American Chop Suey
This American Chop Suey recipe is known by many other names including Goulash, Beef Bolognese or Slumgullion. No matter what you call it, the saucy ground beef, sauteed veggies and hearty pasta make it a family favorite! This from-scratch recipe is ready in 45 minutes and comes in at 330 calories per serving.
Table of contents
Why This Chop Suey Recipe is Great
Before I met my husband, I had always called this dish “Bolognese”- a hearty Italian sauce made with finely chopped veggies, rich tomato sauce and tender ground beef. But the first time I made it for him, he referred to it as “Chop Suey.”
After sharing a version of this recipe made with bison here on Healthy Seasonal Recipes many of you readers chimed in to offer other names for the recipe too. I learned that commonly in parts of the Midwest it is known as Goulash. And also sometimes this dish is called Slumgullion in some parts! One reader told me they always called it “Glop” and another “Slop”! The names just crack me up!
Whatever you call it, we love it in this house, especially when it is healthified! I have added in lots of finely chopped veggies (don’t worry- I have a trick to make that part super simple) and used whole-wheat pasta to make it healthier.
Some versions of Chop Suey are baked in a casserole dish, but I find this delicious straight out of the skillet, spooned into large pasta bowls. We often have shredded Parmesan on top and serve it with crusty bread.
Recipe Highlights
- Ready in only 45 minutes
- Has two servings of veggies per serving
- High in fiber and whole grain
- Great family friendly way to incorporate more veggies into dinnertime, because the finely chopped veggies disappear into the sauce.
Such an easy, tasty family friendly recipe! Mine loved it!
~Liz
Ingredient Notes
Whole Wheat Pasta—whole wheat pasta is higher in fiber and will keep you satisfied longer. I used 2 ounces (dry) per person which is actually the recommended serving size. So many pasta dishes have double that!
Ground Beef—We suggest using grass-fed ground beef which is naturally leaner than conventional beef (I used 92% lean.) If you can, try to find a local grass-fed beef. I also make this with ground bison meat fairly regularly because my local market stocks it.
Vegetables—this recipe is loaded with vegetables! The vegetables double the serving size. The trick is to use a food processor to make this an easy step. You’ll need garlic, onions, carrot and celery (all classic components of bolognese sauce- but not necessarily of Chop Suey.)
Of course, there’s also tomatoes. I use fire-roasted crushed tomatoes when available because they have a little smoky flavor.
Lots of flavor—I used Italian Seasoning mix since it is so simple, plus red wine. Wine helps to make the flavors in recipes more pronounced.
How to Make American Chop Suey
Step 1: Boil Pasta
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once the water boils, cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain.
Step 3: Chop Veggies in a Food Processor
Meanwhile, fit food processor with steel blade attachment, close lid and turn motor on. Drop garlic through feed spout and continue processing until the garlic is minced. Open lid and add carrot and celery. Process until the carrot and celery are finely chopped. Open lid, add onion and pulse until the onion is roughly chopped.
Alternatively, use a knife to mince garlic, finely chop carrot and celery and dice onion.
Step 4: Cook Beef, Vegetables and Wine
Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Crumble in bison or beef, and cook, stirring and breaking up chunks of meat until browned, 4 to 5 minutes.
Stir in the vegetable mixture, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are cooked down and browned slightly, 8 to 12 minutes.
Pour in wine and cook until mostly evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes.
Stir in tomato and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to maintain simmer and cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
Step 5: Mix Pasta with Sauce
Mix the pasta and sauce together and serve sprinkled with parsley.
FAQs and Expert Tips
Leftovers can be kept in a resealable container up to four days. Keep refrigerated.
To reheat spoon portions into a microwave safe container. Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Stir and heat for an additional 30 seconds if necessary. To reheat on the stovetop, transfer to a saucepan and splash a little water in. Place over medium heat and cook stirring often until heated through and steaming hot, about 6 minutes.
Store the sauce frozen for up to 6 months. It can be thawed in the microwave or in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
Yes! Saute the beef and veggies as directed and deglaze with the wine. Transfer to the insert of the slow cooker, add the tomatoes, cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
More Healthy Dinner Recipes:
- This new Slow Cooker Bolognese recipe is similar to this but simmers all day long while you work!
- Don’t miss my Mushroom Carbonara.
- If you love pasta and sauce you can try this Spaghetti Recipe from Ifoodreal! It only takes a few minutes.
- Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese is another oldie-but-goodie that my family always loves.
- This recipe for Mexican Chicken Casserole is a little spicy and loaded with veggies!
- Try mixing it up by making these Italian Beef and Marinara Stuffed Portobellos or this quick and Healthy Stove-top Macaroni and Cheese with Kale.
- If you love one pot cooking try this recipe for Chicken and Brussels Sprouts Sheet Pan Dinner.
At Healthy Seasonal Recipes, we specialize in cooking with fresh veggies and creating weeknight meals. Sign up HERE to get more produce-forward dinner ideas for FREE! If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought! Happy Cooking! ~Katie
PrintAmerican Chop Suey {Goulash or Slumgullion}
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
Whether you call this Chop suey, goulash or slumgullion this healthy version is a delicious family friendly meal. Made with loads of vegetables, whole-wheat pasta and grass fed beef.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces whole wheat rotini, fusilli or macaroni
- 6 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
- 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
- 2 stalks celery, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
- 2 medium onions, peeled, cored and cut into eighths
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pound ground Bison or lean ground beef
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 1 28–ounce can crushed tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted, such as Muir Glen (see ingredient note*)
- Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Meanwhile, fit food processor with steel blade attachment, close lid and turn motor on. Drop garlic through feed spout and continue processing until the garlic is minced. Open lid and add carrot and celery. Process until the carrot and celery are finely chopped. Open lid, add onion and pulse until the onion is roughly chopped. Alternatively, use a knife to mince garlic, finely chop carrot and celery and dice onion.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Crumble in bison or beef, and cook, stirring and breaking up chunks of meat until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the vegetable mixture, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are cooked down and browned slightly, 8 to 12 minutes. Pour in wine and cook until mostly evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in tomato and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to maintain simmer and cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, once the water boils, cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain.
- Mix the pasta and sauce together and serve sprinkled with parsley.
Notes
To make ahead: Store the sauce (not mixed with pasta) in the freezer for 3 months. Left-overs reheat well in the microwave.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 2/3 cups
- Calories: 330
- Carbohydrates: 49 g
- Fiber: 7.6 g
- Protein: 20 g
When I was young my mom made something like this but without the carrots and celery. But this is way better. I added a pinch of crushed red pepper, because we like more spice. A winner!
I’ll bet this would taste so good too vegetarian!
Hi Suzy. I have never tried that actually. I am sure it would work. It would be more like a chunky marinara I guess. I think mushrooms, finely chopped, would make a great sub for the meat.
I can see why this is a family favorite! Looks fantastic!
Thanks Lindsay. I appreciate it. Hope you’re well my friend.
Such an easy, tasty family friendly recipe! Mine loved it!
Hi Liz, That’s great news! Thank you for coming back to rate and review. I appreciate it.
A few days ago, I made this with ground elk and it immediately became a favorite. I love that the recipe calls for the onions to be finely chopped because my husband is not an onion fan but I refuse to exclude them from my cooking. So this works perfectly. This recipe is so easy, delicious, and healthy. I am probably going to make it again next week!
Hi Jessica, First of all, yay that you used elk for this. Whenever we are out west I order it at restaurants because I love it. But it isn’t common here in the Northeast. And second, lol about refusing to not use onions. I totally agree cooking without them would be so sad.
Just made this today and hubby and I loving it so much! Living in Massachusetts, I have made American Chop Suey many times and was looking for something extra. Your recipe, though I subbed beef for ground turkey and the celery for zucchini, was so delicious! Having more meat and veggies than pasta was ideal and it will definitely be in my recipe keeper list–thanks so much. Looking forward to checking out your other recipes.
I am so glad to hear it Anna. I love your seasonal swaps too. Thank you for coming back to let us know that you liked the recipe. Please let me know if you’re looking for something in particular. I love hearing from readers!
I make chop suey but use marinated firm tofu instead of meat. I add peppers, one sweet and one hot. Family favorite.
Great idea Merrimack. No need to use beef. I am sure the tofu is great with this sauce. Yum.
Looks delicious!! In our part of the country (deep south), goulash has potatoes, meat, and veggies. I do use my food processor to chop my veggies. Being a wife of a hunter, grass-fed meat is never too gamey…lol. Also, we only use whole wheat pasta since it is healthier. Thanks so much for the yummy recipe 🙂
Sounds like we’re totally on the same page then Crystal. So glad you came by today. Have a fantastic week.
This dish is right up my alley! I would probably just call it bolognese 🙂 Yes, I like to chop of veggies in my mini food processor and use it in dishes like this. Love the addition of red wine for depth of flavor!
The food processor trick is the best! It makes this dish so much easier to make healthy. Love it!
When I was in elementary school they used to serve something called chop suey but it was some weird Asian dish. It was so horrible. It was basically the equivalent of La Choy from a cafeteria – so bad. This on the other hand looks awesome! Pass me a giant bowl please 🙂
I’m glad you say that. That’s what I remember Chop Suey being too. Though my mom’s version of it was totally from scratch and delicious. Those cafeteria memories from school… man they stick with you don’t they. Ha ha.
My Mom made a version of this that she called “Glop”. No pasta. Instead she added boiled potatoes that were cut up. I make a version that has the potatoes that Mom added, but I add fresh or canned whole kernel corn; and we called it “Slop” but loved it.
Ha, sounds like you and Robin (comment above) are talking about a similar thing. So funny and both glop and slop sound so unappetizing to me. No matter the name, you’re right it is delicious!
My mom had a system: if it contained soy sauce, it was chop suey. If it had red wine and basil,it was italian; if it contained paprika,it was goulash. And if it could not be categorized easily,but used left overs from the fridge and had no connection to any family recipe,it was slumgullion. She was a fabulous cook!!
Love that Kathleen! Ha ha. So did she make a variation of this but added in paprika (for the goulash) or was that another dish all together?
This dish has the trifecta “italian seasoning,red wine and pasta” which would immediately make this “italian” in my mom’s kitchen.
I grew up on the Iron Range of Minnesota where small mining communities were composed of many nationalities-our area had 23 different languages spoken. !! As a result the recipes that were passed from housewife to housewife were varied indeed.
But kids just wanted to know “what’s for dinner?” My mom and the others quickly figured out how to answer this question on the fly- “italian,chinese,german,..” and how to tailor whatever was on hand in the fridge or garden to get good food on the table.
Love your blog,the recipes and your enthusiasm,katie.
We grew up in Texas, and my mother called a version if this “Yankee Chop Suey.” She used spaghetti for the pasta. My husband’s mother still makes it for her grandchildren and calls it the elegant name of “Glop.” Either way, it is more edible than it sounds. Your version is by far the most healthy and I am sure the most delicious. Can’t wait to try this veggie centric recipe.
Hi Ma! 🙂 So nice of you to comment on this today. I never knew she called it that!! I don’t remember you really making this. I of course remember your meat sauce (I think that was the first thing I ever really help you make for dinner) but we always had that with spaghetti. Too funny about Glop! That name that has to go! This reminds me of something Jase told me about that he ate as a kid called Pea Wiggle. So many funny names!
I never really knew what chop suey was (we never called it that) but now that I look at the ingredient list and method, I realize it’s really nothing crazy weird or fancy and totally just like a bolognese!
I’ve always called it bolognese too. But here in Vermont it’s commonly called Chop Suey. This exact topic was one of the first arguments I had with my husband when we were first dating. I insisted that Chop Suey was a Chinese stir-fry with chicken. Now I know we were both right. Ha ha.
This recipe was totally worth pulling out of the archives! I love this and my whole family would love your take on this “Chop Suey” (We call it mock hamburger helper because that is what my husband grew up on–gross!!)
Ha ha, yet another name for it.