American Chop Suey with Ground Beef

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 30

Servings:

Calories: 590kcal

A classic comfort food ground beef pasta dish in a rich tomato sauce that's ready in 30 minutes.

2 teaspoon olive oil or non stick cooking spray
1 lb ground beef ground turkey, ground chicken, Italian sauasge
1 cup onion chopped
2 teaspoon garlic chopped
1 green bell pepper red bell pepper
1 cup beef broth
1.5 cups water
15 oz tomato sauce canned
14.5 oz diced tomatoes canned and undrained
3 oz tomato paste about 3 tablespoons or half the can
2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar good quality
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
3 cups medium pasta shells any short cut pasta
salt and black pepper to taste
Any additional toppings like parmesan cheese, cheddar cheese and fresh herbs. Optional

Heat a deep, large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add a little olive oil (cooking spray can also be used). Once hot, add the ground beef, the chopped onions, chopped green bell pepper, and minced garlic cloves to the pan. Cook until the meat is no longer pink and the vegetables are softened.
Add beef broth, water, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes (undrained) tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, dried oregano, dried basil, garlic powder, and smoked paprika to the meat mixture. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add dry pasta (I used medium shells, but elbow macaroni is traditional). Stir into the sauce. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and cover the pan and simmer until pasta is tender, about 10 to 12 minutes.
Top with any desired toppings like shredded parmesan cheese, shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese, and chopped fresh herbs.

Nutritional info doesn't include additional toppings.
You can make this as a casserole instead of a one pan dish: Prepare the recipe as written and pour into a greased casserole dish and top with some cheese and bake at 400 degrees F until cheese is melted and bubbly,
You can also cook pasta separately in a large pot of salted water, then add it to the sauce. Just be sure to cook the pasta al dente.