Meatball Goulash Bread Bowls

This meatball goulash bread bowl is a real autumn treat and is very comforting when it comes to this time of year. It’s made extra special by being served in a bread bowl which is AMAZING FUN to get stuck in, mopping up the sauce as you go. The recipe is full of flavour, warmth and the colours of autumn!

Added to that it’s ridiculously easy to cook so you’ll want to keep making this goulash time and time again!

Where has this year gone? I can’t believe we are in October already! I love autumn (known to some of you the fall) 🍂 🍁

It’s a comforting time of year where you can start to get snug and put the candles and fire on, while eat lots of hot soups, casseroles and rich hearty food.

What more do you want!?

Dean and I have been brainstorming and we came up with this delicious idea. Dean visited Budapest in Hungary for a stag do early on in September where goulash originates from. He said they had their goulash in the bread bowls but with lots more sauce. He didn’t actually get to try one as he was on this stag and unfortunately it was more about the drinking than the food!

This goulash is quite chunky and we decided to make it with meatballs instead of beef chunks for another twist. Alongside that we also used venison instead of beef mince as it is better for you and contains less fat. They were SO tasty and had a real nice taste of oregano.

If you wanted to have this goulash with pasta, rice or couscous instead of bread I would recommend you to halve the quantity of ingredients for the sauce itself. You need extra sauce the way I’ve done it here as the bread absorbs it like a sponge and you end up with lots of soggy (but amazing) bread in the bottom of your bowl – one of the best bits as it tastes soooooo good!

We didn’t eat all our bread bowl as we were trying to be good, but to be honest I probably could have. 😊

One good tip for you – keep the bread you take out of the middle, do NOT throw it away. Instead whizz it up into breadcrumbs and put it in the freezer. Other than that you could use it to feed the ducks! 😂

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this goulash! Let me know what you think in the comments.

Also be sure to pin this recipe to your autumn recipes Pinterest board!

Meatball Goulash Bread Bowls

A superb twist on the classic Hungarian goulash, served in a bread bowl for ultimate sauce mopping! It’s a great showstopper and is oh so easy to prepare. Give it a go!

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

  

Meatballs

• 300 g mince beef or venison (we used venison)
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 tsp garlic puree
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• salt and pepper seasoning

Goulash

• 3 peppers red, orange and yellow
• 1 onion cut into small wedges
• 2 tsp garlic puree
• 2 tbsp sweet paprika
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 oxo cubes
• 600 ml water
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 2 bay leaves
• 400 g tinned tomatoes
• salt and pepper seasoning
• 2 spelt bread rolls medium size

Instructions

 

• In a mixing bowl place the mince and all the other ingredients for the meatballs. Using your hands mix it all together thoroughly.
• Once everything is combined make 14 medium size balls.
• Use a little oil in a pan and brown your meatballs on a medium heat. Once they are brown place them on a plate and set aside.
• Place the onions into the same pan and cook for 5 minutes until soft. Use a little water to deglaze the pan if need be. Add the garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
• Add both paprikas along with the oxo cubes and then add the water, giving it all a good stir.
• Add the tinned tomatoes, tomato purée and bay leaves, season with salt and pepper. Stir well and bring to the simmer.
• Add your meatballs to the mixture and turn the heat right down. Cover with a lid.
• Cut all three peppers in to 3cm shapes and add to your mixture. Simmer with the lid for 20-30 minutes or until your peppers are slightly soft but still have a bite to them.
• While your goulash is simmering cut a round hole out of the centre of you bread rolls. Remove most of the bread from inside and then press down what’s left to compact it and prevent the sauce soaking through.
• Ladle your goulash into the bread bowl, filling it as full as you like. You might want to keep anything that’s left over in the middle of the table and break your bread bowl up to mop it up. Enjoy!