Conference turris::cooks

    I don't use a recipe, per se, but I have made it sometimes using
    stewed tomatoes and other times with crushed tomatoes.  Depending
    upon the amount you want to make and the meat/macaroni ratio you
    desire you could doctor up the following to suit your taste:
    
    Brown 1 lb. hamburger and 1 chopped onion - drain 
    (As an option you may want to also add some chopped green peppers
    or whatever else you prefer).
    
    If you prefer the taste of the stewed tomatoes, throw a couple of
    cans in either the food processor or blender and process until
    small chunks.  Add to the drained meet mixture and add salt & pepper
    to taste.  Heat till bubbly.  If it doesn't look like enough, add
    a can of tomato sauce...this will add some body too since the
    stewed tomatoes are pretty watery.  Otherwise, if you prefer 
    something less sweet, add a large can of crushed tomatoes (or
    puree) into the meat mixture and heat.
    
    Meanwhile cook your pasta (elbows, small shells, or whatever you
    prefer) in boiling water.  Don't over cook them since they will
    continue to cook when you mix with the sauce/meat mixture.
    
    A couple of things to remember...it's better to have too much
    than not enough sauce since the pasta will absorb it.  Also, 
    let it sit a while so the pasta absorbs the flavor of the
    sauce.
    
    Hope this is of some help and what you're looking for.  Sorry
    I couldn't be more specific about the quantities.
    
    Evelyn

    I like to add some chedder cheese (about a cup, shredded), some
    garlic powder, and about a teaspoon of sweet Basil to the note 523.1.
    I think it add quite a bit of flavor.
    
    Vicki
    

    I grew up on American Chop Suey and this is how we made it.
    
    1 lb. macaroni (cooked)
    1 1/2 lbs hambuger
    1 green pepper
    1 medium onion
    2 cans tomato soup
    
    put small amount of oil in fry pan and brown onions and peppers
    until soft add hamberger breaking up while cooking, drain any fat
    add 2 cans tomato soup, bring to a boil, pour mixture over macaroni
    and stir together and you are ready to eat.
    

    
    4 ounces noodles  (rotini is fun!)
    1 lb. ground beef
    1 medium onion, chopped
    1 16 oz. can corn
    1/4 lb. grated yellow cheese
    1/2 cup ketchup
    1  14 1/2  oz. can tomatoes
    2 teaspoons salt  (I omit this) 
    1/4 teaspoon pepper 
    1 green pepper, chopped 
    
    
    Add 3 cups water and 2 teaspoons salt to sauce
    pan.  Bring water to a boil and add noodles;
    boil uncovered, stirring occasionally, 7-10
    minutes.  Drain.  While noodles cook, brown
    onion and ground beef; drain fat.  Stir in
    noodles, corn, ketchup, tomatoes, salt and
    pepper.  Cover and simmer 30-45 minutes.
    Makes 5-6 servings. 
           
    
    I always use more than one can of tomatoes;
    I find the extra liquid necessary.  (Plus
    I like tomatoes! 8-) )  
    
    -mrs o 
    

    I agree with .4 - the recipes you are all posting are goulashes
    of sorts.  "American" Chop suey is redundant - chop suey was invented
    by Americans - it is very very close in taste, appearance and
    ingredients to Chow Mein, usually with pork, veal, bean sprouts,
    bamboo shoots, etc.  Go to any Chinese restaurant and look at the
    menu.  Manu times they'll offer both chow mein and chop suey.

    From one who grew up having homemade chop suey all the time...
    
    al

    I disagree with .5 -- if you have ever eaten institutional cooking
    then you know that the stuff called "American Chop Suey" has no
    resemblance to chow mein but is a tomato-sauced dish of elbow macaroni
    with hambuger in it.  Some variations include green peppers, or
    whatever they had leftover that day.  We never had it at home but
    it was definitely once of the most successful meals offered at the
    college cafeteria.  It is simple enough to be hard to mess up, and
    yet you can make a nice meal by adding a few touches (like the green
    peppers).  
    
    I always wondered why they named it as they did, since it has no
    relationship to anything Chinese that I've ever eaten.  Anybody
    know?
    
    Jan   who_eats_it_even_today_at_DEC
    

My mother's technique:

Brown 1 chopped onion and 1 chopped green pepper in a little oil.

Brown 1 - 2 lbs. lean ground beef or veal in large heavy 
     skillet (ours was deep like a dutch oven), drain.
Add onion and pepper to beef, and stir.
Add 1 large can tomato puree, 1 sm. can sliced, or chopped, or whole
     tomatoes (whatever she could find) with liquid
Add approx 1 cup UNCOOKED macaroni.
Add approx. 1/2 cup water if it looks too thick (it should be soupy).
Season to taste (garlic, pepper, herbs - whatever)
Cover, and cook over low flame to simmer until the macaroni is done.
    I would guess approx. 30 mins.

She never measured this so it is hard to be exact, but it was really
good and this is what I do to recreate it.

    Here in the Midwest it's known as Johnny Marzetti; you see it on
    menus a lot!  Some people add 'shrooms to it too.  Top with grated
    Parmesan or Mozzarella cheese.

    I too agree with -6......American chop suey the same as Chinese?????
    All Goulash????  Sorry, as I remember them goulash' is a combination
    of meats and vegetables in a gravy like sauce.....ACSuey, the way
    I was brought up on it didnt have a sauce at all.....and in local
    diners, I never saw it swimming in sauce either....and I always
    had it with diced onions and peppers.....mmmmmmmm
    
    Rick