American Chop Suey, New England Style

American Chop Suey

There’s a great debate going on about this dish!  In the west it’s called Chili Mac.  But we call it American Chop Suey because it’s one of Ken’s favorite dishes from his childhood in New England! You can feed the masses with this comfort food dish & it's economical.  Based on my googling research, it may have begun as a depression era dinner.  The leftovers are almost more yummy than the first time around!

Here’s a version from Cook’s Country (one of my most favorite cooking magazines) that we have modified slightly to meet Ken’s criteria!

Serves 6 to 8

Our favorite elbow macaroni is made by Barilla. Hunt’s Diced Tomatoes are our taste-test winner. Spice up your chop suey by serving it with hot sauce or Worcestershire sauce.

Ingredients

• 16 ounces elbow macaroni
•   Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 pounds 90 percent lean ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped fine
• 1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine
• 2 celery ribs, chopped fine
• 2-3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 can tomato soup, undiluted
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup water
• 1 ounce parmesan cheese grated (1/2 cup), plus extra for serving

Instructions

• 1. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook pasta until al dente, according to pasta directions.. Drain and rinse pasta with cold water. Drain again and set aside. 
• 2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in now-empty Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add beef, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, breaking up pieces with spoon, until all liquid has evaporated and meat begins to sizzle, about 15 minutes. Transfer meat to bowl.
• 3. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion, bell pepper, and celery and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until rust-colored, about 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomato sauce, tomato soup, tomatoes, water, and cooked ground beef. Bring to simmer and cook, covered, over low heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 15 minutes.
• 4. Off heat, stir in reserved pasta, cover, and let sit until warm, about 5 minutes. Stir in Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, passing additional Parmesan separately. 
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• Patti's Notes:  Add more tomato sauce if needed. If peppers & onions aren't your cup of tea, omit them. I usually also add some basil and oregano. For the ground beef, I like it to be in really fine individual pieces so I use my Mom's technique of using a potato masher!