Last night I was so craving Chinese Food and my favorite is pork Chow Mein! I love the bean sprouts and Chow Mein noodles with all of the vegetables mixed together. I love to go out for Chinese food, but I also have been making homemade Chow Mein for years. Several years ago I got this recipe off of the back of the Safeway brand of Chow Mein noodles. I am going to share with you my modified version because this is my favorite version. The original version does not call for the bean sprouts or water chestnuts. You can also make your own version. I use ground beef per the original recipe. You could also use Chinese BBQ pork or your own variation of pork. I know someone who makes this recipe using cream of chicken soup instead of mushroom soup and uses ground chicken or chicken breast. I know another family that adds corn to the recipe. A lot of varieties would work well. I serve this over steamed rice, but you could use fried rice too. I do not eat the rice and serve mine over a few extra Chow Mein noodles.
- 2 Medium yellow onions or 1 Large (I use yellow sweet onions)
- 1 stalk of celery
- 2-4 Tbsp. of cooking oil
- 1 can of Mushrooms, stems and pieces (you could also use fresh)
- 2 cups of fresh bean sprouts
- 1 can of water chestnuts
- 2 cans of chicken with rice soup (10 oz. cans)
- 1 can of cream of mushroom soup (10 oz. can)
- 1 pound of lean ground beef (or preferred protein)
- Milk or half and half to desired consistency, I also add a tiny bit of chicken broth to desired consistency
- 1 1/2- 2 cups of Chow Mein Noodles
- Cashews, halves and pieces (I have also used peanuts)
Instructions:
In a large soup pot or large skillet, heat oil and then throw in diced celery and onion. Add seasonings of preference. I use salt, pepper, garlic salt, and Mrs. Dash. Cook until vegetables are somewhat tender. Add ground beef and brown. Drain if using higher fat meat. I use the lean meat and do not need to drain. It has a little bit of oil leftover, but it flavors the dish. After the meat is done, add the mushrooms and water chestnuts. Heat just for a few minutes and then add the 2 cans of chicken with rice and the 1 can of cream of mushroom soup. Stir well and then add your milk and a tiny bit of chicken broth although the chicken broth is not required. I use it to add a little extra protein. Once heated, I add the Chow Mein noodles and fresh bean sprouts and then simmer for about 20-25 minutes until the Chow Mein noodles are soft. Lastly I add a handful of cashews or peanuts. The original recipe calls for baking this in the oven once the Chow Mein noodles are added at about 350 for 20 minutes. I prefer the non baked version because it tastes more like the real Chow Mein that I crave. This also makes great leftovers.
Happy eating and well wishes to all of you.
Mandy