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What’s your comfort food? I’m always willing to try someone else’s comfort food. Who knows…perhaps it will supplant my own need for eggplant Parmigiana!
Oh, who am I kidding. A big, honkin’ salad is my comfort food. As is a bowl of mashed potatoes. As is pasta with pesto. As is steaming bread fresh from the oven. As is tortilla soup. I could go on.
But there’s a new comfort food luring me, and it belongs to Amy over at the blog Fearless Homemaker.
She made American Chopped Suey, and I did a double take. What’s so chop suey about ground beef, onions and peppers simmered in stewed tomatoes and spices, over pasta? Just about EVERYTHING, it turns out. There are no bean sprouts, water chestnuts and crunchy noodles to be found; instead, this dish is more about the American Melting Pot.
This dish, as she explains, was Massachusetts/New Hampshire/Maine/Rhode Island/Connecticut/New Jersey comfort food. But it also goes by so many other names in the rest of the country, as I discovered when searching around online. Clearly, everyone wants a piece of it.
- American Goulash (upstate New York, Pennsylvania)
- Goulash (Oklahoma, Iowa, Midwest)
- Slumgullion (Pennsylvania Dutch)
- Cinnamon Chili Mac (Kansas)
- Macaroni Red (Kansas)
- Johnny Marzetti (Ohio)
- Hamburger Casserole
- Macaroni and Beef
Wherever you’re from and whatever you call it, be sure to set me a place at the table!
This dish goes by many names -- American Chop Suey, Goulash, Johnny Marzetti, Slumgullion, Hamburger Casserole...it's comfort food whatever you call it.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 (14-ounce) package fajita mix vegetables (red onion, colored bell peppers) {see NOTE below}
- 1 pound 85/15 ground beef
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (I used Gourmet Garden Organic Garlic Paste)
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon Gourmet Garden Chili Pepper Paste (or 1/4-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Garnish: Grated Parmesan cheese and freshly-chopped parsley or basil (optional)
Directions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat. Add fajita vegetables and sauté until softened, about 7-8 minutes, stirring frequently. Add ground beef and sauté another 5 or so minutes, until beef is cooked. Add garlic, paprika, chili paste, sugar and cinnamon and stir.
- Add in whole tomatoes (and juice), crushing the tomatoes with your hand as you add them (wear an apron because they squirt!). Add tomato sauce, tomato paste and 1 paste-can of water. Stir well to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, 45-60 minutes.
- When sauce is nearly done, cook pasta according to package directions, reducing the cooking time by 1-2 minutes. Drain pasta well and transfer pasta to pot of sauce, stirring gently to combine well. Taste and add more salt and pepper to your liking (if needed). If you used salted tomato products, you might not need much additional salt. Cook about 10 more minutes, until everything is bubby and combined.
- Serve hot with grated Parmesan cheese and a garnish of parsley or fresh basil.
- Serves 6-8
Notes
Recipe source: Adapted from American Chop Suey at Fearless Homemaker. She gives credit to FromAway.com
Note: If you don't want to use pre-cut fajita vegetables, substitute an onion and a bell pepper (any color), chopped.
As I mentioned, this idea came from Nashville-based Amy over at Fearless Homemaker. I was assigned her blog as part of Secret Recipe Club, a sort of secret-Santa project for food bloggers. We are to quietly explore and cook for a month from this secret blog, and today is our reveal day of the recipe we have chosen to present.
Amy is culinarily creative and so many of her recipes struck a chord with me. I found lots of inspiration, and I have my eye on her…
- Pumpkin Magic Seven-Layer Bars. This is on the docket for the next family dinner in which I have to provide dessert.
- Meatballs with Parsley and Parmesan. This meatball-loving girl is swooning.
- Slow-Cooker Chicken and Mushroom Farro Risotto. Risotto in my beloved slow cooker? I am all in!
Can you tell I was in a comfort food mood while looking at her lovely blog? Thanks, Amy, for lots of inspiration this month, and for the delicious ideas.
Meanwhile, browse the photo array below to see what else the Secret Recipe Club cooked up this month.
Welcome to my kitchen!
At ShockD, you’ll find scrumptious, tried & true, "scary good" recipes, tips and coaching to make YOU a fabulous home cook! Don't blame me if you need a 12-step program to wean yourself away!
E-mail me: Dorothy.Reinhold@gmail.com
{ 39 comments… read them below or add one }
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I’m in the goulash category and it was definitely a staple in my house as I grew up. I haven’t had it in years though. This is making me want to give it a try as an adult! Great pick this month 🙂
Thanks Melissa! As a west coaster, it was new to me, but I can see why it is so popular.
A big bowl of pasta is definitely my comfort food!
Erin,
Agreed! Hard to go wrong with pasta.
I am loving all of the veggies in this dish. I need a good way to add veggies to my diet in the winter since cold salads are just not appetizing. Happy Reveal Day!!
Emily,
Comfort food with veggies — perfect!
looks like a really great dish, I bet it was delicious!
Thanks Diane, it was!
Never heard of American Chop Suey before. It looks delicious! Will definitely have to try it.
Tara,
Me either! Put it on your list!
Wow – I’ve never heard of American Chop Suey! I love this idea for a dish – so hearty and warming for when we’re in the mountains! Great pick this month!!
Susan/Wimpy,
Oh yes, great mountain food.
Looks awesome! I haven’t had this since I was a kid, but I think that needs to change!! 🙂
Jess,
Refresh your childhood memories!
This is perfect comfort meal that can be made on any day.
Meagan,
You’re right. It’s great for any night of the week.
What a fun event! I remember ordering Chop Suey in a rural diner once and being so disappointed when Asian food didn’t arrive! That was many years ago – now I appreciate this American classic, and your veggie-rich version looks amazing Dorothy!
Alisa,
I had the same thought…where the heck are the Asian vegetables, bean sprouts, etc.? It was fun to research the background of this dish and realize it was renamed everywhere it traveled.
Great pick, Dorothy! Amazing how much I love this dish, and it totally went out of my radar, have not had it in a decade or so.
Thanks for bringing it back to my comfort zone…
HAPPY REVEAL DAY!
(I had to stop here and say hello, even though I should be away from the computer…)
Sally,
Oh, you are familiar with this? Now I feel really out of it, if Brazilians know about it!
You know, my knowledge of the chop suey is actually from my teenage and young adulthood in Sao Paulo. Very popular Chinese dish back home, at least it was. Probably it is all changed now, and other dishes gained popularity.
When I saw this and looked at it, I was like “that looks like goulash” and then scrolled down to the regional terminology guide 🙂 I like all the veggies in it! Will have to try this next time I make goulash! Happy reveal day!
Sarah,
I have been missing out all these years, not knowing about it. I guess Californians didn’t get the memo on this dish!
Wow who knew there were so many names for this!?
I don’t know if I have a comfort food! Maybe mashed potatoes? Pizza is always a winner… baby back ribs?!
Oh, I am SO thrilled that we had each other this time! I had such a blast going through your blog and I seriously bookmarked so many recipes to try. Including, your green bean fries, chickpea chile soup, spinach balls, chicken kale stew, skillet gnocchi, and more. But really, those falafel burgers that I decided on were SO so amazing. I already made another batch of the mixture, so I’ll be having one for lunch today, too! =D I’m so thrilled you liked this American Chop Suey, and I love your write-up on it. Aren’t all the different names neat? Cheers on Reveal Day! Amy
Thanks Amy! It’s fun to have reciprocal blogs! Loved your version of the falafel, and your photos are fantastic! It’s funny, when something really strikes a chord, even food bloggers can repeat recipes. 🙂
We call it Goulash here in our household as well. My mouth is watering. Great choice this month.
Wendy,
I don’t remember having this particular dish in my youth, but I do remember my dad calling something slumgullion. Funny, all those names.
Mmmmm – spicy and VERY tasty! What a GREAT idea and SRC pick – LOVE it for this time of year too! Karen
Karen,
Thanks! It might be perfect comfort food for the rest of the country about to get hit by big weather.
As a west coaster, I have never heard of American chop suey. For us, it’s a sort of goopy take on Chinese stir fry. Totally interesting how the regions of the US are so different!
Karen,
Me too. Never heard of such a thing here in Calif. but I can see why the rest of the country makes it!
Wow. This looks delicious. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Camilla!
Happy Reveal Day~ In my part of the country, Northern Wisconsin, we call this dish Chili Mac:) Looks delicious, no matter what it’s called. Lynn @ Turnips 2 Tangerines
Lynn,
I really did enjoy learning more about this dish. I had no idea of all the names it goes by, and how everyone claims it as their own.
Not Just Baked,
New England roots? Midwestern roots?