Pressure Cooker Goulash

Food is a powerful thing. It is amazing how a smell or taste can bring back a flood of memories. Good and bad memories depending on the experience with the food. I grew up in an age where most of the food was prepared from scratch. We didn’t have all the processed foods that are now available.

TV dinners were a pretty new thing and once in a great while we had them. Not the type you put in the microwave, but the once that were in tin pans and we had to bake them. It was a rare treat to be able to have a TV dinner. Not that they were that good, it was just a nice change. Microwaves were not a thing yet, so most foods were cooked on the stove top or in the oven.

We did however have a pressure cooker, but we all feared for our lives when mom used it.  That hissing sound still sends chills down my spine to this day. We hated the thing and truth be know my mom hated it worse then we did. It actually blew up once and beans were all over the entire kitchen. It scarred me emotionally for many years.  

One of my favorite meals growing up was goulash. My grandmother made it for my mom, and my mom made it for us. We loved it.  We didn’t have it often, but when we did we were happy. Black olives and cheese were the two reasons I loved it. It was a simple dish and we alway had bread and butter with it.  The sauce was perfect mopped up by a piece of mom’s “good ole white bread” loaded with margarine.  Yes we ate margarine.

It was years since I had made goulash. Life moves on. I called my “Aunt Mom” the other day and asked for the recipe. I was looking for new things to do in my pressure cooker.  She gave me the recipe and I proceeded to make moms goulash in my electric pressure cooker. It was amazing and in only 3 minutes cooking time. So I called my “Aunt Mom”  up and asked her if she had a pressure cooker.  She said no, so I told her to gather the ingredients up and I was coming over. We had a great time cooking and she loved the easy way to cook a long time family favorite.  She was amazed that it could be done so quickly and taste so good.  

It was actually better than I remember it being. Of course it would be. The pressure cooker always makes things taste better.  

Enjoy!

Chef Brad

Mom’s Pressure Cooker Goulash 

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 1 large onion, chopped 
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped 
• 1- 44 oz  can crushed tomatoes 
• 1- 44 oz can  water 
• 1 cup black olives, sliced in half 
• 1 lb. flat egg noodles 
• 1 teaspoon each Salt and pepper 
• 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning 
• 2 cups grated cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. In your pressure cooker, sauté onion, garlic, and bell pepper.  
2. Add meat and brown lightly with sautéed onions, garlic, and bell peppers.  
3. Add olives, tomatoes, cheese, pasta, and salt and pepper and seasonings.  
4. Add enough water to almost cover the top of the ingredients. 
5. Place lid on pressure cooker and cook on high for three minutes.  
6. Let natural release pressure. 
7. Open and enjoy!