Ghoulie’s Ghoulish Goulash

Gordon and Julie as Darren and Samantha Stevens in…….

BEWITCHED!

Happy Halloween!

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That is ME to the right, and my Ghoulfriend Joanie Lingerfelt on the left.

4th. Grade Dahlonega, Georgia, 1969.

Apparently I’ve Always Been Something of a Ghoul. 🙂

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Ghoulie’s Goulash

My Spooky Pasta Tree

Arcobaleno and Trecce Dell’Orto Pastas

I got the idea to place some of these lovely autumn colored pastas on my spooky old tree. So, Gordon drilled some holes in some of the pasta pieces and then strung them up with Christmas ornament hooks.

Looks Spooky and very Pretty!

Dinner on the Lanai

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Ghoulies’ Ghoulish Goulash

Recipe Based on my Mother, Mary Keith’s, Recipe

A few months ago I asked my mother for her “Macaroni Goulash” recipe. It is all 3 of my brother’s favorite food that she cooks. I wanted to recreate it, but I knew that I would probably add/delete a few things from it. She told me she would send it to me but yet never got around to it. That is when I discovered her recipe in an old First Christian Church cookbook that I had from so many year’s ago.

Macaroni Goulash

by Mary Keith Haskin Lancaster

As it is written in the Recipes to Remember

From: First Christian Church

Macaroni Goulash

1 1/4 Cup Macaroni

1 medium Onion

1 Green Bell Pepper

1/4 Cup Chopped Celery

1/2 to 3/4 lb. Ground Beef

1/2 Cup Grated Cheese

1 1/2 tsp. Chili Powder

1/2 tsp. Pepper

1 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. Margarine

1 1/2 Cup Tomato Sauce (2 small cans)

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Cook macaroni in boiling water until tender; drain. Meanwhile, melt margarine in skillet and saute onion, green bell pepper, and celery lightly; add hamburger and stir seasonings and pour in tomato sauce. Add drained macaroni and let simmer with grated cheese mixed in and on top, about 15 minutes until cheese is melted. Serves 4 to 6.

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Now for MY Version

MY Ingredients:

2 lb. Ground Turkey

2 1/2 Cups of any Pasta/Macaroni that you like

2 15 oz. Cans of any Tomatoes (Stewed, or otherwise), that you like

1/2 – 3/4 Cup of Chopped Green Bell Pepper

1/2 – 3/4 Cup of Chopped Orange Bell Pepper

1/2 – 3/4 Cup of Yellow Bell pepper

2 Cups Sweet Chopped Onion (Vidalia or Maui, or any that you choose.)

4 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

4 T. Margarine

2 Stalks of Celery Chopped

4 T. Olive Oil

2 t. Ground Chili Pepper

2 t. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

1/2 Cup of Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Freshly Ground Black Pepper to Taste

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I wanted MY version to be very colorful as that is how I see the autumn season.

Yellow, Orange and Green Bell Peppers

Chopping Onion and Doing a Rough Chop

Melting the Butter in the Sauce Pan

Adding the Chopped Onion and the Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Chopping 4 Garlic Cloves

Adding the Garlic to the Onions Sauteing.

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Chopping the Bell Peppers and Celery

Gordon kept telling me to move aside and he will chop everything as he can do it faster. I told him “NO! I want to do it myself. No matter how slow that I am.”

I Have Two Sauce Pans Going Here……

One has the onions and garlic and the other has the bell peppers and celery.

Now for the MEAT!

Ground Turkey in some Olive Oil

When the Peppers and Celery are Done add them to the Onions and Garlic.

The Ground Turkey is Ready.

Peppers and Celery and Onions and Garlic are Ready!

Adding the Chili Powder and Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

Next, I am adding some Stewed Tomatoes.

You can add anything that you like. Maybe some cans of chopped or crushed tomatoes. Whatever you prefer.

I chopped up some of the tomatoes with the wooden spoon.

Next, Combine all the Ingredients.

Stir Together

On the Stove Simmering…..

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Now for the ARCOBALENO and TRECCE DEL’ORTO.

(You can use any pasta that you like. I wanted this pasta because it looked very autumn to me.)

Two Italian Pastas that I will Never be able to Pronounce. 🙂

I boiled them in two different pots because they required two different boiling times.

BEFORE AND AFTER

Aren’t they Beautiful?

When the pasta is ready, drain into a colander and then add to the meat mixture.

Now add some cheese. I used a sharp cheddar, about half a cup and just sprinkled on top of the goulash.

I had turned the oven on to a 350F setting and then placed the goulash in the oven just to melt the cheese and kind of warm it through.

When Done, Serve Hot with Bread

Our Ghoulish Table Setting

I am quite proud of myself…. 🙂

Delicious! Filling! Satisfying!

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Giving the Gift of Goulash

Imagine Receiving this very Hearty and Comforting Edible Gift for Halloween?

A TREAT for adults on this very KID holiday!

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Don’t Forget the Sloppy Ghoul’s

(My take on Sloppy Joe’s)

Another great way to eat the Goulash leftovers.

Nice Bread and Some Yellow Mustard

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Witchy-Poo!

Apparently I am something of a Witch!

Or so I’m told….. 🙂

Happy Halloween,

Ghoulie

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Julie, A.K.A. Ghoulie

There is no one to record my making of the Autumn Macaroni and Cheese, so I thought I would take a selfie.

I had some of the leftover pasta from my Goulash above, so I thought I would make a Macaroni and Cheese with it to take over to my daughter, Veronica’s, house for dinner.

Leftover Autumn Pasta

Way too Beautiful to Ignore

So, I very chaotically set to work on this.

I had an hour and a half before I ran out the door, baking time included. I don’t like to be rushed and I don’t do well under pressure. I’m laid back and I like to allot plenty of time to everything that I do.

The Ingredients:

8-10 ounces of Pasta (That’s about what I had leftover.)

4 T. Flour

3 Cups of Milk (I used Skim)

1 Cup Half and Half

4 T. Butter/Margarine

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Optional: A Sprinkling of Red Peppercorns

Now for the Cheeses:

I can only guess about the cheese as I was just grating away between Gordon calling me from the Commissary about what all he needed to pick up. He must have called me 3 times!! He can be so annoying sometimes. (He won’t ever read this so I’m good.) 🙂

Well, while the butter is melting……

Kinda Pretty, Isn’t it?

Oh yeah, the cheese……

I probably grated about 4 cups combined, of:

Parmesan, Fontina, Gruyere, and Reggiano something or other…

O.K., so when the butter finished melting in the cast iron skillet on a med heat, and more importantly, when I finished taking my selfie, I whisked in the flour, one tablespoon at a time until it was combined. Then I started adding the milk, just a little at a time as I whisked away! Whisked away! I like that! Then I added the Half and Half as I once more, WHISKED AWAY!

O.K., so in a large pot I’m boiling the pasta as per package instructions.

I’m grating cheese like there is no tomorrow.

I’m whisking away the milk, half and half, flour, butter…..

AND, Gordon keeps calling!

Well, I kept adding the cheeses to the saucepan and the cheese sauce thickened up very nicely! I was pleased.

Although there are no photos, I did drain the pasta and placed it into a large mixing bowl. I then added the cheese sauce and mixed thoroughly. Then, I placed everything into a casserole dish that I had sprayed with an olive oil spray.