Italian GoulashI've eaten goulash a few times, but each dish was completely unique from the one before it -- there were always a different combination of ingredients. So I always wondered exactly what it was. According to the dictionary, goulash (which originated in Hungary) is any soup or stew with beef and vegetables and anything and everything else.

Today, fog, owner of the Once a Month Cooking Club, and mom of three (ages 7 months, 4 and 6) shares her family's toddler version of Italian Goulash, a recipe her Italian grandmother has handed down for three generations. This dish is basically a cross between macaroni and cheese and spaghetti -- what toddler wouldn't love that?

"My grandmother devised the meal as a way to use up leftover meat sauce," fog says. "So, my mother grew up eating it that way, but used it as a quick-fix dinner when she had her own family. I love it because it is easy to fix, I always have the ingredients on hand, and my kids devour it."

Italian Goulash

Prep time: 5 - 10 mins.

Cook time: 10 - 15 mins.

You'll need:

1 tbs. olive oil

2 cups cooked macaroni

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 lb. Italian sausage ground (optional, will make it spicy)

30 oz. jar spaghetti sauce

8 oz. shredded Mozzarella cheese

Make it:

1. Cook macaroni according to package and drain.

2. Brown meat and sausage over medium heat. Drain off fat.

3. Add meat, sauce, and cheese to macaroni. Stir well. Cook on low for 10 minutes.

Tip: Goulash is a great dish when you're entertaining because you can feed a lot of people without spending a bundle.

Check back next Thursday for another great recipe. Got a favorite toddler friendly meal or snack of your own to share with other idea-strapped mamas? Let me know about it and I may feature it here.


Past Toddler Meals:

Parmesan Risotto

Chicken Sausages

Easy Quesadillas

Barbecue Cups

Healthy Ketchup

Cinnamon Raisin Roll-Ups