Hungarian Goulash

This is a great winter recipe but honestly would be terrific all year long. It's relatively easy to put together (just some chopping to do), and once you get it in the crock pot, you just walk away. I love one dish (easy) meals!

Ingredients
2 lbs beef stew meat, trimmed and cubed (if not already)
2 tsp caraway seeds
2 T Hungarian paprika *
1/4 tsp salt
fresh ground pepper, to taste
1 lg onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 14-oz can diced tomatoes
1 14-oz can low-sodium beef broth
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1 T cornstarch mixed with 2 T water +
2 T fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
Egg noodles ^

* Hungarian paprika is worth seeking out for this dish b/c it delivers a fuller, richer flavor than regular or Spanish paprikas. Specialty food stores should carry it or order it online. (Note provided by recipe editor) I used regular paprika and added a dash of cayenne to add the zip the goulash would otherwise lack.
+ May take double, especially if you want your goulash to be thicker.
^ I got the whole wheat ones, and they turned out fine.

Directions

1. Place beef in crock pot.
2. Add caraway seeds (crushed for more intense flavor), paprika, salt, and pepper to small bowl and combine.
3. Sprinkle beef with spice mixture and toss to coat well.
4. Add onion and bell pepper to crock pot.
5. Combine tomatoes, broth, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic in medium saucepan. Bring to simmer.
6. Pour broth in crock pot.
7. Place bay leaves on top.
8. Cover and cook until beef is very tender (3-4 hrs on high or 7-7.5 hrs on low).
9. Discard bay leaves. Skim or blot any fat from top.
10. Mix cornstarch and water. Add to crock pot. Cook on high, stirring several times, until slightly thickened (10-15 min).
11. Boil egg noodles and cook to desired doneness.
12. Once goulash is to your desired thickness, serve over egg noodles. (We also had garlic toast to sop up the yummy juices.)

Extra tips

• Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 4 mos.
• Prep ahead: trim beef & coat with spices. Prep vegetables. Combine tomatoes, broth, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic. Refrigerate in separate containers for up to 1 day. Follow recipe as usual.
• You could add more veggies with ease.

Nutritional info (excluding noodles): Per serving: 180 Cal, 5g fat (2g sat, 2g mono), 48mg chol, 6g carb, 25g protein, 1g fiber, 250mg sodium, 298mg potassium, 40% DV zinc, 35% DV vit C, 25% DV vit A, 15% DV iron