American Chop Suey

American chop suey - for the uninitiated - is one of those working class New England staples, ubiquitous on diner menus and harried weeknight meal plans alike. I imagine that this is because it's A. cheap, B. fast, C. filling, and D. pleasing to even the most childish starch-loving palate. When I was growing up, my mother made it pretty often, and this continued well into her career as World's Most Compulsive Over-Feeding Nana, when her refrigerator often contained a big Tupperware of the stuff for after-school noshing. I have no idea from whence the appellation "chop suey" originates, and confess that I'd never really given it much thought, but Wikipedia tells us that the dish does appear in other regions, where it is "sometimes known as American Goulash, Macaroni Goulash, or Macaroni and Beef," the last of which seems uninspiringly literal-minded. (Those who burn with curiosity can check here for further enlightenment: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_chop_suey.)

Anyway, since we are currently heading into what promises to be a very busy school year, I've been trying to brainstorm meals that can be prepared ahead in large batches and fed off during the week. Casseroles and stews are obvious choices, but it recently occurred to me that a humongous batch of ACS might fit the bill perfectly. And so it proved! Aside from replacing the nasty, greasy hamburger with a package of Trader Joes "Beefless" Ground Beef, I kept the whole thing pretty old school, and the results were received with so much enthusiasm that all those hoped-for leftovers disappeared much more quickly than planned. (Damn.) The first lesson of the semester? Always make twice as much as you think you'll need; that's why Mother Nature invented the freezer. (Or something.)

American Chop Suey
Ingredients
~ 2 tbsp. Earth Balance (or other vegan margarine)
~ 2 tbsp. olive oil
~ 1 onion, chopped
~ 2 small or 1 large stalk celery, diced
~ 1 green bell pepper, diced
~ 1 tbsp. minced garlic
~ 1 tsp. each: salt, oregano, chili powder
~ 1/2 tsp. each: basil, parsley
~ A few grinds of black pepper
~ 1 tbsp. vegan Worcestershire sauce
~ 1 package Trader Joes "Beefless" Ground Beef (Gimme Lean or mashed up veggie meatballs would work, too)
~ 3 cups marinara sauce (homemade or jarred; your choice)
~ 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
~ 1 lb. elbow macaroni, cooked and drained according to package directions

Directions
~ Boil and drain the elbow macaroni, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
~ In a large skillet, combine the margarine and olive oil, then sauté the onions, celery, bell pepper, and garlic over medium heat until soft (about 7-10 minutes).
~ Add the salt, oregano, chili powder, basil parsley, black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and the TJ's ground "beef," and cook another minute or two.
~ Stir in the marinara sauce and the nutritional yeast, and combine thoroughly.
~ Turn heat to low, and continue cooking another 5 minutes.
~ Remove from heat, stir into cooked, drained macaroni, and serve hot. To keep that Mom's Diner vibe going, we had ours with green beans and corn on the side, but it's so filling that a green salad is really all you need.
~ So what are you waiting for? Eat, eat ; you're skin and bones!