American Chop Suey

Name: American Chop Suey
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil (2 - 3); 1 onion (large, chopped); 1 green pepper (chopped); 2 cloves garlic (minced); 1 tablespoon oil; 1 pound ground beef; 2 teaspoons dried oregano; 1 teaspoon dried basil; 1 teaspoon dried parsley; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce; 1 pound elbows; 56 ounces diced tomatoes (2 cans)

Last updated on February 24, 2021. Originally posted on March 9, 2020 By Elaine 34 Comments

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This dish is comfort food personified. At least that’s what American chop suey means to me. Delicious beef mixed with spices, veggies, diced tomatoes and yummy elbow pasta makes one great meal.

Big bowl of chop suey in a shallow bowl, with a salad in the background

Why do I call this comforting dish American chop suey when it’s called goulash in other states? Because this is New England and we do some things… differently. But never fear! This is the same fun-to-eat, delicious comfort food you ate as a kid, no matter what it’s called.

Helpful tips

Cook everything at the same time: Bring the water to boil and cook your elbow macaroni while you sauté the vegetables and meat.
For even faster cook time, use two sauté pans: one for the veggie and one for the meat.

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How to make American chop suey

Pre-step

Fill a pot with water, salt it and set it over high heat. Once the water boils, add the elbow pasta and set a timer for 8 minutes.

Step one

Gather the ingredients – ground beef, green bell pepper, onion and garlic.

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Ground beef in front with a board with a chopped onion and garlic on it with a bell pepper in the background

Step two

Chop the bell pepper and onion in chunks and crush the garlic. Heat a Dutch oven or large saucepan on medium. Add oil and once that heats up, add onion and bell pepper and sauté for 10 minutes.

Step three

Add garlic, cook for 2 more minutes and set aside. (A)

Step four

Meanwhile, heat a sauté pan on medium. Add oil and once that heats up, add ground beef. Use a metal spatula to break apart the beef. (B)

Vegetables and meat cooked in their separate pans

Step five

Gather the rest of the ingredients – diced tomatoes, herbs and spices, salt and Worcestershire sauce. (C)

Step six

Add diced tomatoes to the pan of veggies, heat on medium for 5 minutes, then add ground beef. (D)

Tomatoes, herbs and spices on the left and then added to the pan of ground beef and veggies in the red pan on the right

Step seven

When the elbows are done, drain them, add them to the tomato-veggie mixture and stir it all together.

A big red pan full of elbow macaroni, ground beef, tomatoes, peppers and onions

Time to plate some chop suey and call Christopher so we can eat. He runs like the wind to the table. Boy, that man is fast when he’s properly motivated!

Overhead view of bowl of chop suey. It's on a napkin, fork and a big pan of the dish

I hope you enjoy this American chop suey recipe.

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And as always, may all your dishes be delish!

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