Comfort Food

One of the blessings of having Joel off on Mondays during the sugar beet processing season is that he's willing to cook dinner. When I came home from work today, the house smelled wonderful! He prepared Paula Deen's goulash. Our family has always loved goulash, but this recipe takes the dish to a new level, and it makes a big pot full. Yay for leftovers!

2 lbs.lean ground beef
1 lb. ground turkey (he omitted)
1 or 2 large yellow onions, chopped
2 15 oz. cans tomato sauce
2 15 oz. cans diced tomatoes
garlic seasoning to taste
2 T. Italian seasoning
3 bay leaves
3 T. soy sauce
1 T. seasoned salt
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups elbow macaroni

In a Dutch oven, saute' the ground beef and turkey over medium high heat. Spoon off any grease. Add onions to the pot and saute' until they are tender, about 5 minutes. Add 3 cups water, along with tomato sauce, tomatoes, garlic, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, soy sauce, and seasonings. Stir well. Place a lid on the pot and allow this to cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Add the elbow macaroni, stir well, return lid to pot and simmer for about 30 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove the bay leaves, and allow the mixture to sit about 30 minutes before serving (if you can wait that long).