Extra Cheesy American Chop Suey

To help combat the chilly, early spring New England weather that’s been hanging around, I turned to the Yankee recipe archives last week for some supper inspiration. After a few clicks, I settled on this popular reader-submitted recipe for American Chop Suey, but (as you’ll soon see) it’s a little different than most recipes for the beef, tomato, and pasta comfort classic. Unlike our American Chop Suey Casserole recipe, this cheesy American Chop Suey is loaded with mild, creamy American cheese. For that reason, I’ve been calling it Extra Cheesy American Chop Suey, but I think you could also get away with plain old American Chop Suey Mac & Cheese. It’s that cheesy…and that good.

Ready to warm up? Let’s make extra cheesy American Chop Suey! The ingredients list seemed typical enough — beef, elbow macaroni (I used Prince), tomato soup, pepper, onion, and cheese. (The basil would be my garnish, and I was very grateful for it when the time came.) While not as hardworking as cream of mushroom, canned tomato soup was a common ingredient in many “quick and easy” recipes of the 60s and 70s. Of course, you can get bigger, better tomato flavor from seasoned fresh or canned tomatoes, but I am a big fan of making the recipe as-written the first time around, and I’m also a sucker for retro recipes, so two cans of Campbell’s condensed it was.

First, cook the whole box of macaroni according to package instructions for al dente. When it’s done, drain and return to the pot, then mix in the two cans of tomato soup. Cover and keep warm while you cook the beef and cheese mixture. You can also get the beef and cheese mixture started while the pasta cooks.

To make the beef and cheese mixture, saute the beef, onion, pepper, and garlic until the beef is browned. Then add the cheese. Our reader-recipe called for American cheese, so that’s what I used, but you can swap it out for any cheese you like.

The recipe said to use 1 1/2 pounds of American cheese, which (I must warn you) is A LOT of cheese. After watching my beef mixture become more and more cheesy, I finally waved the white flag after passing the one pound mark. Feel free to use less or more cheese depending on your preference. Note: If you use sliced American cheese, I found it worked best to put a layer of cheese down on top of the beef, then use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to “fold” the cheese into the hot beef. This speeds up the melting. You’ll also want to get your American cheese right from the deli counter so you don’t waste time peeling the plastic off all those singles. Once the cheese is fully melted, add the beef and cheese mixture to the macaroni-soup mixture.

Then, stir to combine. If the macaroni has cooled, you can transfer the pot back to the stove to warm things up. Just remember to keep stirring so the bottom doesn’t stick or burn.

When it’s ready, portion the extra cheesy American Chop Suey into bowls (garnish with a basil leaf if you’re feeling fancy) and serve. This recipe makes enough for 6 generous bowls, and reheats in a snap for leftovers and lunches.

Not exactly the tomato-heavy American Chop Suey of my youth, but a flavorful, cheesy, warming version nonetheless. American Chop Suey mixed with Mac & Cheese? Now what could be wrong with that? Are you a fan of American Chop Suey? How do you like yours? Let us know in the comments!

GET THE RECIPE: Extra Cheesy American Chop Suey

This post was first published in 2016 and has been updated.