Growing up, my Mother always made birthdays special. The birthday child got to pick his or her favorite dish to be served, and the rules were that no one could complain about the menu, and everyone had to eat at least one serving. Birthday dinners were always served on fine china, and generally family birthday meals were very enjoyable. The exception for me was when it was my sister, Lisa’s, birthday. She always chose Hamburger, Noodles & Tomato Sauce, which, to put it mildly, I really hated. I always got back at her for making me eat this dish by choosing liver and onions with split pea soup on my birthday.

I have made this dish several times over the years for my family on nights when I was not going to be home for dinner; my children and husband think it’s really good, and my grandson, Jake, will eat 3 or 4 servings, since it is one of his favorite casseroles. If there are packages of seasoned browned ground beef from the Basic Ground Beef Module in your freezer, you can make this dish in about 20 minutes. If there’s time, pair it with crusty bread from the bakery and a pre-packaged salad or a green vegetable that has been cooked in the microwave. Many who ate this dish during the 60’s and 70’s often called it “goulash,” but my mother refused to refer it as goulash, since goulash is a delicious Hungarian dish that does not resemble this casserole at all and she thought the name when used for this casserole was disrespectful to the Hungarians. Whatever you call it, it’s a true baby-boomer-blast-from-the-past stovetop casserole that most family members will probably love, especially since it’s so quick and easy.

6 Servings


8 ounces wide egg noodles

2 cups ground beef mixture from the Ground Beef Module
2 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1. Cook the noodles in boiling salted water until just tender; drain well and return them to the pan.


2. Stir in the ground beef mixture, tomato sauce, and salt and pepper to taste.


3. Cook over medium heat until hot.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 337 Calories from Fat 115
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 34% Protein 25% Carb. 41%

Nutrient Amount per Serving
Total Fat 13 g
Saturated Fat 4 g
Cholesterol 89 mg
Sodium 707 mg
Total Carbohydrate 34 g
Dietary Fiber 1 g
Sugars 0 g
Protein 21 g

Vitamin A 15% Vitamin C 17% Calcium 0% Iron 13%