Growing up my mom only made two things "homemade," horrible tacos and a horrible mush she called "goulash." It still is one of her favorite meals. It's noodles, usually elbow macaroni that she cooks to death, tossed with fried hamburger meat and then smothered in jarred red sauce, covered in cheddar cheese and baked for about an hour until it's unrecognizeable. Theoretically, my mom's "goulash" could be a really delicious comfort food, but not the way she did it. She told me she got the recipe from her southern grandmother and could never really explain why it was called goulash.

When I grew up and had a friend's grandma make me real Hungarian goulash I was even more confused as to why my mom called her casserole goulash. I dismissed it as her being crazy ... and then I saw Paula Deen make it AND call it goulash ... and then my southern boyfriend's mom made the exact same thing and called it goulash.

So, what's the deal with this? Is it a southern thing? Has anyone else encountered this bizarre goulash thing?