I really liked this recipe not only for the ease of cooking and quickness, but because it reminds me of simple old-fashioned Southern cooking. I used to eat a lot of Hamburger Helper in college, I wish I had had this recipe back then!

Mom and Grandma both made this--I think my Mom still does.

They both used chopped green pepper in it (I prefer red sweet pepper), and my Aunt Nancy added garlic to hers.

Sometimes, Mom would also melt cheese on top--but it was never cheddar, but Velveeta. Cheddar would have been better, I must say.

I learned a variation of this dish called "Train Wreck" back in college. Saute the ground beef and onion, add two cups of frozen veggies and spaghetti sauce, heat through, add the cooked pasta and then some mozzarella cheese to finish it off. My son called from the military to ask for the ingredients so that he could continue the tradition! (He called again to say that, "It tasted exactly like it was supposed to.") God bless our troops.

Hey, I make something similar, but have a good shortcut to make it even easier. Add a cup or two of water to the ground beef, tomato, onion mixture to make it really soupy, then add the dried pasta straight to that pan. The pasta will cook in with the simmering meat and tomatos, soak up the extra liquid, and pick up all those flavors. Yum! And, you don't have to wash a pasta cooking pan.

My mom used to make the same thing growing up. We always called it Goulash (hmm.. I don't think I've ever tried to spell goulash before...) I can't remember the last time I had it...must have been over 20 years ago!

My family makes this all the time and we called it goulash also (a rose by any other name..etc).

I some times take it to potlucks when I don't have much time to prepare something fancy and I make it and take it in my crock pot. And it's always a big hit.

People that haven't had it in a while always say "When I was a growing we used to have this all the time"

I think it is one of the best comfort foods out there.

My mom made what we called "goop" growing up. she used tomato juice and a can of sliced mushrooms. I have made it my own by using a vegetable juice, celery, green pepper and bring it to a simmer, add the raw ground beef simmer til it's cooked add a little water and a cup of uncooked macaroni and cook til the macaroni is done! yum!! oh --- LOTS of fresh cracked pepper!

I made this for dinner last night, and it was a big hit! My only suggestion is to add about a teaspoon of sugar to cut the acidity of the tomatoes. (And, I confess, we added a combination of American and cheddar, and it was perfect!)

As always, thanks, Elise!

My grandmother also fed us this great dish,,but we called it Slumgullen.

Wonderful recipe.
I made last night and it was very good.
I put shredded cheese on top of mine, yummy!

My mom used to make a similar dish it was just Macaroni, diced or whole tomatoes from the can (chopped)she didn't like them so small, and spam. She just called it Macaroni & Tomatoes. It's really good, but a very salty dish. I'll have to try this recipe later.

In our household, this is called Slopparoni or Glopparoni, as the spirit moves us.

Actually, anything with a macaroni base would fit that title. Here in Minnesota, it's a "hotdish" and the crushed red peppers would be regarded with suspiscion, the cook opting instead for a Lutheran whitening agent such as sour cream or cream of mushroom soup. Bliss.

I also had something similar growing up...we called it Mixed Up Mess...because I guess my mom added whatever was in the frig. Onions, celery, peppers, zucchini, corn, beans, mushrooms, etc.
I still make it and I still use whatever I have in the frig.

My mother-in-law made this for my husband when he was growing up. I never had it myself. He told me about it so I tried to make it for him. I had no tomatoes so I substituted salsa. He liked it and that is what I have been using ever since. I mentioned it to his sister and she was horrified that I messed with the "family recipe"!

My mom made a version of this called "moola," which was passed down from her mom. It began with frying up some chopped bacon, then browning the ground beef and onions in the bacon grease (these were the old days of working hard outdoors all day, so there was no sissy draining of the grease). V-8 juice provided the liquid, and swiss cheese was melted on top at the end. Delicious, if artery-hardening.

I never had this until I joined the military. At both Fort Jackson, S.C. and Fort Sam-Houston, TX it was referred to as "chili-mac". I loved it then, and make it for my friends now. 25 minutes or less, you can prepare enough food for 8 people.

My 91-year-old grandma makes this. She calls it "Hotdish," and we all know what she is referring to since she makes no other caserole-type dish. She uses a quart of HOME-CANNED tomatoes which break down into a slurry, with no distinct tomato chunks. When she wants to get FANCY, she adds diced green or red pepper.

I tried this, but found that a can of tomato paste was needed, as well. It turned out nicely.

I remember having this at least twice a month at our school cafeteria. It was called American Chop Suey, and I'm from Northern Maine so maybe it is an east coast name. Every family I knew had it once in a while with slightly different versions. I liked it without onions, but was so enamored with it, I'd eat the schools version with onions anyway. We used to have great food back then, all homemade everyday! Now my kids have the option of crustables, a PB&J sandwich made by Smuckers. UGH!

This was a breeze to make and a substantial, one-skillet hearty meal. Be proud to serve this to anyone from your kids to your boss. The second time I made this I did add another 1 tsp of salt and only 1/2 of the pasta. Deeelicious!

I plan on making this tonight. But what's "vegesal"? Is it similar to Mrs. Dash? Or is it more like Lawry's seasoned salt? I don't use Lawry's anymore (although, I grew up on the stuff) because of the msg.

So, would it be okay to just use regular sea salt?

Thanks, and love your blog, and love your wonderful pictures!

I have made this two times now. My husband said it was really good the first time, so I made it again last night. I actually use low carb pasta to make it a lower carb dish so that I can also enjoy it. There's a really good low carb pasta out there that I've been feeding to my husband for a long while now, and I don't think he knows it. Anyway the only things I did different was to add italian seasoning and put parmesan cheese on top of it after it's dished. This recipe comes together quickly and it's tasty and filling!

Great recipe! Easily converted to a chili-mac recipe with chili spices, some green pepper, a can of kidney beans, a can of corn, and a tablespoon or two of brown sugar.

I make this recipe often as well, and learned it from my mother. The only thing I do differently is, I only cook the pasta half way and let it finish cooking in the tomato sauce so that it gets that tomato-y flavor in the pasta.

My mom used to make something similar to this. Only since my family loved spicy food she used some cayenne pepper or chili powder to give it a little extra kick, but if your family doesn't agree on the level of spice it might be something best left for each person to add.

Hi Elise,

I didn't grow up on this so it was a new experience for me and it was TASTY!!!

I thought I had all ingredients but was missing the worchestershire, parsley and celery seed. I threw in a red bell pepper, some diced celery and garlic powder w/ parsley. I can't wait to make it again with all the "correct ingredients".

I am definitely going to be making this at least once a month. Thanks for another favorite!

I love the recipe. I made it last night for my fiance and me and it was a HUGE success. Next time Im gonna try putting mushrooms in and maybe some bell peppers. I LOVE your website. Its a favourite on my computers.....work and home! :)

Great recipe! Made it last night and I must add that the worchestshire sauce really ties everything together. Easy to make, super-tasty and comforting...what's not to like? Thanks again.

Add plenty of chopped garlic and a 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese to the mix and you will die.

I made this today for the "daycare kids." (I run a home daycare.) They ALL loved it. The true test of a good recipe...a houseful of kiddies! (I loved it too!) I've been looking for something like this....I guess I'm the one gal whose mom didn't make it!

Add me to the American Chop Suey camp, which appears to be a New England variant. My mother's recipe was very similar, except regular salt and pepper, no celery seed or Worcestershire. Instead, she added canned bean sprouts, cheddar cheese, and served it with a dash of soy sauce. I still make it her way. Divine!

My best friend makes a version of this. She adds veg soup, bbq sauce and a slice of processed cheese, with two large green peppers, mushrooms and thinly sliced pepperoni, with elbow mac.

I've never liked elbow mac, just not creative enough. in moms pastas there was never just one type, it was always filled with many different shapes and sizes. Some were a great sucess some werent, soup pasta was fragile, didnt freeze to well, made a bit of a gunky mystery when reheated.

As a Canadian I remember it being called American Chop Suey. We called it Muck.

In my moms version of muck, she would add spinash, green beens (or yellow), carrots, what ever was left over or what ever she just felt like having, mind you, beets and turnip were a mistake, Huge mistake.

Muck was made and put in individuals casserole dishs, cooked and served in the same dish topped with buttered crumbs and a sprinkle of shredded cheese and to that just a wee dash of oregano to make it perfect.

As I'm writing this I can see it all in my minds eye. her exact movements, placing the dishs side by side, filling each carefully making sure that there was just enough of everything so that none would do without even a single chunk of tomato.

I think tomorrow I will be making this for supper. In memory of mom.

Jennifer L NS Canada

I think this is a world wide recipe. I lived in Guatemala for many years and my neighbors used this same recipe, just as good in central america as in the northern regions!

This is what my family calls tomato mac. Or when we used to use spaghetti, American spaghetti. At some point though, my parents switched out the ground beef and replaced it with bacon, which I never cared for as much.

In northern Michigan, it resembles what we call "goulash." Love hearing all the other regional names; some of them are hilarious!

I'm just getting into "foodie" blogs, and I love this one for realizing we don't all have access to organically-grown fresh Shitake mushrooms on a regular basis...and if we do, most of us we can't afford them!

My husband family has also made this dish for years and now I make it for mine. One big difference is we use Italian stewed tomatoes, yum! It is one of my husband's and children's favorites.

Fascinating that so many people enjoyed this classic dish under so many different names. Growing up in our New England household, we simply called it "Macaroni," and it was my favorite meal, hands-down. My sister and I would even slather slices of white Dreikorn's bread with butter, scoop some "macaroni" onto the bread, fold it over and eat it like a sandwich!

For old time's sake, I'm making this tonight. Thanks, Elise.

This is one of my son's favorites! I call it "Dog Chow", he called it "Delicious"! I just so happen to have all the ingredients on hand...maybe I'll suprise him tonight.
Love this site, thanks to all!

Hi there, any substitute for Worcestershire sauce? :) I don't think it's available in Singapore.

Try a steak sauce and add just a dash of fish sauce. ~Elise

Ok this is the bomb. I too had this as a child .
the denver public school system used to serve this once a week. They added mustard seeds to it and it really made a difference. I use Stewed tomatoes and a small can of toatoe sauce. You'll find that making it 2-4 hours ahead then reheating it in a slow oven (300) for 20 minutes will really make a big difference.

Elise, you saved me again! Woke up from a nap and was asked, "What's for dinner?!" "Ummm, beef and macaroni?" This was the first place I looked. Recipe came together fast and easy. Dbf likes it hot and spicey so I added 4 times the red pepper flakes. It was 1 step shy of ridiculously hot, but still good. He LOVED it. I could tell by the 2nd helping. Wish I had crusty garlic bread. Would have been a great accompaniment. Thanks for the great site!

This was a short-order cook's dream dish. I have gone from cooking for seven to only two and sometimes one when I am dieting ! My numbers can also balloon at any moment to 20 or more. All of these recipes were created for families like ours...I have called us "the accordian". Darling Elise you are a genius.

The genius is my mother, who fed six kids and a hungry husband on a very limited budget. Cooks up quickly and the leftovers are great. ;-) ~Elise

Hi Elise,

This is the first dish I've made from your site and it was delicious! I only made one mistake...I bought both cilantro and parsley at the grocery store today (cilantro for the fresh tomato salsa I will be making tomorrow for fajitas!) And I accidentally mistook the cilantro for parsley, whoops! I took it out in one clump and put in the correct parsley. That won't be a mistake I make again. Though, the cilantro smelled so amazing that I was getting hungry for tomorrows salsa! Thanks so much!

My mom made this for my brother and I after working her shift for a local company. It was fast and easy. She called it Hungarian Goulash. I now make this on occassion with a bit of a twist. I call it Mexican Goulash and use green peppers with Frank's Red Hot sauce in place of the Worcestershire more or less to taste. All other preps are the same.I love it.

Great Recipe! My whole family loved it, quick, healthy, even my 11 month old wanted more!

I made this today, the picture won me over. I used a can of fire roasted tomatoes. I think it is important to impress that the tomatoes need to simmer some prior to the addition of the meat, my tomatoes didn't and they were slightly hard. I also added some brown sugar splenda to cut the acid of the tomatoes( I have diabetes from pancreas removal) also sprinkle of liquid smoke and then used about a half cup of shredded cheese on top melted. I purchased a loaf of rustic multigrain bread. It has just started to get cold again (we just had 2 blissful days of Indian summer) This just hit the spot tonight. It will be better tomorrow when the flavors have mingled at little. I also though about the ground pork or turkey options. This could be done so many different ways, use Mexian seasoning, or Italian too. This is so verstile could use ground lamb and do Middle Eastern. The picture looks scrumptious

I'm not usually a fan of hamburger meals, but the picture looked too good to pass up. I prepared this tonight, and found the recipe to be very easy, quick, and tasty! I made cornbread muffins to go with the dish - excellent! Thanks for the great recipe.

I just wanted to say how much my fiance and I enjoy this! We are both seniors in college and I love how I can make this quickly and that it's actually going to fill my fiance up (He's 6'6" and active, so he needs a lot of food!) AND leave enough to pack lunch for both of us the next day.