Texas Goulash - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 cups hot water
1 lb ground chuck
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 medium green bell pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 small bay leaves
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon Heinz 57 steak sauce
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni

Preparation

In a 3 quart saucepan, heat 2 cups of water on medium heat.
While the water is heating, in a deep (3-inch) cast iron skillet or other large pot, crumble the ground chuck. Stirring and breaking up the meat, cook over medium high heat until no longer pink. Remove the meat from the skillet and drain the fat; set meat aside.
Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to skillet and heat over medium heat. To the oil, add onion, bell pepper, and celery. Cook and stir the vegetables until softened, then add the minced garlic cloves and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes.
Add the meat to the vegetables, the two cups of hot water, and the rest of the ingredients, except the macaroni.
Let sauce cook for 30-40 minutes, adding additional water, if needed.
While the sauce simmers, refill the saucepan with water and cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain macaroni and add to meat/sauce mixture and stir.
Serve with warm, crusty homemade or French bread.