This beef and cheese goulash is comforting and flavorful, just like your mom made it. Everything is cooked in a dutch oven or large pot for a convenient meal that everyone will love. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Cook ground beef in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat for 5 minutes until mostly cooked through. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add garlic and stir every so often, 2 minutes.
Add bay leaves, Italian seasoning, tamari, and 1 tablespoon salt. Stir to distribute. Add water, tomato sauce, and diced tomatoes. Put a lid on the pot and lower the heat to medium. Simmer the sauce for 15 minutes.
Pour 2 cups dry macaroni to the pot, stir, and return the lid and simmer for 20-25 minutes (*use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pot and stir every so often to prevent the noodles from sticking and burning).
Just before serving, remove the bay leaves and stir in the cheddar cheese. Garnish with fresh thyme for a little somethin' somethin'.
Notes
This dutch oven recipe calls for an enamel coated dutch oven but a large heavy pot works equally well. It's a simple, one pot recipe that layers flavors, cooking the macaroni in the same pot. Watch out for sticking - stir every so often to prevent the food from burning on the bottom.Medium heat works well electric burners, but I recommend medium low for gas burners. When it doubt, test the macaroni for doneness.