This old-fashioned Slumgullion recipe combines ground beef, pasta and a rich tomato sauce in the slow cooker for an easy, budget-friendly dinner the whole family will love.
Amazing Slumgullion
Slumgullion may have an funny name, but it’s a beloved American comfort food with roots dating back to the 1800s. The name was originally used by miners and cowboys to describe a hearty meal made from whatever ingredients were on hand. Over the years, the recipe evolved into the beef, tomato, and pasta casserole-style dish that many families still enjoy today. It reminds me of what my mom used to call goulash. This easy crockpot recipe can be customized to your liking. The recipe below is a good base to start from. Stir in vegetables like bell peppers, mushrooms, zucchini or carrots to add extra nutrition and flavor. If you love cheese, top each serving with shredded cheddar, mozzarella or Parmesan cheese for a cheesy finish.
Ingredients/Substitution Ideas
- Lean ground beef–or ground turkey
- Onion–or shallot
- Garlic powder–or minced garlic
- Kosher salt
- Italian seasoning
- Worcestershire sauce
- Low sodium soy sauce–or tamari
- Brown sugar–or white sugar
- Beef broth–or chicken broth
- Crushed tomatoes
- Ditalini pasta–or elbow macaroni
- Parmesan cheese (optional topping)–or Romano cheese
Steps
Heat a pan over medium high heat. Add in the beef and break it up. Add in the onion. Brown for 5 minutes. Drain off excess grease. Stir in the garlic powder, salt, Italian seasoning, Worcestershire and soy sauce. Transfer to slow cooker.
Stir in the brown sugar, broth and crushed tomatoes.
Cover and cook on low for 1 ½ hours. Add in the ditalini and cover and cook on low for 30 more minutes.
Stir and serve. Top with parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes/Tips
- Serve with garlic bread and salad.
- I was only serving 3 people so I made a smaller recipe than I normally do. You can easily double this recipe.
- I used my 6 quart Ninja slow cooker. Different slow cookers cook at different temperatures. Check the pasta toward the end of cooking and add a splash of broth if needed.
- For extra vegetables, stir in diced bell peppers, mushrooms, or zucchini with the beef mixture.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can freeze portions for up to 3 months. The pasta may soften slightly after thawing, but the flavor remains excellent.
- Other recipes you can make with soy sauce are Instant Pot Panda Express Chow Mein and Instant Pot Garlic Lime Chicken.
Did you know you can filter the recipes on my website to search by meat type, IP or Crockpot, low carb, gluten free, etc.? Use the filter to find exactly what you are looking for.
Amazing Slumgullion
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 3–4 servings 1x
Description
This old-fashioned Slumgullion recipe combines ground beef, pasta and a rich tomato sauce in the slow cooker for an easy, budget-friendly dinner the whole family will love.
Ingredients
- 8 oz lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup finely diced onion
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp low sodium soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 (28 oz ) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup ditalini pasta
Instructions
- Heat a pan over medium high heat. Add in the beef and break it up. Add in the onion. Brown for 5 minutes. Drain off excess grease. Stir in the garlic powder, salt, Italian seasoning, Worcestershire and soy sauce. Transfer to slow cooker.
- Stir in the brown sugar, broth and crushed tomatoes.
- Cover and cook on low for 1 ½ hours. Add in the ditalini and cover and cook on low for 30 more minutes.
- Stir and serve. Top with parmesan cheese, if desired.
- Category: Beef, Pasta
- Method: Slow Cooking
More recipes with ditalini…
Instant Pot (Ground Turkey) Minestrone Soup
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Pilgrim Soup
An Italian sausage and ditalini soup made with tomatoes, carrots, corn, garlic and Italian seasoning. It cooks in just ONE minute in the Instant Pot. You can also make it in the slow cooker!
Italian Magic Soup
A hearty soup made with savory Italian sausage, fire-roasted tomatoes, tender veggies and ditalini pasta, finished with parmesan. It tastes even better the next day. Make it in the Instant Pot or slow cooker.
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Loaded Parmesan Italian Soup
Creamy soup made with Italian sausage, tender vegetables, ditalini pasta, fire-roasted tomatoes and plenty of parmesan. Easy to make in the Instant Pot or slow cooker.
*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
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