Wicked Good Guides / Wicked Good Guide to Boston English /

American chop suey

Has nothing to do with Chinese food (then again, only in Boston do Chinese restaurants serve French rolls): Macaroni with hamburg, a little tomato sauce and a bit of onion and green pepper.

Take-out American chop suey at Roche Bros:

Chop suey!

Comments

wow... and here i thought american chop suey was something aramark, the dining hall providers at umass, made up. recommendation: never eat aramark american chop suey.

ellen on February 24, 2004 07:28 PM.

Goodness no. It's positively a real thing. My aunt used to even make it for major holidays.

It isn't that good. And it certainly isn't pretty.

Lauryn Calabrese on March 25, 2004 09:46 PM.

I grew up eating American Chop Suey. It was nice to read of not only this Bostonian classic dish, but all of the other many things that make Boston, and New England, so unique.

Mark Bradley on April 12, 2004 01:48 PM.

i love american chop suey, i jsut figuered that everybody eats it becasue even if it doesnt lok goood damn it tastes good...yet its jsut another plus of living in Mass

Jessica on June 12, 2004 03:12 PM.

It isn't all that great, but its easy to make and cheaper on your budget.

I'll eat it, but I won't eat the tomatoes. gross

DIANE on June 16, 2004 07:29 AM.

In my family we called it "Gum Spidgeon"; no ideah why. Not shuah why; I think my fathah or brothah coined the phrase.

Bee on June 20, 2004 07:30 PM.

My grandparents moved to Florida back in the 60's from Boston and my grammy gave my mom the recipe for American chop suey. I love it!!! For some reason it tastes better the day after you cook it. Don't forget the salt!

Jennifer on July 6, 2004 01:59 PM.

I grew up in Boston, but moved Upstate NY in college. Out there they kept trying to feed me "Goolash"... which I ran about 10 miles from until a fellow Bostonian explained to me that it was just American Chop Suey. My NY friends still don't let me live it down.

Lauren on July 13, 2004 07:02 PM.

Its always been American Chop Suey, but in my family we also called it Boulsey Whoo. I don't know why either. But American Chop Suey is the way to go on this one.

BONE on September 10, 2004 12:52 AM.

I had american Cop Suey as a kid growing up in Maine. It was always my favorite dish.
At work I mentioned it to my co-workers who thought I was crazy when I told them about it. Today Sept 14 in the tower of Usairways
my co-worker Gail made the dish and brought it to work and everyone is raving how good it is. Try putting in peas and carrots as she did.

peter on September 14, 2004 10:36 AM.

I remember my mother-in-law was out of tomato sauce one Sunday (stores were closed in Mass. way back then) so she used some Heinz ketchup along with the beef, onions, peppers & elbow macaroni. That was the start of a new low cost budget stretcher. And it was better than some of the stuff at the cafeteria at work too. After about a 15 year gap I found myself making it to stretch my food money and it really brought me back. She's gone now but this will always remind me of her Yankee ingenuity.

Dave on September 17, 2004 11:57 PM.

american chop suey kid....i luv it, my motha makes it once a month and we neva eat it on the first day, you gotta eat it afta its been refrija-ated.....then throw it in the frying pan with some butta, add salt and ya good ta go.....high pahk style baby

john on October 18, 2004 03:04 PM.

The first time I was making it for my husband (native Floridian), he just looked at me funny. He ate it, and he's definitely a fan now, but I think the concept baffles people who haven't grown up with it.

Jerel on October 31, 2004 09:31 AM.

I grew up with American Chop Suey and never realised the rest of the country didn't eat this until I moved out of the Boston area. It's one of my fav's and my kids too!! I use tomato soup and stewed toms w/peppers and onions..it's a little sweeter than the tom sauce...but definately do not forget salt and pepper!!! It's also good with ground turkey and whole wheat pasta for those being healthier!!! I use the whole wheat w/ground beef, but it always HAS to be elbow mac.

torinix on November 4, 2004 08:29 AM.

Please Please Please!!!! I had the recipe for american chop suey and lost it. I know its not that hard to make but... everytime I make it, I cant get that american chop suey taste. Please does anyone have the recipe? I am from MA and could really use it...

Donna on November 12, 2004 05:22 PM.

Just take some ground beef and fry it up, add some garlic (mmmmmmm) and onions, then some tomato sauce. and cook some elbows too add the sauce to it and ur done

Kevin on November 22, 2004 05:00 AM.

My mom used to make this all the time...it was my absolute favourite!!!
...except she called it Chilli Mac.

Mark on December 6, 2004 06:25 PM.

It was one of the regular dishes on our school lunch menu where I grew up in NH.

Dianne on February 27, 2005 10:22 PM.

We have American Chop Suey every once and awhile, and can rarely make enough to satisfy everybody (My mom got this hugeass frying pan just for this). What I know it as is a little different, though...we use Franco-American spaghetti (the canned stuff) and of course ground hamburger. "Wicked good" stuff either way.

Dave on March 29, 2005 02:10 PM.

I called my mom today because I was pondering the name "American Chop Suey". Why is it called that, I asked. She had no idea, but thought it was a New England thing. We moved away when I was a kid, and I never noticed that nobody knew what I was talking about. I guess I haven't made it in a long time. Well, I did make it tonight, and we did eat it tonight (leftovers are for Mommy, add a little more salt please!) As a transplanted Yankee in Texas, I'm proud to call this comfort food by it's proper name and my Texan children will grow up on it too.

other_Gootz on May 4, 2005 08:31 PM.

I called my mom today because I was pondering the name "American Chop Suey". Why is it called that, I asked. She had no idea, but thought it was a New England thing. We moved away when I was a kid, and I never noticed that nobody knew what I was talking about. I guess I haven't made it in a long time. Well, I did make it tonight, and we did eat it tonight (leftovers are for Mommy, add a little more salt please!) As a transplanted Yankee in Texas, I'm proud to call this comfort food by it's proper name and my Texan children will grow up on it too.

Mother_Gootz on May 4, 2005 08:32 PM.

i came out to california for school. i taught my roomates how to make it, and they love it haha

sheila on May 23, 2005 11:25 PM.

You should try a Garbage Plate

Beth on May 24, 2005 05:30 PM.

In my family we used "goolash" and "chop suey" interchangably, probably since I'm in the Pioneer Valley halfway between NY and Boston.

Justin on May 27, 2005 01:45 AM.

As simple as ACS is, it's downright fancy compared to its possible ancestor, Elbows n Tomatoes, a dish favored by some Italian families I know. It would be interesting to list all the dishes like E-n-T that date to pre-Vatican II Fridays (or to when people couldn't afford meat all the time).

Cannon on June 9, 2005 11:42 PM.

In the Detroit suburbs where I grew up my Mom made this all the time, but we called it goulash.

Joe on June 10, 2005 12:49 PM.

I love American chop suey....grew up in maine and mom use to make it quite often.Moved to Arizona and told a few people and they thought i was nuts....didnt know what it was they say goolash but to me its american chop suey.Going to make it tonight.but it is better the next day.Yummy!!!!!

Ally on July 13, 2005 02:35 PM.

I remember reading this book when I was little... Confused the hell out of me, because they kept talking about chop suey, but by what they were saying it was definitely not good old American Chop Suey (one of my favorites). Never figured out exactly what they were talking about, but I think regular chop suey is Chinese food.

Alexandra on July 31, 2005 08:03 PM.

Im still looking for the recipe for american chop suey. I dont really think the original chop suey had garlic in it. I do know it had onions and celery. I would love to make it for my husband, where he isnt from new england and has never had it. Can anyone help? Thanks

Donna on September 14, 2005 11:25 AM.

ok..here it is. depending on how close to payday you are either 1/2lb or 1lb of hamburgh. Break up hamburgh as you fry in very large pan. add to hamburgh as frying 1/2 onion chopped plus about a cup of chopped celery. Keep cooking till all red has gone from meat and celery and onion are cooked. Add 1lb can of either tomatoes or stewed tomatoes some ground pepper and salt. You can also add about a quarter cup of ketsup if you like that taste. Let all this simmer uncovered while you cook your macaroni. When macaroni is done, drain and add to meat mixture, turn off stove and let sit allow flavors to mix. Always better the second day and delicious served with texas toast or garlic bread.

maggie on October 5, 2005 06:05 PM.

My God don't you people know what good is ? And try the following American Chop Suey recipie. Kick ass to die for!Growing up in the hill towns of MA. Grandmothers and moms cooked and cooked gooood as Andy Taylor use to say.I cook all the time, everything from soup to stuffed shrimp however I don't measure many ingredients, but judge you're needs.Start out browning some 93% ground beef,and don't drain that little bit of fat and juice from the meat.You're using 93% beef,that's quality and it will ad such flavor! After beef is cooked ad small diced onion,green pepper,can diced or sliced stewed tomatoes with juice,salt, fresh ground pepper ad other spices if you wish. cover and simmer until veggies are the consistency you like.Meantime cook elbow mac.drain,rinse back in the pot ad beef mixture stir and serve.Don't want mixture soupy just nicely mixed maybe a salad or crusty bread but you will want seconds!For 2 people 1lb.93% ground beef,1 med onion+green pepper med. dice ea.1 14 oz.can stewed tomatoes w/juice spices to taste salt,ground pepper,crushed red pepper,parsley.1 cup uncooked elbows, after cooking will be double in size.

Just Mike on October 22, 2005 12:15 PM.

I call it goulash and i always use garlic try it with some crumbled up fried bacon its not original chop suey but it gives it that salt taste that American chop suey needs. mix the bacon in once its all done put in refigerator until the next day rewarm and it um um good! I have also made the meat mixture (without the macaroni) and frozen it for later use quick easy and delicious.

island girl on October 28, 2005 10:45 PM.

This was always a staple in my house growing up in Mansfield, and when I moved away from Mass., my friends were baffled by the idea. For them, "chop suey" meant something you'd find in a Chinese restaurant! ACS is definitely a New England tradition, always bettah the day aftah! A friend of mine from Texas found this site and has been reading it faithfully to figure out just what the heck I'm talking about. Thanks so much for the entire site - it's a wicked pissa, boy gawd! Go Pats!

Lisa in Seattle on October 31, 2005 01:33 PM.

JUST MADE AMERICAN CHOP SUEY TONIGHT
FRY PEPPERS AND ONIONS A LITTLE GARLIC
REMOVE FRY BURGER ADD TOMATOE SAUCE COOK 2HOURS TOGETHER GREAT COMFORT FOOD

ROSANNE on November 1, 2005 08:32 PM.

I love american chop suey. The school used to serve it but that stuff was not edable. Bahn and raised in Boston heya.

warren on November 3, 2005 10:47 AM.

I believe the Pennsylvania translation of this word is "Johnny Marzetti". Can anyone confirm?

Greg on November 3, 2005 12:55 PM.

for those of you who call it "american chop suey" don't forget that chop suey was invented in america, just like most of the food you find in a chinese restaurant. and you certainly won't find these things in china!

an expert on November 3, 2005 08:20 PM.

Only in Boston is ground beef called "hamburg."

Witch City Sox Girl on November 17, 2005 03:25 PM.

damn this is a boston thing. thats just what i heard it called all the time growing up in charlestown I had no idea. no wonder everyone out here in the midwest is like american chop what? hamburger helper?

chuck on November 19, 2005 11:28 AM.

hi i grew up in maine and mom cooked american chop suey she used green peppers onions and 2 cans campbells tomato soup and a can of tomatoes she fried the hamb in butter and drained it i use now a little tobasco to spice it up. jsut dont add the can of tomatoes till last so it will not be dry. its funny im here cause im cooking it for my handicapped son tonight lol

pam on November 22, 2005 06:24 PM.

Supposedly, Johnny Marzetti is a casserole created in the 1920s by the owner of the Marzetti Restaurant in Columbus, Ohio. It's made from meat, pasta and either tomato sauce, soup or juice.

So, yes Greg, basically the same thing as American Chop Suey.

I just made it tonight, although I call it 'baked spaghetti' and my husband calls it 'Johnny Marzetti.' Someone asked me what the heck it was so I did a little googling and found this conversation.

Gina on December 1, 2005 10:32 PM.

French rolls - a possible explaination is that the Chinese serving French rolls in Chinatown were from Southeast Asia, either from Vietnam or heavily influenced by it. French rolls (with curry, with pho, as part of a quick lunch) are remnants of French colonization of Indochina, modern day Vietnam. There are also other mixes such as Japanese curry, Hong Kong style English breakfast, Chinese bakeries serving Western-style cakes, Asian influenced ice cream (green tea, ginger, red bean), etc.

Del on December 2, 2005 11:31 AM.

Yeah, we too used to eat the stuff...but in our family we called it "slungonian"...don't know where that name came from, but me & my sisters always know, to this day, if one of us is having "slungonian" we know exactly what that means.

Ginny

Ginny on January 10, 2006 04:30 PM.

Jeezum Crow, I can't tell you how thrilled I am by this website. I'm from New Hampshire, where I grew up eating American Chop Suey at least three times a week all through elementary and middle school. When you eat it that often, it kind of loses the romance, if you know what I'm talking about. When I was a tike I thought it was something that everyone ate, the whole world around. Later, after reading some book or other on New England, I learned that it was a dish local to NH and Maine. Apparently Boston, too, I now discover. I'm in Italy right now, and I'm dying for a dish of that stuff (I have visions of the little bowl floating atop a leaf of iceberg lettuce at Timonleon's Restaurant up to Keene), but oddly enough (given the ingredients), you can't find anything to touch it here. The place is full of hotshot chefs, but they can't satisfy the simple tastes of a New Hampshireman.

Anders on February 2, 2006 07:04 AM.

I grew up in the worcester area and had this for school lunch I loved it my Mother couldn't understand how I liked this since we were Italian! This wasn't a real sauce! We live in Florida now and I have tried to make it according to memory it hasn't worked. I will try a couple of these recipes to see if it comes close to my Shrewsbury Lunch Menu.
Thanks for the memories and a fun site

Carole on February 7, 2006 09:52 AM.

My grandmother used to make what she called Chop Suey and it went like this.

one package of ground beef (you can never have too much)

three cans of tomato soup (must be campbells)

one onion and salt and pepper

cook your ground beef with onion and boil spaegetti noodles

now take a casserole dish and layer your spaegetti meat and soup alternativley until you fill your dish and bake at 300 c for a half an hour uncovered and 15 covered.

This is delicious and also tastes the best the next day even cold

Karen on February 7, 2006 08:00 PM.

Thanks to all the good recipes I finally got it right, I used "Just Mike's" recipe, left out the green pepper browned the meat in butter and enjoyed!My daughter and son stopped over while we were eating and tasted it--- just as they remembered it. I am sure I will be making it again and again. Thanks for bringing back the memories.

Carole on February 9, 2006 09:07 PM.

American Chop Suey! a Mainers staple for sure. I don't remember if we had it as a child at home with 13 kids but we did have it in school. The recipe (I just finished eating two bowls of) went like this, brown 1 lb. ground beef/hamburg w/ 1 chopped onion, add a can of tomato paste a can of campbells tomato soup and a can of stewed tomatoes, let simmer while elbow macaroni is cooking, drain macaroni and return to pot, add hamburg tomato mix and stir, (I always leave out the salt because we add it to our own taste and I also add butter to my bowl)I never used stewed tomatoes until my mother-in-law made her's but she left out the soup so to appease my husband I added the tomatoes and still add the soup) My youngest son moved to AZ and his gf never heard of it so I had to go there and make it for him and give her the recipe. ENJOY

Gina on February 26, 2006 05:20 PM.

my mother used to make it and i didnt understand why we didnt just have pasta with maranara. its so much better

Dan on March 2, 2006 01:30 PM.

I just made this for a neighbor's family and while they thought it was delicious, they were confused with the name! I grew in MA but live in PA now. He said they call it goulash here. I use homemade sauce and hamburger. I recently switched to whole wheat elbows. It is better the next day!!!

Allison on March 21, 2006 02:25 PM.

I attnended Sacred Heart school in Milford MA. during the early 70's and we used to have ACS and I miss it so much...bless the ladies in our cafateria that made it for us...it was the best...I live In palm springs CA. and these ding bats have never heard of it.

John on March 23, 2006 11:02 AM.

OK, so I am born and raised Arizona girl and my boyfriend is from MA, when we first started dating about seven years ago he asked if I would make him some ACS. I had no idea what he was talking about! We have nothing like this in AZ, we actually had to call his mom in Maine to get a reciepe for me! We eat it all the time now and it brings back great memories for my boyfriend of his New England childhood. Great Site!!!! ;-)

Kymberli Miller on May 13, 2006 11:50 PM.

Growing up in the 60's/70's my family often ate elbow macaroni with meat sauce...didn't realize it was ACS until adulthood...

The stuff they served at school lunch as ACS had cubed green peppers (yuck!) in it, so I thought it was a different thing all together.

Pam on July 20, 2006 12:20 PM.

wow i have lived in boston my whole life and i always thought american chop suey was used everywere.

Jake on July 25, 2006 12:42 PM.

We call this stuff beef-a-roni where I come from. The name chop suey sounds gross IMHO.

Mike on August 5, 2006 10:40 AM.

I can testify that it's made in Minn. and So. Dak. as well, likely throughout the Upper Midwest. The receipe is the same here, although it normally goes by the unappealing name of goolosh or just casserole. Also, the specific ingredients aren't always the same. Whatever is available finds its way into the dish. I supsect that's the same in Boston.

Andrew on January 12, 2007 07:56 PM.

I love American Chop suey - I am about to make it tonight... Have you ever tried adding cheese to the mixture? To me, it just wouldn't be the same without it... my mother typically uses american cheese, but I can't get that here - so it will have to be cheddar - give it a try! Just throw a few slices over the finished product - pop it in the oven for an extra minute or two and then stir it in!

BOB in Munich on January 25, 2007 01:27 PM.

To Ginny who responded on 1/10/06: Your name, "slungonian", is the closest to what my mom called the dish (we called it slumgullion). She grew up in depression-era New Jersey, so I always thought it came from there. Ours was made with ground beef, chopped onions, and either Franco-American spaghetti or SpaghettiO’s!

Pat on April 16, 2007 12:31 PM.

In my house, we called it "Goulash" and was made with tomato soup!! Yum, I still love it. I think that was only in my house though, because my friends thought I was crazy, until they tried some. lol

Jean on April 30, 2007 09:01 PM.

This is too funny! A friend of mine came over last night and gave me her goulash (We now live in AZ and are from Mass.) I saw it and thought of the days of American Chop Suey for school lunch!! The girl that made it is from PA. I used to love it and now I will be making it for dinner tonight! My husband is thrilled!!

Karinn on May 22, 2007 12:15 PM.

I grew up in Maine and ACS was on the menu at least once a week for suppa. I really did not like it as a kid. But the funny thing is, after living for 15 years in South East Asia (Bali) When I am home sick, this is the one comfort food I crave most! And when I return to the States, it is the first thing I will cook too! I like it best with Pine Cone brand canned tomatoes, lots of onion, garlic and "hamburg". YUMMY!
My husband who is from Bali likes it too! It is his favorite American food!

Debra on May 22, 2007 08:48 PM.

American Chop Suey was as much a part of my up-bringing, in the Boston suberbs, as Saturday night hot dogs and baked beans.

I married New Jersey, but ACS came with me and when my kids were due home from college, there was always a pot of it on the stove.

A recipe? I never followed one --- I just did it! And green peppers? Huh?

I always thought it was just a dish my Mother threw together and called it ACS, until I was at an old time diner in NH and it was on their menu. My respect for this noble dish was sparked and has only grown over the years.

Jo-Ann on July 16, 2007 10:25 AM.

I saw it on a cooking show last night and was immediately transferred back to elementary school. I don't know when I had it last, but now I want some. Growing up in the Boston suburbs, I had no idea it wasn't universally known. I figured everyone ate it for hot lunch at school and knew it as ACS, but the cooking show guy was baffled. Funny stuff. Now if I could only find the Fall River Portuguese lemon rolls, I'd be set.

Siobhan on September 3, 2007 03:42 PM.

Heh! I always thought it was a family recipe...never knew it was a regional thing! My Mom was born and raised in Boston, my Dad was from Worcester, but although I was born in Boston, we moved when I was 3 and I've never been back. We make it starting with frying bacon - 4 slices, and then removing the bacon, draining it and later crumbling it into the mix. Add the onion(1 med, chopped) and green peppers(about 1/4 cut small) to the bacon grease left in the pan, and when the onion is transparent, add the hamburg and cook till the red is gone. Add a 1 lb can of diced tomatoes, and mix it all up, including the crumbled bacon. When you start frying the bacon, start the water for the macaroni, and when the macaroni is done, mix it into the hamburg mix. Put it into a baking pan, and top it with american cheese or cheddar if you prefer. Big shallow pans give more surface for cheese! but smaller deep ones work as well. I use 1 pound of hamburg and 2 cups of uncooked macaroni for 4-6 people, but as someone said, if you end up with more people or if it's a stretch till pay day, it's adjustable.
Saw this (ACS) mentioned on the Food Channel the other day as a NH regional dish...I had no idea! Theirs was more tomato saucy then mine...

suek on September 3, 2007 07:08 PM.

I caught the tale end of a Food Network show (Diners, etc.) that featured a segment on American Chop Suey. I missed the ingredients to check and see if they were similar to my own. My Mom made it regularly back in Mansfield, MA and that was MANY years ago. The whole family loved it. I made it for my family and after they were grown and gone, just never made it much after. I will go home tonight and make a pot. The ingredients are always in the pantry or freezer. It was fun reading the comments and recipes. I am a green pepper afficionado when it comes to ACS and tomato paste rather than soup. I am SO hungry for that taste right now!!!

Pat on September 6, 2007 10:38 AM.

I haven't had american chop suey since I moved out of my mom's in Brockton. :(

Rob on December 1, 2007 01:34 PM.

Well I"ll be darn. I cannot believe that this recipe actually exsists. My mom has been making this dish since I was a wee one and we always called it Hamburger Noodle Casserole (although we didn't bake it so it is actually not a casserole. I am from the midwest and she got it from a friend of her who was from a family of 9 kids.
My family now loves this dish and I just can't believe that this simple little dish draws so much attention. We always made it with Campbells Tomato Soup but as I see it is actually make with tomato sauce so I will have to try it that way.
The things you find on Food Tv and the internet.

Pamela on December 2, 2007 12:50 PM.

1 medium Onion
1 package celery
2lbs hamburger
Parmasen cheese
2 large cans tomato soup
1 lb of elbow mac noodles.
salt and pepper with just a bit of season salt. (dried hot pepper flakes optional)

Brown hamgurger and drain, saute onion and celery in a seperate pan with just a bit of butter and salt, drain extra liquid. Combine in large pot add one of the large cans of tomato soup mix with some grated parmsean cheese, salt, pepper. let sit while boiling noodles stir frequently add cooked noodles and half of the 2nd can of tomato soup. mix and stir. add more parm, salt and pepper to taste. stir and let warm up for atleast one hour. Serve with French bread. Before putting away in the fridge add the second half of the tomato soup to the american chop suey so the noodles don't take in all the sauce. Enjoy

Tim Broderius on February 21, 2008 03:22 PM.

Also known as "Train Wreck" since it looks a bit like human carnage.

ilir on March 20, 2008 07:57 PM.

I grew up in an Irish/Italian household in the Boston suburbs and almost every Sunday my dad would "make a sauce"- meaning he would simmer marinara sauce all day long, stirring every ten minutes or so while watching "the game". He would make a huge pot, but the left overs were even better, so by Monday or Tuesday if there was any left at all, it wasn't much. So my mom would make "scalloped hamburg" with it using peppers, ground beef, and a minimal amount of sauce. All my friends called it American chop suey though. LOL, it was god awful, and yeah they served it at school all the time too. I now make my own homemade sauce almost every sunday and I just add diced peppers and a little bit of hamburg in the beginning with garlic and onion. Saute that up then add tomatoes & italian seasonings and simmer for at least four hours. So much better!! The long cooking time makes the meat melt in your mouth yummy, plus theres plenty of sauce this way. Did anyone else call it scalloped hamburg? Lol, just thinking about it makes me laugh.

Angela on April 13, 2008 08:46 PM.

growing up in rhode island, i remember fondly my mother's american chop suey. when i have used the term outside of new england, people have looked at me strangely. however, unless one is truly a food snob, american chop suey is tasty, easy and fun.
being vegetarian now, soyrizo happily substitutes for the "hamburg" and adds a little tex-mex tang.

jt on April 23, 2008 04:50 PM.

Just got finished reading these comments and had to add mine. I grew up in PA and had this all the time as a kid, but we called it Macaroni and Hamburg in our area of eastern PA. I live in Maine and I am glad to know that the same comfort food has roots in this area to even if it does go by a different name. By coincidence I had this for supper today and that was before I read all the comments.

ml on April 25, 2008 04:11 PM.

I also grew up just outside Boston with American Chop Suey as a common feature on our family's menu. I remember it as a great comfort supper on crisp fall days after football. I also recall eating it out of a thermos in ski lodges after long days on the slopes. It seemed to be more of a cold-weather item with our family. One fun thing about American Chop Suey was that we never knew what Mom was going to throw in. One week a few peas might have shown up, another week, the same few lonely bits of corn. With an eye to making ends meet, I guess she never wanted to let things spoil in the fridge. In our vegetarian household today, we substitute Boca Hamburg Crumbles (better than Morningstar Farms crumbles in this application) for the hamburg or chopped sirloin. One other thing. From my perspective, real American Chop Suey should be runny from lots of natural tomato juice, so it needs to be eaten with a tablespoon out of bowl.

Paul from Sturbridge on May 8, 2008 03:46 PM.

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