Description
American Chop Suey is a comforting, hearty pasta dish featuring ground beef, elbow macaroni, and a savory tomato-based sauce with onions, peppers, celery, and a blend of seasonings. Perfect for a family meal, this easy one-pot recipe offers flexible cooking methods including stovetop, crock pot, and instant pot options.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs. ground beef, 85% lean
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons seasoned salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 cup diced green pepper
- 1 stick celery, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 14.5 oz. diced tomatoes, undrained
- 16 oz. tomato sauce
- 2 ½ cups chicken broth, or beef broth
- 2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, optional
Instructions
- Prepare the Cheese: If using cheese, shred it from a block and set aside, letting it come to room temperature for better melting. Avoid packaged shredded cheese that contains cellulose.
- Brown the Beef: In a large pot over medium-high heat, cook and crumble ground beef until no longer pink and browned, about 8 minutes. Drain excess grease.
- Add Seasonings and Tomato Paste: Stir in Italian seasoning, seasoned salt, garlic powder, and tomato paste to the beef mixture, coating evenly.
- Sauté Vegetables: Add diced onion, green pepper, and celery to the pot and cook for 4 minutes until softened. Then add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Add Tomato Sauce: Pour in the tomato sauce and stir thoroughly to combine with the beef and vegetables.
- Add Remaining Liquids: Mix in Worcestershire sauce, undrained diced tomatoes, and chicken (or beef) broth to the pot.
- Incorporate Pasta: Add the uncooked elbow macaroni and stir well to combine all ingredients. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil.
- Cook Pasta Covered: Cover the pot and let it cook for 4 minutes. Then uncover and use a silicone spatula to gently lift and stir any pasta or sauce that has settled on the bottom.
- Continue Cooking Partially Covered: Cover the pot partially and boil gently for another 4 minutes. Repeat lifting settled food off the bottom with the spatula.
- Finish Cooking Pasta: Let the dish cook uncovered for 2-3 more minutes or until the macaroni is tender to your preference. Turn off the heat; the pasta will absorb remaining liquid while resting.
- Add Cheese and Serve: If using, gradually sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese into the hot mixture and stir to melt. Serve hot and enjoy your American Chop Suey!
Notes
- For thicker sauce, mix 1 tablespoon flour into ground beef and cook for 1 minute before adding other ingredients.
- Adding a spoonful of softened cream cheese at the end gives a creamy texture.
- Dash in hot sauce if you like a kick of heat.
- Mixing ground Italian sausage with beef adds extra flavor depth.
- Feel free to add frozen carrots, peas, corn, or jalapenos to vary the veggies.
- Crock Pot Method: Brown beef first. Use half the broth initially, transfer all except pasta and cheese to crock pot. Cook on high 2-3 hours or low 4-5 hours. Add pasta and cheese last 30-45 minutes, stir gently to avoid mushy pasta.
- Instant Pot Method: Brown beef on sauté mode; add seasonings, veggies, tomato sauce, Worcestershire, diced tomatoes, broth, and pasta. Pressure cook on high 5 minutes. Quick release, add remaining broth and cheese. Pasta thickens as it sits.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 410
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 720mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0.5g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 22g
- Cholesterol: 60mg
