With just 10 minutes of prep and a few pantry staples, my grandmother’s one-pot American chop suey is a quick and easy comfort food dinner that kids and adults will love! This cozy pasta and ground beef skillet is always a weeknight winner.
If you love simple, hearty one-pot meals, you’ll also enjoy One-Pot Hungarian Goulash, classic Johnny Marzetti Casserole, and One-Pot Chili Mac.
Table of Contents
What Is American Chop Suey?
New England-style American chop suey is a pasta dish made with ground beef, macaroni, and a seasoned tomato sauce. This meal is commonly found in New England cuisine and throughout other regions of the United States. There are many versions of this simple dinner, and it goes by different names depending on where you live.
Outside of New England, the dish is sometimes called American goulash or Johnny Marzetti casserole. In spite of the similar name, American chop suey has very little in common with the chop suey of Chinese and Chinese-American cuisine.
Before You Get Started
A few quick tips to help you get the best results:
- Brown the beef well and drain the fat. Browning builds flavor and color, and draining the fat keeps the finished dish from tasting greasy.
- Don’t boil the pasta separately. The macaroni cooks right in the sauce, releasing starches that help thicken the mixture and infuse the noodles with flavor.
- Use a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven. This helps distribute heat evenly and prevents scorching while the pasta simmers. A 5.5 to 7.5-quart pot works great.
How to Make American Chop Suey
This one-pot dinner practically cooks itself after about 10 minutes of prep. Here’s how to make it:
Step 1: Brown the Beef and Vegetables
Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.
When the oil shimmers, add the ground beef, diced onion, and bell pepper. Break up the meat with a wooden spoon and cook until the beef is no longer pink, about 7 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
Drain off the excess fat before moving to the next step.
Step 2: Add the Sauce and Pasta
Stir in the beef broth, water, diced tomatoes (with their juices), tomato paste, Italian seasoning, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper.
Add the uncooked elbow macaroni and stir everything together.
Bring the mixture to a boil.
Step 3: Simmer Until Tender
Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook uncovered for about 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender and the sauce has thickened.
>> If the sauce thickens too quickly before the pasta is done, add a splash of water or broth and continue simmering.
Taste and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed.
Serve and Enjoy
Sprinkle shredded cheddar or Parmesan cheese over the top, if desired, and garnish with chopped fresh parsley.
Serve hot and enjoy!
Hi Blair, I have made your American Chop Suey several times since I saw your recipe. I tried different variations according to your suggestions and I really like it with ground turkey! I recently made it with ground beef which my husband and I also liked it that way too! I will be making this again really soon!
– Annette
Serving Suggestions
This one-pot meal pairs nicely with easy sides like Garlic Bread, Jiffy Cornbread with Creamed Corn, or Flaky Biscuits.
For something a little heartier, try Southern-style green beans or roasted broccoli.
Storage Tips
- How to Store: Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
- How to Reheat: Warm the meal in a covered skillet over low heat just until warmed through, or microwave individual servings for about 1 minute.
- Freezer Note: I do not recommend freezing this dish. The pasta will swell in the freezer, resulting in a mushy texture when thawed and reheated.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between American chop suey and American goulash?
They’re actually the same dish! If you live outside of New England, you probably know this comfort food classic as “goulash.” No matter what you call it, the cozy ground beef and noodle recipe is sure to be a favorite at your dinner table.
Can I use a different type of meat?
Absolutely. Ground turkey, ground chicken, ground pork, or Italian sausage all work well as substitutes for the ground beef.
What kind of pasta works best?
Elbow macaroni is traditional, but you can use other short pasta shapes like rotini, shells, or penne. Just keep in mind that cooking times may vary slightly.
Can I make this spicier?
Yes! Add a dash of cayenne pepper to the sauce or finish the dish with crushed red pepper flakes. For a chili mac twist, try my One-Pot Chili Mac instead.
More Easy Ground Beef Dinners
Looking for more simple weeknight meals? Try these family favorites:
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Watch How to Make It
American Chop Suey
Equipment
- Dutch oven (or large cast iron skillet)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced or pressed (about 2 teaspoons)
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, not drained
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar (or increase to 2 teaspoons for a slightly sweeter taste)
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- Optional toppings: grated cheese; chopped fresh parsley; crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the ground beef, onion, and bell pepper. Break up the meat with a wooden spoon, and cook until the meat is no longer pink, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Drain off the excess fat.
- Add the beef broth, water, diced tomatoes (with juices), tomato paste, elbow macaroni, Italian seasoning, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, about ¾ teaspoon of salt, and a dash of pepper. Stir to combine.
- Bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook uncovered for about 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are tender and the sauce thickens.
- Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary. Garnish with cheese and parsley, if desired.
Notes
- Swap out the ground beef and use ground turkey, ground pork, ground sausage, or ground chicken instead.
- In a pinch, vegetable broth or chicken broth will be a fine substitute for the beef broth.
- Brown the beef well to build flavor and color, then drain the fat before adding other ingredients.
- Use a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven for even heat and to prevent scorching.
- If the sauce thickens too fast before the pasta is done, add a splash of water or broth and continue simmering.
- Make it spicy by adding a dash of cayenne or finishing the dish with crushed red pepper flakes.
- For added texture, sprinkle cheese and a few buttered breadcrumbs over the top and place under the broiler for a crunchy, cheesy finish.
Nutrition
Originally published in January, 2017, this post was updated in January, 2026.
I love that it’s more of American flavors in here, Blair! So creative, and I’m sure your boys appreciated that! 🙂 This looks so good, and I’m loving all of the flavors. And, of course, how easy this is to make! What a perfect weeknight meal!
Thanks so much, Gayle!
New England-style American chop suey turned out GREAT! Definitely a different way to make, full of flavor!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Joe!
My Mom used to make Chop Suey. I’ve been thinking about making a healthy version of it. Love that you added beans here!
Thanks, Megan! And since you don’t like beef, you could totally just use another can of beans instead!
I’ve never had or really even heard of Chop Suey before but this looks like such a delicious combination! Yum!
Thanks, Kristy! I’m no Chop Suey expert, so this is just my own version of it! 🙂
Yay! I’ve been waiting for this recipe. I’m going to try this out after I go to the grocery tomorrow.
That’s great, Roxanne! Enjoy!!!
Yum! I think my boys would love this! Pinned to my dinner board!!
Thanks so much for the pin, Kelly! 🙂
This sounds so weird but me and the hubs loves water chestnuts. They add such a cool texture to any dish. Can you please come take all my food photos for me? GORGEOUS!
You’re so kind, Chrissa. I really appreciate your comments on the photos, since it can be very difficult to make ground beef look appetizing. 🙂
love me some southern suey! Best i had was from my friends mom who grew up in lousinana. OMG AMAZING! Must try yours.
I agree…suey rules! 🙂
This girl loves ONE SKILLET meals! And this recipe looks phenomenal! I always forget about water chestnuts, but they’re awesome and should be incorporated more!
Me too, GiGi! Nobody wants to wash a bunch of dishes! 🙂
I am just curious, not being critical, but why do recipes call for adding oil to brown the ground beef? There is always some natural fat even if you use very lean beef and then it is drained off at the end.
Hi, Sue! I honestly do it both ways. If you’re using a good nonstick pan, you don’t need any oil at all. Sometimes you’ll find that the meat sticks to the pan before it really gets cooking though, in which case oil helps it brown nicely (and adds flavor). Do whatever you like best, though! 🙂
Thanks. Now I know why.
Hi Blair, I have made your American Chop Suey several times since I saw your recipe. I tried different variations according to your suggestions and I really like it with ground turkey! I recently made it with ground beef which my husband and I also liked it that way too! I will be making this again really soon!
Thank you for letting me know, Annette! I’m glad that you’ve been able to play around with different ingredients and flavors to make it your own. 🙂
Hello, Unfortunately, the dishes are not the same. I’m born and raised from Massachusetts and Chopped Suey does not have broth or worcestershire sauce. Your goulash recipe looks absolutely delicious. I can’t wait to try it 🙂
Thank you for letting us know! We will have to look into the recipes a bit more. We hope you enjoy it!
Thanks for your feedback, Phyllis!
Made as listed. Simple meal with big taste. Definitely will make this once a month or more. Thank you. Over the top good
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for trying it out and taking the time to leave your feedback, Raymond.
Soooo glad I went out & picked up a bottle of “Italian Seasoning”. Wonderful, deep flavor in this dish!
That’s wonderful to hear, JB. Thank you!
I made this last night and it was delicious! I made this on request from my picky eater who said it was very good. My picky eater is from Maine and grew up on this dish so had high expectations. I followed the recipe pretty closely with a couple of minor variations. I did add a half pound of sliced mushrooms. I used red bell pepper as I loathe green peppers. I was out of beef broth so used Better than Bullion Vegetable Broth with Mediterranean spices. My cup of water was half water and half white wine. I ended up having to do the final simmer stage about 30 minutes for the noodles to be done which worked our quite well as the dish looked a bit soupy at 15 minutes but was just right at 30 minutes. Thanks for posting such an EZ and tasty recipe.
Thank you for the feedback, Jimmy. We’re so glad you enjoyed it and were able to make it work for you!
This dish is so easy to make! Really great flavors, and is even better the next day. Family loves this and wants this in the regular rotation. Thanks for a new favorite!!
We’re so happy to hear this, Sharyl! Thank you for trying it out and taking the time to leave a review.
Delicious!! I usually use sauce from a jar but this is so much better. Thanks for this great recipe.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Linda!
This was quick, easy and very satisfying. I added sliced mushrooms and looking forward to making this again.
Thank you, James! We’re so glad you enjoyed it.