s a quick and classic dinner that’s been gracing dinner tables for decades and I doubt that will stop anytime soon!