American Chop Suey

Over 250 5-star reviews should tell you this American Chop Suey Recipe is the BEST one to make!

A Classic New England dinner that’s ready in 30 minutes and made with simple ingredients like ground beef, elbow macaroni, hearty veggies, and a robust tomato sauce that packs both flavor and nostalgia.

What is American Chop Suey?

I’m not sure if it’s a New England thing because I could probably eat my weight in American Chop Suey. Maybe it’s the fact that it’s pure comfort food, or maybe it’s the perfect balance of flavor, but either way, I freaking love Chop Suey!

So I wanted to share my recipe with all of you in the hopes that you’ll love it too!

We call it American Chop or Chop Suey here in New England, but you may have also heard of it called goulash or macaroni hamburger and tomato, depending on where you live.

So either way, the recipe has the same basic components and is a classic dinner most of us grew up eating.

Why I Love American Chop Suey!

I love chop suey because when it’s cold, I want comfort food, and I think this is a super cozy dish, and it’s really easy to make too!

The dish is also similar to American goulash, but the most noteworthy difference between the two is that Chop Suey doesn’t include paprika, or, at least not the way I make it.

Some people also call it Chili Mac, but I don’t make mine spicy either. But sugar is one key ingredient that can’t be left out.

In my opinion, the best chop suey is one that has a slightly sweet tomato sauce; the sauce should be loose enough to coat but thick enough to stick to the noodles.

The sugar sweetens up all that tomato goodness and makes for a really delicious sauce. The green pepper and onions should always be sauteed ahead of adding any of the tomato-based ingredients!

This recipe makes a huge batch of food, so it’s great for big families and reheats well in the microwave.

I love making this recipe on Sunday afternoons, especially in the fall and winter, and then I reheat it for lunch all week long.

What Is In American Chop Suey:

American Chop is traditionally made with the following ingredients:

• ground beef
• elbow macaroni
• green bell pepper
• white onion
• garlic
• tomato sauce
• tomato juice
• diced tomatoes
• tomato paste
• dried oregano
• dried basil
• salt
• pepper

How To Make American Chop Suey:

This is one of those great recipes to make, not just because it tastes delicious but because it’s quick and easy!

Step 1: Cook the pasta according to package directions in a large pot of salted water. *You can either finish cooking the pasta and leave it in a colander and use the same pot for the sauce, or you can start making the rest of the recipe in a separate pot while the pasta is cooking.

Step 2: In a separate pot or the one from the pasta (see the note above), add the butter and onion to the large pot over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent – about 4 minutes.

Step 3: Add the garlic to the onions and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.

Step 4: Add ground beef and cook until browned; you can cook this in a separate pan if you’d like less fat and add it to the onions after cooking.

Step 5: Add green pepper and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.

Step 6: Add the diced tomatoes, sauce, juice, paste, sugar, spices, and Worcestershire Sauce. Cook until evenly heated.

Step 7: Stir in the cooked pasta and stir to coat.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately or package up and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.