 American chop suey | |
| Alternative names | American goulash |
|---|---|
| Course | Main dish |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Region or state | New England |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Macaroni, ground beef, tomato-based sauce, and various vegetables (usually green peppers and onions) |
| Similar dishes | Beefaroni, cheeseburger macaroni, chili mac, Johnny Marzetti, macaroni with beef and tomatoes |
American chop suey is an American pasta casserole made with ground beef, macaroni and a seasoned tomato sauce, [1] found in the cuisine of New England and other regions of the United States. [2] [3] [4] Outside New England, it is sometimes called American goulash or Johnny Marzetti, among other names. [5] Despite its name, it has only a very distant relation to the chop suey of Chinese and American Chinese cuisine. [4]
Though this comfort food is influenced by Italian-American cuisine, as well as older New England quick and practical meals like the "potato bargain" and "necessity mess", it is known as "American chop suey" both because it is a sometimes-haphazard hodgepodge of meat, vegetables and Italian seasonings, [6] and because it once used rice, a staple ingredient in Chinese cuisine, instead of pasta. [4]
Standard American chop suey consists of elbow macaroni and bits of cooked ground beef with sautéed onions in a thick tomato-based sauce. [7] The dish can be served on a plate or in a bowl, usually accompanied by bread and often Worcestershire sauce.[ citation needed ]
