The weather sure has changed swiftly here. Last Saturday at the alpaca farm it felt like summer. By Sunday it felt like fall. And when the weather turns cooler I start making supper again. See, in the summer it’s all about the grill. Grilled chicken, steak, pork chops, even veggies. Everything gets thrown on the grill. But in the fall, it’s all about comfort food. Pot roast and mashed potatoes. Roast pork and oven browned potatoes. Lasagna and chili and beef stew. And my old stand-by, American Chop Suey.
I didn’t realize until last week that American Chop Suey is a regional food and it is apparently most familiar in the Boston area. But when I mentioned to Anne that I had a hankering for it and she asked me what the heck it was, I discovered that it isn’t widely known outside of New England. Anyway, we had it for dinner last night. It’s what I make when I don’t know what to make because I always have the ingredients on hand. Hamburger, macaroni, chopped onion, tomato soup and stewed tomatoes. Green pepper is nice if it’s around but if you don’t have it, that’s okay, too. Fry up the hamburger and onion, boil the macaroni and the dump it all into a pot with the tomato soup and stewed tomatoes. I think most people actually use tomato sauce but my mom always used tomato soup and so do I.
And you know what? My family loves this meal! It’s quick, it’s simple and it’s even better as leftovers.
What’s your standby recipe for when you don’t know what to make for dinner? I’d love to hear about it.
