Chop Suey
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I can’t recall exactly why now, but a couple months ago, I was googling Chop Suey. What I discovered was that Chop Suey is in fact, not Chinese food at all (kind of a no brainer since they don’t eat most of the things we call Chinese food in China) but is a wholly American dish of questionable origins. But that’s okay because this questionable AmericanChinese dish is one of my absolute favorites from when I was growing up. I just finally made it myself for the first time.
This makes a HUGE amount of food. Growing up, there were four of us, including my dad and my brother who can put away astonishing amounts of chop suey, and there was always plenty left over to eat on for the next several days. I should have taken this into account when cooking for myself because I ate chop suey until I was sick to death of it, and probably barely made it halfway through this batch. So if you make it exactly as written, be prepared for a lot of food. If I make it again for just me, I’ll probably use one can of vegetables and go from there.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Chop Suey meat, 3 cans of chop suey vegetables, 1 can of sliced water chestnuts, can of mushrooms, bead molasses, soy sauce, flour, milk, rice and a little bit of oil. Also optional, chow mein noodles.
To begin with, put a little bit of whatever oil you’re using in the bottom of a large stock pot. You can use whatever you’d like. I used olive oil, the original “recipe” called for shortening.
Roll your chop suey meat in flour. I have two notes about the meat:
1) We have a supermarket locally that actually sells a package labeled Chop Suey Meat. If yours doesn’t, go for pork for stir fry. My dad has also made this with a combination of beef and pork and that’s turned out well.
2) When I bought the meat, I thought one package looked too small, and bought two packages. When I went to actually make this, I second guessed myself and only used one of them. I should have stuck with my first instincts– I would have been much happier if there had been more pork in my chop suey.
Okay, moving on.
Imagine a picture of me putting the flour coated pork into the pan with the oil, and cooking until the meat is browned. I forgot to take a picture of that step. When that’s done…
Open your chop suey vegetables and pour one can into the pan.
Followed by a second can…
… and a third.
There’s already water chestnuts in the chop suey vegetables, but we really like them so we add an additional can of them. Feel free to leave them out if water chestnuts aren’t exactly your cup of tea. Otherwise, go ahead and dump those on top.
Then add in a can of mushrooms.
And shake in some soy sauce. I don’t have an amount here. My mother is the queen of refusing to give me measurements. I know, I hate it too. She did caution me against adding too much soy sauce at this point, so just shake a little in, you’ll supplement your plate with more soy sauce later so no harm if you don’t get a lot in now.
Next, you’re going to add your bead molasses. The recipe calls for 2 tablespoons. My mom said that she usually just pours enough in to fill her wooden spoon, and then stirs it in. So that’s what I did… obviously that’s much easier than trying to measure out something with molasses in the name into a measuring spoon and then trying to get it back out and into your dish. No thanks.
Give it all a good stir, and then let the whole thing simmer on the stove for several hours, stirring occasionally. That part’s not in the original recipe, but I can’t leave anything alone, so I do a lot of stirring.
This is what mine looked like after it cooked for a few hours. It’s looking good already, but before you serve the chop suey it still needs to be thickened. I don’t have one of those highfalutin’ fancy shakers, so I improvise with an empty peanut butter jar.
Put some flour in the jar… I think I used 1/2 cup of a gluten free flour.
Add in milk, but leave enough room in the jar for things to mix around once you put the lid on!
Then shake for all you’re worth! And kindly ignore how badly I am in need of a manicure. Unless you’d like to buy me one because I hate to admit it, but my poor cuticles look much worse than that now! This weather is killing me!
Anyways, when you’re done shaking up your flour and milk mixture and you have it as combined as you can get it, and you’re done admiring your manicure, go ahead and pour it into your pot.
Give it a good stir, and this part of the meal is done!! You’ll still need to make some rice. I used minute rice, cooked it in the microwave according to the package directions.
So put some rice on your plate.
Spoon some of the chop suey mixture on top. This is the last picture that I took, but I also put more soy sauce on top of my plate. Normally I’d also serve this with a handful of chow mein noodles, but I was trying to make this dish gluten free, and chow mein noodles are certainly NOT gluten free! I didn’t miss them as much as I thought I would though!
Chop Suey
Chop Suey Meat
3 cans of chop suey vegetables
1 can mushrooms
1 can sliced water chesnuts
2 T. bead molasses
Soy Sauce
Roll chop suey meat in flour and brown in shortening. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer for several hours. Before serving, add milk and flour mixture (1/2 – 3/4 cup flour w/ milk in shaker). Serve with rice and chow mein noodles.
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The chop suey looks delicious. I like the peanut butter jar mixer too.
That looks fantastic! Do you know if this recipe could be stored in the freezer? Either way, I will be trying this. I’m actually getting hungry jst looking at the pictures. Have a great weekend;)
That looks yum-o!
I have an award for you!
That looks fabulous. Anytime you need someone to help you taste test, just let me know.
Unfortunately I am very picky and this doesn’t look like something I like. I love your blog though, it’s become one of my new favorites. It’s an awesome thing you’re doing here. keep it up
This looks so very good. I have recently started eating mushrooms. I would prepare this in a NY minute but hubby would not touch it. Do not cook just for me and then something else for him.
Wow, that looks really good, can’t wait till I have time to try it out!
Hi there! Great job on doing the chop suey! I chuckled to the name at first but it looks pretty groovy at the end! Definitely a dish for sharing
I can’t tell you how lovely it is to see someone cooking without using standard wheat flour Jenn. I suddenly became wheat intolerant a few years back – suddenly and without warning. Many years ago I worked with a girl who was a coeliac and at that time everything she needed was only available on prescription through her doctor. Now the shops have wheat and gluten free flours and pastas, etc. Usually whenever there are cookery demonstrations, etc they never seem to think of showing recipes using wheat free alternatives. The one thing that I find annoying about gluten free flours is that they all seem to contain potato flour or starch and it appears to have a powdery flavour.
On a further note – your instructions are lovely and clear, easy to follow and this particular dish looks really tasty.
Thank you for sharing it with me, Jenn.
wow that looks like easy to follow – the one with meeat. My version is meatless and fatless. I just use cream of mushroom or cream of corn to add up to the taste as i only cook them in moderate amount of water.
My mom used to make this when I was a kid minus the personal touches. I really like what you’ve done with it. I might just have to take a trip down memory lane and add some “Tina twists” to the canned dinner. Thanks for the idea!
Chopsuey is one of our everyday dishes too and we do it slightly different than yours. One of these days I will post again my version
IF it’s okay with you, Jenn?
Thanks for coming back to me Jenn – I also meant to mention yesterday something which you may find useful. In England we can purchase a make of oats called Mornflake. They are particularly smooth and creamy and because of this are ideal for using as a thickener to meat dishes that require a thickening. The oats come from North Western Mills in Crewe, South Cheshire – and have been produced since 1675. They are wonderful as porridge or served in hot or cold milk and in all sorts of cakes, puddings and sauces as they have a propensity to dissolve quickly. I thought this may be of use for some of your recipies.
I really like how you show every step! Great blog, I’ll definitely be back for more recipes.
Hi Jennifer,
Your chop suey looks delish and I can imagine how it smells. Oh goody!
Our version of chop suey is a little different over here where I come from. Aside from pork, beef, chicken and even shrimps can also be added. This version also includes, cabbage, carrots or whatever veggies you fancy.
Cheers!
I have awarded you a Lemonade Award. Your site is very useful and full of great information and ideas.
You can pick it up at:
http://cleandining.blogspot.com/2009/01/thanks-for-lemonade-award.html
Thanks for the great site!
I just realized you used Gluten free flour. Why?
That looks absolutely scrumptious!
I will have to try that, it looks really yummy to me.
Wow, I really like your recipes! The chop suey looks great, and doable, even for me!
Sorry to go off-topic like this, I just found out about the Bacon Explosion and I had to write you…
http://www.bbqaddicts.com/blog/recipes/bacon-explosion/
Check it out!
Pam Hoffman
http://seminarlist.blospot.com