One Pot American Chop Suey (American Goulash)

Ladle in a pot of New England style American chop suey recipe

Print Pin

5 from 2 votes

One Pot American Chop Suey (American Goulash)

You only need 10 minutes of prep and one pot for my grandmother's easy American Chop Suey recipe!

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword American Chop Suey, Chop Suey, goulash

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings - 6 people

Calories 292kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb. ground beef
1 cup diced onion
1 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 remaining ingredients to the skillet, as well as about ¾ teaspoon of salt and a dash of pepper.
Stir to combine; bring to a boil. Once the mixture boils, reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, for about 12-15 minutes, or 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, or ground chicken instead.
In a pinch, vegetable broth or chicken broth will be a fine substitute for the beef broth.
For a dish that tastes like chili mac, substitute 2 teaspoons of chili powder for the Italian seasoning.
Make it spicy by adding a dash of cayenne or finishing the dish with crushed red pepper flakes.
Add a dash of paprika to the sauce, or season with fresh herbs such as parsley, rosemary, thyme, or basil.
For added texture, sprinkle cheese and a few buttered breadcrumbs over the top, and then place the pot under the broiler for a few minutes. This will give it a crunchy, cheesy topping similar to mac and cheese.
Brown the hamburger first. This gives the beef color, and seals in the flavor.
Drain the fat. This is another important step, since it's not only a healthier way of cooking, but it also prevents the finished dish from having a greasy texture.
Don't omit the brown sugar. In order to achieve great tomato flavor, it's important to balance acidity and sweetness. Too much acid or too much sugar yields a sauce that tastes one-dimensional. The right amount of sugar perfectly balances the acidity of the tomatoes. Start with about 1 teaspoon of sugar here, and add more to taste, if necessary.
The cheese garnish at the end is optional, but it sure adds great flavor! You can use shredded sharp cheddar cheese, mozzarella, Pepper Jack, Colby, Colby Jack, or any other good melting cheese. A sprinkling of Parmesan would also be nice.

Nutrition