A classic New England dish with a healthy twist. This American Chop Suey Recipe is made with lean turkey and then added to Zucchini Noodles. The perfect comfort food without all the calories!
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American Chop Suey is a classic New England Dish that I grew up on. Today I’m putting a healthy twist on this childhood favorite of mine. It’s a perfect quick and easy weeknight meal.
What’s the difference between American Chop Suey and Goulash?
There really is no difference other than the name. American Chop Suey is just what the dish is commonly called in New England. Other parts of the country may refer to it as Goulash.
What are the main ingredients in American Chop Suey?
Ground meat, chopped veggies and tomato sauce are the main ingredients. I used a combination of ground turkey, chopped onion and garlic with ground peeled tomatoes this time. However, I also like to add other chopped veggies in my American Chop Suey sometimes.
This is the perfect base recipe for you to follow and then add your favorite veggies to it.
What vegetables are good to add to American Chop Suey?
Here are some of my favorite veggies that I like to add in. Chopped onion and garlic are always added into my sauce. It’s what really gives it its boost of flavor. Using chopped red pepper and carrot will add a nice natural sweetness to it. So I love to add those in when I have some.
Basil, or baby spinach is also a delicious addition.
The classic American Chop Suey that I grew up on always had green bell peppers and onions.
So use this recipe as a base and add whatever your favorites are.
Why this is the perfect weeknight meal?
American Chop Suey is the perfect weeknight meal for a few reasons.
- It’s a dish that the whole family will love. So it makes it easy to please everyone.
- You can serve it in many different ways. Traditionally it’s used as a topping on pasta but you can top any of your favorite veggie noodles as well. It also makes a great Sloppy Joe sauce. Just add it to your favorite roll.
- If you have a lot of mouths to feed it’s perfect for serving a crowd. If you can’t all eat dinner at the same time just reheat it. It’s one of the few leftover meals that my family loves because it’s just as delicious the second time around.
- This is an inexpensive meal so it’s perfect when you’re watching your budget.
- Making this recipe makes eating healthy easy. It’s a hearty dish that’s filling but won’t hurt your waistline.
Tips for making Zucchini Noodles
One of my pet peeves about serving this sauce over Zucchini Noodles is that it can cause it to be too watery. However, there are ways around that. No matter how you prepare your Zoodles they just naturally hold a lot of water.
The first thing you want to do is to make sure you don’t over cook your Zoodles. Otherwise they will just turn to mush. They are best served al dente.
The best way to get rid of the excess water is to press your cooked Zoodles with a wooden spoon into a mesh strainer. I’ve tried also using a regular colander however the mesh strainer just does a better job. After that you can also try wrapping the cooked Zoodles in a sturdy paper towel or cheese cloth and squeeze. ***Just note that the water is going to be very hot so you’ll either want to protect your hands or wait for them to cool a bit.
American Chop Suey Recipe
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- 2 Pounds Ground Turkey
- 1 large Sweet Onion ,chopped
- 3 Cloves Garlic ,minced
- 2 teaspoons Dried Basil
- 1/2 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper flakes
- 2 ,28 ounce cans Crushed Tomatoes
- Salt and pepper to taste
Zucchini Noodles
- 6 Cups Uncooked Spiralized Zucchini ,I figure about 1 cup per person. They will cook down a lot!
Instructions
For the Sauce
- In a large skillet....at least 12 inches....heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. Sautee onions and garlic for 3-5 minutes.
- Add ground turkey. Use a wooden spoon to break up the turkey and mix onions and garlic into it. Toss periodically to cook turkey on all sides.
- Once the turkey is cooked through add remaining ingredients and mix to combine.
- Once it begins to bubble reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for about 30 minutes or up to an hour.
- Serve over pasta, your favorite veggie noodles or on a roll.
Zucchini Noodles
- Fill water in a large pot just to cover the bottom of the pan about 1/2 inch deep.
- Add Zucchini Noodles, cover and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Once it begins to boil remove cover and toss zucchini with a fork or tongs. Cook for about 2-3 minutes. Test for doneness and remove from heat.
- Place zucchini in a mesh strainer and press it into the strainer with a wooden spoon to squeeze out as much water as possible.
Nutrition
Looking for more tasty healthy dishes? Try some of these!
Turkey Zucchini Poppers with Buffalo Dipping Sauce
Autumn Harvest Butternut Squash Noodle Recipe
American Chop Suey is always my go to recipe for a busy weeknight meal that the whole family loves!