A favorite fall comfort food with a Halloween twist! This easy goulash recipe whips up in 30 minutes or less and can feed a crowd!
Here are a few more Halloween Food ideas we think you’ll enjoy – Barfing Pumpkin Guacamole, Mummy Dogs, and Pumpkin Empenadas.

Halloween Goulash
My mom used to make goulash for us on Halloween and she’d always call it Ghoul-ash. I think it was her way of making sure we got something hearty and healthy in our bellies before we went trick-or-treating.
Whether you make this on Halloween with piped sour cream ghosts, or whether you just make it for a warm, comforting meal on a cool fall day, this stew doesn’t disappoint!
The thing I love about this goulash recipe is that it whips up in 30 minutes or less but tastes like it’s been simmering away all day long. A simple meal that tastes amazing is my favorite kind of weeknight meal!
How to Make Ghostly Ghoul-ash
INGREDIENTS –
- VEGETABLES – onion, green pepper, garlic, frozen corn
- MEAT – ground beef
- SAUCE – tomato sauce, tomato paste
- SEASONING – salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes (optional), fresh basil
- SERVING – baked potatoes or cooked pasta
- GARNISH – sour cream and sliced olives
DIRECTIONS –
- COOK THE VEGGIES. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes or until the onion starts to soften. Next, add the diced green pepper and cook for about 3 minutes more. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute longer, stirring constantly.
- BROWN THE MEAT. Add the ground beef to the pan. Break it up with a wooden spoon as it starts to cook. Brown until the meat is almost fully cooked (about 5-8 minutes or so).
- ADD THE SAUCE. Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and frozen corn. Bring to a low boil, then reduce to a simmer over low heat. Cover and let the sauce simmer for 10 minutes, stirring at the 5-minute mark. At the very last minute, stir in the fresh basil.
- SERVE. Serve hot goulash over baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, steamed potatoes, or cooked pasta.
- GARNISH. If desired, fill a sandwich-size zip-top bag with about 1/3-1/2 cup of sour cream. Squish the sour cream into one corner of the bag. Snip that corner of the bag off with a pair of kitchen scissors and pipe little sour cream ghosts, about 1 1/2 tablespoons each, onto each serving of goulash. Arrange two olive slices on each ghost to look like eyes!
ENJOY!
HERE’S A PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE –
Ghostly Ghoul-ash
Ingredients
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 1/2 green pepper, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 pound ground beef
- 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste if needed
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste if needed
- pinch red pepper flakes, optional
- 1/2 cup frozen corn
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, minced
- 4 large potatoes, steamed and cubed or mashed
- sour cream and sliced olives, optional
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes or until the onion starts to soften.
- Next, add the diced green pepper and cook for about 3 minutes more.
- Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute longer, stirring constantly.
- Add the ground beef to the pan. Break it up with a wooden spoon as it starts to cook. Brown until the meat is almost fully cooked (about 5-8 minutes or so).
- Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and frozen corn. Bring to a low boil, then reduce to a simmer over low heat. Cover and let the sauce simmer for 10 minutes, stirring at the 5-minute mark. At the very last minute, stir in the fresh basil.
- Serve hot goulash over baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, steamed potatoes, or cooked pasta.
- If desired, fill a sandwich-size zip-top bag with about 1/3-1/2 cup of sour cream. Squish the sour cream into one corner of the bag. Snip that corner of the bag off with a pair of kitchen scissors and pipe little sour cream ghosts, about 1 1/2 tablespoons each, onto each serving of goulash. Arrange two olive slices on each ghost to look like eyes!
Nutrition
Other Notes
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Amanda Jenks is the delicious blogger from The Taste Tester. She was on the contributing team of Somewhat Simple in 2013.
You could also pipe a mashed potato ghost on the top of you don’t want that much sour cream 😊
That’s such a great idea! Thanks for sharing!
Oh my goodness, I love your little ghost on top! Reminds me of scream-cheese from Hotel Transylvania. 😀 This looks so yummy. It may be able to rival my grandma’s, and you know grandma’s recipes are the ones to compete with!
I love Hotel Transylvania! You’ll have to try this recipe and tell me how it compares to your grandma’s. So glad you stopped by Dani 🙂
I remember goulash! Wow – have not had this since I was a kid. I’m going to have to make some soon – thanks for the recipe!
This looks delicious AND darling!!! I love it!
Thanks Stephanie!
That looks delish!