Cheesy American Chop Suey Casserole Copycat

Copycat Friday is BACK!!! Wait until you see what I have created for you today.

Back story, I don't watch much t.v. but the new show called Wahlburgers has my attention!

Not only because hey, the Wahlberg's are some handsome men, but they own restaurants, which equals food, which makes me happy!

 
Who can forget mama Wahlberg, aka, Ms. Alma.

Ms. Alma appears to be a great cook and that leads me to my Copycat recipe of the week.

Alma Wahlberg's American Chop Suey.

 
I watched Alma make this on this weeks episode and I knew this would become a family favorite.

Ms. Alma added a lot of bacon to her version, but because of Lent, I omitted the bacon. I also added cheese and baked the casserole.

You don't have to add cheese, nor bake it, I just thought I would kick it up slightly.

Look at all this cheese. This dish has all the components of food goodness!

It's comforting, cheesy, highly seasoned and filling.

What more can a person ask for?

What you waiting for people, you gotta make this, and don't forget, we got it from Mama Wahlberg!

Enjoy!

Cheesy American Chop Suey Casserole Copycat

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb ground turkey
5 cups dried elbow macaroni, large
2 28 ounce cans whole tomatoes
2 6 ounce cans hot tomato sauce
1 6 ounce can tomato paste
1 onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups sharp cheese, grated
1/2 cup Italian parsley
1 1/2 tablespoon creole seasoning
1/2 tablespoon black pepper
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon oregano, dried, crushed
extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix seasoning blend together and set aside.

Add about 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a large sauce pot over medium heat, add bell pepper, onion, and celery, season with 1 tablespoon of seasoning blend and cook 5 minutes.

Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.

Add ground turkey and season with 2 tablespoons of seasoning blend. Cook about 10 minutes.

Add tomato paste and cook 5 minutes more.

In a blender add whole tomatoes and parsley, blend until pureed. Pour mixture into sauce pan, add hot tomato sauce, and  remaining seasoning.

Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 10-15 minutes, uncovered, until sauce slightly thickens.

Bring a large post of salted water to boil. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain, rinse, drain again, coat in about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and set aside.

To assemble casserole, mix pasta with sauce, place into a greased 13X9 inch casserole dish. Top with cheese, bake for about 15-20 minutes, until cheese is completed melted.