Southwest Inspired Goulash

A ~~few months ago~~ (almost a year) my Sister-in-Law Sara had her first baby and when we asked her what she wanted us to give her, she told us freezer meals. At first I was a little more than worried because I wasn’t sure I would be able to pull it off, but with a little bit of help from Mr. SMSL we were able to deliver. We ended up making seven family size meals so that way they had one for a dinner and then they could eat leftovers for lunch the next day. So the first thing we did, was make up a menu.

So as you can see they had several yummy choices and some of the recipes could be used for other meals. So we bought disposable pans, and got to work on the freezer meals!! It only took 3 hours from start to finish if you don’t include Cooling time, but since they went straight to the freezer it wasn’t a big deal for us!

Meatball Subs

Goulash Southwest Inspired

Lemon Chicken, Potatoes and Green Beans

Manicotti and Carrots

Meatloaf and Gravy

Spaghetti Soup

Manicotti and Green Beans (She LOVES Manicotti)

Sweet N Sour Meatballs over Rice

So over the next few weeks, I’m going to give you all of the recipes so you can make your own baby shower gift, or even just cook ahead for your families meals!!

Today’s meal is the Southwest Inspired Goulash. Now, I don’t know about your family, but my family loves a little variety when it comes to the old family favorites. So we got a little creative and whipped up Southwest Inspired Goulash for Sara and her growing family!

This recipe is super easy and almost anyone can cook it in under 30 minutes, especially if you are freezer cooking like we did.

Brown one pound of hamburger with diced onions and peppers. Then add in a cup of chopped fresh mushrooms, let cook down and then mix in a can of red chili’s mixed with cilantro and lime. (Rotel or Red Gold either one will work) While that is cooking boil your pasta in a separate pan on the stove top until al dente then drain and pour them together. Give them a quick toss, spray the pan you will do your baking in and dump it all in. Then use some cheese on top to help it all bind together. We used mozzarella, but you could easily use taco blend to make it even more Southwest like!

Bake for 20 minutes or until heated through. Serve with garlic bread and green beans.