Ground Beef Elbow Macaroni Instant Pot

Instant Pot Recipe for American Goulash, also called pasta and beef. This easy recipe uses one pound of ground beef, one pound of pasta, and one jar of pasta sauce. (Along with onion, garlic, and water.) So tasty and so easy!

Question! What do you call macaroni with ground beef and tomato sauce? (Besides delicious, of course.) Some folks call it goulash. Other people know it as Johnny Marzetti and other folks call it American Chop Suey.

Whatever you call it, this dish is perfect for a busy weeknight. For years, I made my pasta and beef recipe (another one of its names) on the stovetop. While that's an easy recipe, making it in the Instant Pot proves even easier.

Instant Pot Goulash: Key Ingredients

Ground Beef: I like to use lean (90%) ground beef. It's got a nice flavor without having too much fat. If you prefer, you can substitute ground beef with ground turkey.

Pasta: Around here, goulash always seems to be made with elbow macaroni. You can use whatever type of pasta you enjoy but be aware that it might affect the cooking time and/or how much liquid the pasta absorbs.

Sauce: To make this a really quick meal, I use a jar of pasta sauce. There are so many on the market, use what you love. (I'll be honest, when I buy pasta sauce, I use Classico. It's not fancy and it tastes good for jarred sauce.) If you don't want to use jarred sauce, make a quick batch of homemade pasta sauce.

Instant Pot Goulash: Steps for Success

Cook the ground beef. For the best flavor and texture, cook the ground beef before adding the pasta . I've seen some recipes and advice in Facebook groups that claim you don't have to cook the ground beef when making pasta and beef. That's…not true. At least it's not true for this recipe. We want the flavor that sauteing beef gives a dish. Skipping this step would give you a less flavorful dish. Plus the texture wouldn't be the same because you wouldn't have the chance to crumble the ground beef as it cooks.

Deglaze the pot. After sauteing the ground beef, onions, and garlic pour a little water into the pot. As it bubbles, scrape the bottom of the pot to remove any stuck-on bits of food. This (hopefully) prevents you from getting the dreaded burn notice.

Stir before serving. When you open the Instant Pot, you might be surprised by what you see. It often looks like the pasta absorbed all of the sauce. Give the pasta a few stirs and all will be well. If you prefer your pasta on the sauce-y side, now is a good time to sir in extra. I keep small cans of Hunt's tomato sauce on hand for this exact reason. This way, I don't have to open a full jar just for a little extra sauce.

Add cheese (or not). Some folks can't imagine eating goulash without a little (or a lot) of grated Cheddar cheese. If that's you, we've got some options. Either stir the grated cheese right into the hot pasta or transfer the pasta to a heat-proof serving bowl, top with grated Cheddar and broil until melted. Or…if you live in a household where some people like cheese and some don't, put out a bowl on the table and let folks add it to their dish, or not.

Instant Pot Goulash

Instant Pot Recipe for American Goulash, also called pasta and beef. This easy recipe uses one pound of ground beef, one pound of pasta, and one jar of pasta sauce. (Along with onion, garlic, and water.) So tasty and so easy!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (25-ounce) jar pasta sauce
• 3 cups water
• 16 ounces elbow macaroni

For Serving

• grated Cheddar cheese
• extra sauce, see note

1. Cook the ground beef. Place the cooking insert (pot) into an electric pressure cooker. Select the saute setting and turn to high. Heat olive oil until it shimmers. Add ground beef and cook until brown, crumbling and stirring as it cooks, about 3-5 minutes. If needed, drain excess fat.

2. Saute the onion and garlic. Add onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 2-3 minutes. Add garlic. Stir and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

3. Deglaze the pot. Turn off the saute setting. Stir in 1/4 cup water. Using a wooden spoon, scrape any stuck-on bits of food from the bottom of the pot.

4. Add the pasta. Stir in pasta sauce, remaining water, and pasta. Select the manual setting and adjust pressure setting to high. Set a 5 minute cook time.

5. Release the pressure. When the cooking cycle completes, quick-release the pressure according to the manufacturer's directions. Remove the lid and stir the pasta to combine.

6. Serve. If desired, stir in grated cheese and additional sauce. Serve immediately.

Ground Beef: If desired, replace the ground beef with ground turkey. Or use half ground beef and half ground turkey.

Sauce for serving: If you enjoy additional sauce on your pasta, use a can of tomato sauce. I like the flavor of Hunt's tomato sauce. I heat up a small can, so I don't have any leftovers.

Topping with Cheese:If you want your goulash with a cheesy top, transfer the cooked goulash to an over-proof container (9x13-inch pan or large casserole dish). Top with grated Cheddar and broil until cheese is melted and brown, about three minutes.

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Source: https://cookfasteatwell.com/instant-pot-goulash-pasta-with-beef/

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