Mexican? Goulash?

My "go to" Meal

Everyone has to have a "go to" meal.  It is the meal for which you know you always have the ingredients in the cupboard and can whip up anytime.  My go to meal is Mexican goulash.

Just how it became Mexican goulash is slightly confusing.  It's based on a dish my Nana used to make at every family gathering.  She called it Tamale pie... only as far as I ever remember, it was never a pie... Somewhere along the line, we weren't able to get the same brand of canned tamales that my Nana used, so my mom kind of switched up the recipe and started calling it Mexican goulash.   I'm not even sure what the technical definition of a "goulash" is, and I'm sure my friends in Mexico would deny that it's truly "Mexican".  Alas, this dish by any other name is still tasty :)

Forgot to put the can of tomatoes in the picture!!

Dump the following ingredients into a crockpot or 2qt. casserole dish:

3 cans of beans
             (kidney, pinto, black)
1 can corn
1 can diced tomatoes (chunky salsa also works in a pinch)
1 can small whole olives





Now here's where you make it your own.
I like to add some kind of meat, but I have family members who prefer it vegetarian, so sometimes we leave the meat out.
 I have added:

• canned tamales-cut up
• browned hamburger 
• browned ground chicken 
• browned ground turkey
• canned shredded chicken 
• cooked chicken breasts-cut up 
• leftover taco meat...

I would have to say my favorite is ground turkey.

I make my own taco seasoning.

 Add the seasoning to whatever meat you choose...or if going veggie, add the seasoning directly into the crockpot or dish.


1 pkt taco seasoning 
              I make my own, but I've never written down a recipe. Here are my ingredients:
             (minced onion, chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, and salt)
1 package shredded cheddar cheese

My homemade taco seasoning
in an old parmesan
cheese container.

If you're preparing this in the crockpot, don't add the cheese until ready to serve. Set crockpot to low for all day, or to high for a few hours.

If using the oven and a casserole dish then mix in the cheddar cheese and leave a little to sprinkle on the top. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

Condiments for Mexican Goulash

• sour cream
• hot sauce
• jalapenos

We also like to have some sort of bread with our Mexican Goulash... here are our choices:

• cornbread
• tortillas
• Fritos
• Tortilla chips

Mexican Goulash.
Enjoy.