What is Beefaroni vs. Goulash vs. American Chop Suey?

All 3 dishes consist of macaroni noodles in a tomato-based meat sauce, so they look and taste fairly similar. American Chop Suey (also called American Goulash) is usually flavored with Italian seasoning and has green bell pepper. It comes from traditional Hungarian Goulash which is very similar but is seasoned with paprika. Beefaroni has a little more beef and doesn't have bell peppers.

Is cheesy beefaroni the same as chili mac?

It's really similar! Chili mac usually has a stronger chili taste because it uses more chili powder. It also usually has chopped tomatoes and sometimes beans. And it may be cheesier (depending on how much cheese you add to the beefaroni).

When was beefaroni invented?

I couldn't find the exact answer to this, but sometime in the early to mid-1900s. The Chef Boyardee brand started in 1928, with Beefaroni growing in popularity in the 1960s (as evidenced by the ad above).

One-Pot Homemade Beefaroni (30 Minute Meal)

Name: One-Pot Homemade Beefaroni
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 small onion, finely chopped; 1 lb. ground beef, 90-93% lean*; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; ¼ teaspoon chili powder; 2 cans of tomato soup, 10.75 ounces each (or sub. tomato puree or tomato sauce); 22 ounces of water (2 cans full)*; 8 oz. ziti or elbow macaroni; 1 ¼ teaspoons salt; ¼ teaspoon black pepper; ¾ teaspoon sugar (or to taste, optional); 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, finely grated

One-Pot Homemade Beefaroni

shallow bowl of homemade beefaroni on a blue placement on a red checkered tablecloth

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If you love hearty, nostalgic comfort food dishes that are quick and easy to make, you'll love this one-pot homemade Beefaroni copycat recipe!

Author: Kelly @ Butter and Thyme
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Category: Comfort food, quick & easy
Method: stovetop, one-pot
Cuisine: American, Italian

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 lb. ground beef, 90-93% lean*
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
2 cans of tomato soup, 10.75 ounces each (or sub. tomato puree or tomato sauce)
22 ounces of water (2 cans full)*
8 oz. ziti or elbow macaroni
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon sugar (or to taste, optional)
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, finely grated

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Instructions

Make the meat sauce: set a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat, and add olive oil. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes until translucent. Then, add the ground beef, garlic, and chili powder, and cook until the meat is no longer pink. Add the tomato soup and water, and bring the mixture to a boil.
Add the macaroni: once the sauce is at a low boil, add the macaroni and return to a simmer. Season with salt, pepper, and sugar if using. Continue to cook at a strong simmer for about 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the pasta is tender and the sauce is thickened.*
Finish and serve: once the pasta is cooked, remove the pot from the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese. Serve warm.

Notes

Lower the amount of ground beef to ½ lb. if you want it to be less beefy.
To measure the water, fill the soup cans with water after pouring out the soup (no need to rinse out!) This helps measure the water without dirtying utensils and also helps get all of the soup out of the cans.
Cook the pasta "al dente" or to taste. Try not to overcook the pasta, especially if you’re going to be reheating leftovers, or the pasta may become a little mushy. (Although, the noodles in the canned version are pretty mushy so I don’t mind it too much!) If the mixture becomes too dry before the pasta is fully cooked, add more water as needed.
To make cheesy beefaroni, add up to 1 cup shredded cheese at the end with the Parmesan (i.e. American, cheddar, mozzarella, and/or extra Parmesan)

Find it online: https://butterandthyme.com/one-pot-homemade-beefaroni/