Description
American Chop Suey is a classic, comforting American pasta dish featuring ground beef, tender macaroni, and a rich tomato-based sauce seasoned with Italian herbs and a hint of sweetness. This hearty and easy-to-make skillet meal is perfect for family dinners and brings nostalgic flavors that everyone will love.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup green pepper, diced
- 1 can (28 ounce) diced tomatoes
- 1 can (284 ml) condensed tomato soup
- 1 can (680 ml) tomato sauce
- 1 ½ Tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
- ½ Tablespoon seasoning salt
- 1-2 Tablespoons white sugar
- 2 ½ cups dry macaroni
Instructions
- Cook the ground beef: In a large stock pot over medium heat, fry the ground beef until it is fully cooked. Once browned, drain off any excess fat to keep the dish from being greasy.
- Sauté garlic and green pepper: Add the minced garlic and diced green pepper to the pot with the beef. Cook together until the peppers soften and the garlic is fragrant, about 5-8 minutes.
- Add tomato ingredients and seasonings: Pour in the diced tomatoes, condensed tomato soup, and tomato sauce. Stir in Italian seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, seasoning salt, and white sugar. Mix thoroughly and bring the sauce to a low simmer.
- Incorporate macaroni noodles: Add the dry macaroni noodles to the pot and stir well to evenly distribute them throughout the sauce mixture.
- Simmer the dish: Cover the pot and let it simmer gently on low heat for 20-25 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent the macaroni from sticking to the bottom, allowing the noodles to soften and absorb the flavors.
- Serve and garnish: Remove from heat and serve hot, optionally garnishing with fresh parsley for a pop of color and freshness.
Notes
- The white sugar helps balance the acidity of the tomato ingredients, so add gradually and adjust to your taste preference.
- If you prefer a spicier dish, consider adding crushed red pepper flakes during the simmering step.
- Use lean ground beef to reduce excess fat and maintain a hearty but not greasy sauce.
- Stirring occasionally during simmering is important to keep the macaroni from sticking or burning on the pot’s bottom.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
