Childhood has a way of elevating certain childhood meals to (imaginary) mythical status. Your memory serves to make the ordinary somehow extraordinary in the remembering, and those dinners that just didn’t do it for you seem extra awful with the passage of time. Although my mom was never the best cook in the world (she would be the first to admit it), she always made sure you knew everything she did was done because she loved you.

TODAY’S POST WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON AUGUST 28, 2023

Many years later I still find myself ruminating on what I affectionately refer to as my own miniature version of “Custer’s Last Stand”. In one corner, the nine-year-old version of myself, and the other, my forty-something mother. In the center of the dinner table between us, a pot of steaming hot potato soup. I had no issues with fried potatoes, baked potatoes, hashbrowns, french fries, and potato chips. But put a bowl of milky potato soup in front of me and expect me to actually eat it, and you’ll find the lines have been drawn for a fight for the ages.

“There’s no way I’m going to eat this,” I proclaimed with 100% certainty, sliding my chair back to leave the table.

“Just hold on there a second, little man,” my mom stated unequivocally. “You will sit down, and try the soup before you are excused from the table.”

“There’s no way I’m going to eat this or try it,” I stated again as if she hadn’t heard me the first time.

Suffice it to say, three hours later (shortly after 9 pm), I unceremoniously choked down what had become vichyssoise (cold potato soup), as my mom and I had been on a standoff where she simply made me remain at that damn table until I finished the entire bowl since I refused to even try it initially. Even though I finished the bowl that night, potato soup is something I loathe to this day.

Potato soup aside, there are a number of dishes my mom made that hold a special place in my heart (and my stomach), and I’ve attempted to recreate them without her recipe over the years since she passed away. She made a wickedly good pea & cheese salad and tuna noodle casserole, but my very favorite was her version of goulash. It was meaty, cheesy and wholly satisfying, particularly in the fall and winter.

So I finally tracked down a recipe that with several adjustments on my part, has become my version of my Mom’s classic recipe, and is one of my favorites. I hope you enjoy it too!

Mom’s Cheesy Goulash (Reimagined)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1-1/2 CUPS OF DRY MEDIUM SHELL MACARONI
• 1-1/2 POUNDS OF 85% GROUND CHUCK
• 1 MEDIUM ONION, CHOPPED INTO SMALL PIECES
• 2 MEDIUM GARLIC CLOVES, MINCED
• 1 TEASPOON ITALIAN SEASONING
• 1 TEASPOON SEASONING SALT (LAWRY’S FOR INSTANCE)
• 1/2 TEASPOON FRESHLY CRACKED BLACK PEPPER
• 1 – 8 OZ. CAN OF TOMATO SAUCE
• A PINCH+ OF GRANULATED SUGAR
• 2 – 14 OZ. CANS OF DICED TOMATOES, NOT DRAINED
• 4-6 Kraft Singles cheese slices

DIRECTIONS:

Cook the macaroni according to the package directions for al dente. Drain and set aside.

Using a lidded skillet, sauté the ground chuck uncovered until done. Drain excess fat.

Add onion and garlic and continue sautéing for 5 more minutes or so.

Add the Italian Seasoning, Seasoning Salt, and Pepper. Blend thoroughly.

Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and sugar, scraping up any brown bits in the bottom of the skillet.

Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the cooked, drained macaroni and continue to simmer, reducing the liquid down until not quite dry.

Add the cheese slices to the top of the dish, allowing them to fully melt into the skillet, stirring occasionally.

Serve hot, but it also reheats amazing the next day!

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So, in closing, give the goulash a try and let me know what you think in the comments below. Be sure to share your favorite recipes with our Moteventurous readers too!