This recipe belonged to my Grandma, Barbara Shilale. Gramma (as I called her) was my best friend. She passed away about 13 years ago. She was the most selfless, loving, caring person I have ever known. She always cooked Sunday Lunch (or Dinner as us "New Englanders" call it) for me, my Father, Step-Mother, and my little Sister. Every Sunday after Church we would always go over her house for our family Dinner. She always had the table set perfectly with our glasses of what we liked to drink, bread and butter, and a nice salad. This meal, (American Chop Suey) had a particular smell that radiated throughout her small apartment and down her hallway and stairs of her elderly community housing. We looked forward to our Sunday meals with Gramma. After we would eat, we would go to the park, to the candy store, or get an ice cream cone with her. These are some of my BEST childhood memories! I miss her, but her cooking lives on. My family didn't have copies of her recipes because she never wrote them down. My family tried her recipes over and over until we got them right! I think I perfected this particular one and I am proud to make it today. Now, when my kitchen smells just like her little apartment, it makes me and my family smile remembering her and all the love she shared with us.
Ingredients:
2 tbsp FRENCH'S® Classic Yellow® Mustard
4 cup Cooked Elbow Macaroni-1/2 to 3/4 box
1 lb Ground Beef
8 oz Tomato Sauce
3 oz Tomato Paste
2 tbsp Ketchup
2 tbsp Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 tsp Master Gravy
Directions:
Cook the Elbow Macaroni according to box directions or "Al Dente" drain and set aside.
Brown the Ground Beef with a chopped medium yellow onion in a little Olive Oil (Do not drain, that's where the flavor is!)
Add:
2 Tbsp of French's Classic Yellow Mustard
1 8 oz can of Tomato Sauce
3 oz (or 1/2 can) of Tomato Paste
2 Tbsp of Ketchup
2 Tbsp Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 Tsp of Master Gravy
A Pinch of Salt and Pepper to taste
Simmer for 15 Min, stirring occasionally
Stir in Elbow Macaroni
Serve right away or let cool and refrigerate, always tastes better reheated the next day! :-)
We think my Gramma always used a fattier Ground Beef (80/20) and did not drain the fat out. To make it a little healthier you could use a leaner Beef and drain the fat before adding the other ingredients. You could also add a little sprinkle of Parsley towards the end of cooking.
The picture image above that I used was the same picture that I sent to my Father a couple weeks ago. I had made Gramma's American Chop Suey so that my family could have it for "Dinner" when they came to visit me in New Jersey.
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