Goulash is basically a stew seasoned with paprika, often served with pasta or potatoes. I like that this version is done in the crockpot, because I love using my crockpot whenever possible. It’s nice to prepare a meal ahead of time and just forget about it until dinner-time rolls around. All you need to remember with this recipe is to add the flour and water to thicken the sauce and then add the sour cream right before serving to make it nice and creamy. You can skip the sour cream if you’re not a fan of it. This stew will still taste wonderful without it. I’ve made this goulash several times now and it seems to be pretty popular with my family…for the most part. Cole thinks it’s a little spicy, but he thinks everything with the least bit of spice is spicy so I wouldn’t put too much weight on his opinion. No one else thought it was spicy. I used mild salsa too, but that was still apparently too much for him. You could substitute tomato sauce instead of the salsa and cut down on the paprika if you’re sensitive to spice like Cole. I love smoked paprika though, so I won’t be cutting that down. It gives this dish such a beautiful smoky flavour that goes so well with the pork. If you haven’t tried smoked paprika before I urge you to give it a try. It’s delicious!

Crockpot Goulash
Adapted from Canadian Living: The Slow Cooker Collection (Smoky Pork Stew)
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 lb boneless pork shoulder blade roast, trimmed and cut into 1″ cubes
1/2 cup salsa
2 tbsp packed brown sugar
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp smoked or regular paprika (I prefer smoked)
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tbsp sour cream

Place all ingredients except for flour and sour cream in the crockpot and stir together. Cover and cook on low heat for 6-7 hours, until meat is tender. Skim off any fat from the top. In a small bowl, combine flour and 1/4 cup of cold water. Move the meat out of the way and whisk the flour mixture into the sauce. Stir well and cook on high heat until the sauce thickens, about 10-15 minutes. Stir in sour cream. Serve over pasta or cooked potatoes.