How to Make American Chop Suey the New England Way

Hearty American chop suey

My husband grew up eating this in Maine and I often saw it advertised with the church suppers there. So this recipe is handed down from my Franco-American mother-in-law. It's more Italian ingredients than anything else, but it makes a tasty, warming meal.

Things You'll Need

• a 16 ounce box elbow macaroni
• 1 onion
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 2 cans (15 oz.) of chopped tomatoes
• small can tomato paste
• Italian seasoning (oregano, parsley, basil)
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Cook the macaroni according to package directions. (You can also skip this step and just put the uncooked macaroni in when you add the tomatoes later.)

2. 

   Chop the onions.

3. 

   Brown the hamburger and onions in a large skillet. Stir it to get all the meat cooked and crumbly. Drain off the grease. (We drain it into the tomato can, then refrigerate it to solidify, and later put it in the garbage.)

4. 

   Add the canned tomatoes and the Italian seasonings in with the meat and onions. Stir well. If you chose to skip precooking the macaroni, then add it now.

5. Let simmer until the macaroni is well-cooked and the flavors blended.

6. 

   We serve it in a shallow bowl and sprinkle parmesan cheese over it. You could have garlic bread or french bread with it if you wanted.

Tips & Warnings

• You could use other shapes of pasta like penne pasta or pasta shells. I've heard of making this with tomato soup, but we always liked the chunky version with the chopped tomatoes. You can add green peppers or leave out the onions.

Resources

• Other New England recipes