Just the name ‘Polish Chop Suey’ cracks me up!
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The one I posted came from a Idaho Union Pacific employees cookbook. Perhaps they were displaced Cheeseheads.
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Could be. You think about how people in the country get around. I always wondered why brandy is so popular in WI. The state just started making its own brandy just a few years ago. But, most buy Korbel. Love to know how brandy became our state booze. Good vindiculture now; but our (wine) grape growing is relatively recent. I always wanted to make a batch with wild grape wine. So, we give Cali some love and buy their brandy.
The recipe I shared is common on the south side of MIlwaukee. If you wish to use sausage, I’d recommend only one kielbasa, if you can’t find raw Polish sausage: Usinger’s. It won’t smell of taste the kielbasa you find most places.
Still, I always liked it with pork. I even prefer weiner schnitzel with pork…schweineschnitzel?
'Course, who can even find veal anymore? I’ve never been a big fan of veal.
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This dish did not exist where I currently live. I got some love for it the first time I shared a batch; especially the 50+ crowd. Where I grew up, it was casseroles at the potluck. Here it’s “hotdish.”
It’s one of those things you either make for a potluck, or quick recipe for a weeknight. Takes 20-30 minutes, can chat it up with the fam while your making it. More me, it just takes me back to my kiddiehood.
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You have my interest piqued! This dish was my childhood nemesis, back in the days when you were forced to clean your plate whether you liked it or not (think 8 or 9 year old in a battle at the table to swallow it or get your nose held until you do, ha). My (mostly German) grandparents in Michigan made something they called chop suey. I know it had the mushrooms (though likely the ones in the jar) and the sauerkraut and some type of meat, but I think they put water chestnuts in it. And I don’t remember if there were Polish egg noodles or if it was a can of La Choy crunchy noodles (yikes, that takes me back in time to the 70s). The egg noodles sound a whole lot better! This will be a quest for me at this time to see if your version is actually the same as the one they made or if yours is better. I have a feeling it’s the latter. You know those childhood foods that make you recoil? That was one of mine, along with the tasteless American goulash my mother made with stewed tomatoes, which I also detested at that time. But my dad and my aunt would rhapsodize over this chop suey dish in later years, so maybe as a kid I was just a picky eater! I know I wasn’t crazy about different textures as a kid and I absolutely detested sauerkraut in childhood (short ribs and sauerkraut was another frequent family dish), so maybe that was it.
Anyway, just seeing the chop suey reference brought back memories, good or bad, but mostly really good because it made me think of my grandma. I’ll come back and report after some research on old family recipes. There is a book of my Michigan family recipes that is in storage somewhere. My parents didn’t even have a pepper shaker in the house, so you can imagine what most of these things tasted like, which is why it’s in storage. 
In the meantime, I think I must make this Polish Chop Suey recipe of yours!
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Well, I set off on a search after writing the above post a few hours ago. I found a bunch of stuff (so much!) that I wasn’t looking for but did not find that particular cookbook yet. I set about looking online, and it seems that our family recipe was not your Polish Chop Suey. It was a much worse version, maybe dating back to the 1940s. Its sole seasoning was salt, and it contained a lot of celery. The chop suey had no good egg noodles, as I suspected. It was bean sprouts, and I really think the chow mein noodles also made an appearance at times. It was a crunch fest that lacked flavor is what I remember the most! I am pretty sure this recipe approximates it, though I know there was no pepper used and it was either ground beef or ground pork. I would also be very surprised if it contained that much soy sauce. Some other recipes I found online only contained two or three tablespoons.
So – I’m definitely trying your Polish version. I owe it to myself, in honor of former kids everywhere, to erase the memory of the abomination this other recipe was!
On a different note, I got this in my email today from Allrecipes.com. In light of the Jello talk above, I thought it was timely! I remember so many of these.
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Was the one you ate sour. This was how my grandma would have made it. Not draining the kraut will give it that twang. You have no idea the hours I spent shredding cabbage for my grandma. She was from Wales, making kraut. I hated kraut growing up. Then, when I decided to make the less twangy dish for my wife, I liked it more than the grandma version. Drain the kraut. I can be strong. I also hated those rubber mushrooms. Uff, they made me queasy. But, yup, I had to clean the plate, too. Tuna casserole was my nemesis. Just hated it, and the smell punched you in the face as you walked in.
I bet you’ll like it if you make it w/drained kraut.
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It’s so cruel to make children clean their plates, wonder if people still do that.
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Our kids cooked most of our meals so that never happened 
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My wife grew up in South Africa in the 80s and 90s, and her mom made her do that. When she came to the US, she found herself slogging through huge American portions–it took me a long time to get her to accept that she didn’t have to finish everything and could just take leftovers home.
Thankfully, we weren’t forced to clean our plates, but we were told to only take seconds if we could finish things.
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Just thinking about that makes my stomach turn. Didn’t happen when I was a child, and look how I tuned out! 
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Plus one for doubling the frosting. I do this for all cakes because I suck at icing them. My SO was a master at icing cakes. I like to think I am a patient person. Not so much I have learned.
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Similar recipe in my southern Saskatchewan community cookbooks, too.
Saw some gyro meat at Costco in the refrigerated section near the smoked salmon the other day. Was slightly tempted but it was chicken. Much prefer lamb.
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Love turkey or chicken tet. Have not made it in forever but I would likely cut down on the butter next time
Neiman Marcus in Bal Harbor Florida used to offer popovers. Loved them. I found a popover pan at the good will but have not tried baking them at home yet. I have no excuse.
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Went to the one in Jenkintown Pa with my mom and once my cousin too. Fun place but by then I liked clothes too. A lot.
Some of the chowhound members could be stuffy and dismissive. When our Wegmans first opened and for quite awhile after the Wegmans had a pub. I was charmed and ate there a few times before covid killed it. I was shocked when people, not just me would gush about the weggers pub and they would say stuff like why would you want to eat at a supermarket restaurant? I was like Grants, Woolworths lunch counters were a delight. I was not gonna argue with them though. Even Jamesway had one.Back in the day I could pick out toys and play with them while we waited for our food and then my mom would buy me the mostly plastic dinosaurs I chose. Later the Woolworths in Doylestown Pa was the place my posse and I would grab an after school snack. I always got my usual, a grilled muffin and a cup of hot tea. My girlfriends would order french fries or banana splits. I got teased a lot. And to their shock and the kindly older counter ladies smiles I always left a tip. When I was really hungry I would get the fish sandwich with tartar sauce and cheese. And once in a blue moon that banana split with hot fudge sauce please. One woman on the pa boards disliked me. Well probably more than one. She was asking for local places to get a fast and thrifty meal. It was so much fun advising her that one our favorites was the Costco food court. I was sincere but she was kind of a poser. Costco used to have Italian sausage sandwiches and also a provolone and turkey sandwich on a really good fresh roll, a torta I think. And I noticed employees getting kraut on their hot dogs and when I knew to ask I got some too. Delightful to play what’s in that cart as we ate and watched the parade. Plus fashion tips for me as Costco shoppers sometimes dress up. Thanks for reminding me.
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That is awesome. Our A.T. morphed into a kentucky fried chicken but then by some miracle it later changed into a Popeyes. As I type this I can hear the angels sing. I read that chicken la king has been mentioned. My man Steve H. on another sandbox still makes it at home. I do too. I always ask Steve if he remembered the teeny dash of nutmeg. He does. There is chicken and dumplings, liver and onions and my fried tomatoes. None of this frou-frou green tomatoes all dredged in bread crumbs. Nope. Tomatoes in season sliced and dredged in flour that has been mixed with a bit of salt and pepper. Thinly sliced. Think scrapple. Scrapple is very popular here in Pa yo. Fry in oil for a few minutes on each side being careful not to break the tomato slices. Don’t crowd the pan. If a slice breaks it’s Saul Good man. This recipe is where I bust out the paper plates. Oh yeah do not toss the excess flour. Just toss the broken pieces on top of the remaining flour for now. Let some of the slices get a little “burnt” I knew this before caramelize was trendy so there. No need to keep the fried slices warm.when you remove them Because when you have enough you will make milk gravy. Mmm Toss the scraps into the pan and break them apart with the spatula. Add some of the leftover flour to the oil in the pan and stir to make a roux. This takes a few minutes as you don’t want that raw flour taste. Add milk to make a thick pinkish gravy. When the gravy tastes done add just a little squirt of catsup. My mom’s tech. Divide those bodacious slices onto plain white bread and top with hot gravy. Serve immediately. I can never resist eating at least one of those slices of tomato while I am frying more so I plan accordingly.
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It’s definitely out of fashion as gentle (non-authoritarian, respectful) parenting has become more the norm. Many parents aim to follow the Division of Responsibility - parents decide what and when kids eat, kids choose whether and how much.
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