American goulash

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American goulash is a casserole or hot dish that is characteristic of American school hot lunch programs of the 20th century. As a descendant, of sorts, of Hungarian goulash, the only real connection seems to be the name, and the inclusion of beef.

Also known as American schoolash and American Chop Suey, American goulash exists in a number of variant recipes. The essentials are elbow macaroni, ground beef or hamburger, and tomatoes in some form, whether canned whole, as tomato sauce, tomato soup, and/or tomato paste. The closest pre-boxed, commercial version of American Goulash is General Mill's Hamburger Helper.

Other ingredients that might be added by regional tastes include corn, bell peppers, onions, celery, kidney beans, or chile peppers in the southwest U.S..

Writer and filmmaker Stephanie Yuhas published a series of humorous short stories and films in 2007 called American Goulash, a term used describe the medley of culture a person develops as a Transylvanian-American.