This is a traditional time of year, so why not make a big pot of this area's American Chop Suey. I like to have old fashioned, comfort food around when life gets busy. This is also a great dish to feed a crowd or to bring to a pot luck.
If you follow the tips you've learned from watching food shows, you can add a note of refinement – a je ne sais quoi – to your version of this hearty dish.
For example, I started this batch with this recipe from Saveur Magazine. I love their addition of crushed, red pepper flakes and cinnamon. Neither one of those was in my family's version.
I used red pepper instead of green. And, after I browned the beef, I used some white wine to deglaze the pan and capture all that lovely caramelization. For macaroni, I did use elbows but I selected the elbows with ridges and a bit of a twist because they seem to hold on to the sauce and meat better than smooth ones.
When we have a stock of something like this in our refrigerator, we are most likely to pop some into a bowl and microwave individual portions. This is a great option if you have a bunch of different schedules to accomodate or some big appetites home for the holidays. A meal for some of us can be a between meal snack for others.
But, if you're feeding holiday guests and want a different look for this dish on day two, put a twist on tradition. Bake this pasta under a blanket of cheese and breadcrumbs and present it with a golden, cripsy top and a melty, cheesy layer.
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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2012 Penny & Ed Cherubino
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It's sort of the 
of Spain.