American chop suey is the kind of dinner I learned to make when the grocery money was tight and the question was not "What sounds exciting?" but "What can feed us until Friday?" It is elbow macaroni, ground beef, tomatoes, onion, and seasoning cooked together until the pasta is soft and the sauce clings to everything. Add cheese if you have it. Leave it off if you do not. Either way, it works.
This version makes six generous servings for about $11.75 using typical Kroger prices in Columbus, Ohio. That comes to roughly $1.96 per serving, and the leftovers reheat without turning into a sad brick. American chop suey is not fancy food, and it does not need to apologize for that. It is hot, filling, easy to portion, and forgiving when your onion gets chopped too big.
What you need for American Chop Suey
For six servings, gather 1 pound of ground beef, 1 small yellow onion, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 can of diced tomatoes, 1 can of tomato sauce, 2 cups of beef broth or water, 2 cups of dry elbow macaroni, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. A cup of shredded cheddar is optional but strongly recommended if it is already in your refrigerator.
My rough Kroger price breakdown is $5.49 for ground beef, $1.19 for macaroni, $1.25 each for diced tomatoes and tomato sauce, about 60 cents for half an onion, 35 cents for garlic, and around $1.20 for broth and seasonings. The cheese adds about $1.50. Prices change, but the math gives you a useful starting point. If ground beef is expensive, use half a pound of beef and add a drained can of beans. The dish will still have enough flavor and plenty of protein for a weeknight meal.
Use a large skillet or Dutch oven with a lid. A shallow frying pan is frustrating here because the pasta and liquid need room to move. You do not need a special pot, and you do not need to cook the macaroni separately. That is one of the reasons this American chop suey belongs in the beginner-cook rotation.
How to make American Chop Suey without guesswork
Heat the skillet over medium heat and add the ground beef and chopped onion. Break the beef into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no pink remains and the onion looks soft. If there is more than a tablespoon or two of grease in the pan, spoon some out. Do not rinse the beef in the sink; that spreads grease and makes cleanup worse.
Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir for 30 seconds. Pour in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and broth. Scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet because those bits are free flavor. Stir in the dry macaroni and bring the liquid to a steady simmer.
Put the lid on and cook for 12 to 16 minutes. Stir every 3 or 4 minutes, especially near the end, so the pasta does not stick. American chop suey should look saucy when finished, not dry. If the pasta is still firm and the pan looks dry, add 1/4 cup water and cook for another 2 minutes. If it seems watery, remove the lid and simmer for 2 to 4 minutes.
Turn off the heat and let it sit for 5 minutes. Stir in the cheddar, or sprinkle it over individual bowls. This short rest matters: the sauce thickens, the pasta finishes absorbing liquid, and you are less likely to burn your mouth because you were hungry at minute one.
The mistakes I made the first time
The biggest American chop suey mistake is using too little liquid. Dry pasta absorbs more than it appears capable of absorbing, and a dish that looked soupy halfway through cooking became dry after five minutes. Start with the listed broth amount and keep a cup of water nearby for adjustments.
The second mistake is cooking on high heat. The bottom scorches while the macaroni remains hard. Medium or medium-low heat is slower but much safer. You want gentle bubbling, not a storm. Stirring only once at the end is also risky. One quick scrape around the bottom every few minutes prevents stuck pasta.
I also once added a full tablespoon of chili powder because I confused it with paprika. The result was edible, but it was not the mild family dinner I intended. Taste your seasoning before adding more, particularly if your canned tomatoes or broth contain salt. American chop suey is easy to fix while it cooks, but much harder to rescue after it becomes over-salted.
Cheap swaps that actually work
Ground turkey works in place of beef, although I add an extra teaspoon of oil because turkey is often leaner. Ground pork gives the sauce a richer flavor. For a meatless version, use one can of drained kidney beans and one cup of frozen corn. The corn adds sweetness and color without requiring another complicated side dish.
You can replace elbow macaroni with small shells, rotini, or broken spaghetti. Check the pasta a few minutes early because shapes cook at different speeds. Crushed tomatoes work if you do not have tomato sauce; use one 14-ounce can and add a splash of water. Fresh onion can be replaced with 1 tablespoon of dried minced onion when the produce drawer is empty.
For vegetables, stir in a cup of frozen peas, chopped spinach, or diced bell pepper. Add firm vegetables with the onion so they soften. Add spinach during the final two minutes. Do not throw every leftover vegetable into the pot without considering water content; zucchini and frozen vegetables can make the sauce thinner, so leave the lid off briefly at the end.
Serving, storing, and stretching leftovers
American chop suey is a complete bowl for most people, but a simple side can stretch it further. Serve it with toast, frozen green beans, or a bagged salad divided across several meals. A 99-cent loaf of bread can turn six servings into eight smaller plates, which is useful when feeding children or saving lunch for work.
Cool leftovers in shallow containers and refrigerate them within two hours. They keep for about three to four days. To reheat one serving, add a tablespoon of water and microwave it covered loosely for 60 to 90 seconds, stir, then continue in 30-second bursts. The pasta keeps absorbing sauce in the refrigerator, so the water brings the texture back.
This recipe also freezes reasonably well. Portion it into labeled containers, leave a little space at the top, and thaw it overnight in the refrigerator. The macaroni will be softer after freezing, but the flavor remains solid. If you know you are freezing part of the batch, stop cooking the pasta one minute early.
A practical grocery plan
Buy the beef when it drops near $4 per pound, brown two pounds at once, and freeze half in a flat bag. That turns the next batch of American chop suey into a faster dinner. Store-brand pasta, tomatoes, and broth are perfectly suitable here; paying extra for a familiar label does not solve a cooking problem.
The most useful add-on is shredded cheese only if you will use the rest elsewhere. Do not buy a whole package for one recipe and let it become refrigerator science. A little Parmesan, sliced mozzarella, or even a spoonful of cream cheese can finish a bowl. The goal is not to copy a restaurant dish. The goal is a dinner you can make on a Tuesday with one pan and a grocery receipt that does not make you wince.
American chop suey earns its place because it is adjustable. You can make it with less meat, extra beans, different pasta, or no cheese, and the basic method still holds. Price it out, then tell me it does not work.
