My Favorite Chili
What better a time to share my favorite chili recipe with you than in the midst of a worldwide pandemic?!
I mean, I could think of a dozen other situations in which I’d rather share this recipe, but you gotta work with what you’ve got, you know?
In all honesty, these are scary times right now, my friends. There’s a whole lot of uncertainly ahead of us — especially the timeline and severity of this virus. Most of us are stuck at home — working or otherwise — so I thought it might be helpful to share one of my favorite big batch recipes.
Judging from the grocery store shelves lately, we all have plenty of beans and chicken stock in our pantries, right? This recipe makes use of both, along with whatever veggies you feel so inclined to toss in there. I am notorious for digging veggies out of the depths of our fridge, and chopping them up to throw in whatever meal I’m making. This chili is no exception.
Got more than one pepper? Chop it up, toss it in. Extra mushrooms? In they go. Some zucchini on their last leg? Peel ’em, chop ’em up and throw ’em in.
Like most of my recipes, I want you to use this as a road map. Take the basic guidelines, and modify with whatever you have on hand. As this quarantine continues, it will be an important skill to be able to adjust your favorite recipes to utilize whatever ingredients you have available to you.
Before you go any further, I need to throw a disclaimer out there: THIS IS NOT LISA’S FAMOUS CHILI.
For those of you who are not in the know, my mom made the same chili recipe for as long as I can remember. Lord knows who she got it from, but it was considered one of her “signature dishes”. This chili was required for every football game with the crew (you know who you are!), and was always the star of the show.
(…especially when the Pats lost. We tend to eat our feelings.)
I was able to find her original recipe, and I promise that I’ll share it one day! In the meantime, I want to share MY favorite chili recipe — which I’m sure would have gotten the Mama Lisa stamp of approval. After all, there’s chocolate in it! And we both love(d) chocolate.
So let me tell you a little backstory on how this particular chili came to live in my repertoire.
Peter & I traveled to Cincinnati back in 2011 to visit his Aunt Diane and “Uncle” Dave. We had never been, and wanted to see them/where they lived AND experience the city’s Oktoberfest. Aka “Oktoberfest Zinzinnati” — the largest Oktoberfest in America! Note that this was back in my gluten-FULL days, when I enjoyed beer on the reg.
Sometimes I miss those days. *sigh*
I digress. So in our (non-Oktoberfest-related) adventures, they took us to Skyline Chili. Skyline is famous for their 3-Way: a pile of spaghetti, topped with their famous chili and a mountain of shredded cheese. I know it sounds a little odd, but this is a regional staple. Once you try it, I swear you’ll be convinced.
So in true Talia fashion, I wanted to replicate this recipe once we were back home. I stumbled upon Half Baked Harvest’s adaptation, and never turned back. I’ve modified the original recipe slightly to include beans (a chili staple, in my opinion) and more veggies. What I love most about this chili is the depth of flavor. There are a handful of different spices — along with some sneaky cinnamon and cacao powder, which are the real winners here. There’s something about the added sweetness that really brings this chili to the next level, so don’t be intimidated by the list of spices!
In Teighan’s version, she uses spaghetti squash instead of actual spaghetti. Brilliant! You KNOW I’m always down for a veggie swap, so will often roast a spaghetti squash while the chili is simmering on the stove. However, Peter is incredibly picky about his squash (as with most things), so I usually cook up some regular spaghetti for him instead.
#bestwifeaward
Of course, if I’m feeling this chili Cinncinati-style, I’ll make some gluten-free spaghetti for myself as well. The base/topping combinations are endless, so use what you have — and have fun with it! I’ve included a (long) list of topping ideas in the recipe below, as well as a bunch of different variations in the Notes.
Give me a shout if you have other suggestions or questions on how to best modify. We’re all in this together! Even if we have to be at least 6 feet away from each other for the time being.
- 1 yellow or sweet onion, thinly sliced
- 1 red or orange pepper, thinly sliced
- ½ jalapeño, diced
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1½ tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1½ tablespoon cacao powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1½ teaspoon allspice
- 1½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 (15 oz) can beans (kidney, pinto, black), rinsed
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ½ (8 oz) can tomato paste
- 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- Toppings (optional): shredded cheese (if not DF), oyster crackers, sliced avocado, guacamole, shredded lettuce, sliced olives, scallions, slice jalapeño
- Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat (check out my Favorites page to see what I use). Cook onions for 4-5 minutes, until softened and translucent. Add peppers and jalapeño (plus any other veggies you want!), and cook for another minute.
- Crumble in ground beef. Cook until browned, breaking up with a spatula.
- Add spices, and mix well. Let cook for another minute, then add remaining ingredients (beans, broth, tomatoes, ACV, worcestershire, bay leaves).
- Stir everything well, then let simmer for 1-2 hours -- the longer, the better!
- Enjoy over rice, (GF) macaroni, spaghetti squash or on its own. Top as desired.
Feel free to be liberal with your use of spices! I've obviously made this recipe plenty of times exactly as I'm sharing it with you, but tend not to measure my spices when regularly cooking for myself.
Adjust the cayenne pepper if you prefer more (or less) heat. Similarly, include an additional jalapeño or omit altogether, depending on your propensity for heat.
If you don't have cacao powder in your pantry, feel free to use unsweetened cocoa powder -- dark chocolate, if available, but totally okay if not.
The longer you let this chili simmer, the more flavorful it will be. That said, I still don't hesitate to make it on a weeknight when I only have time for 30 minutes of stovetop time! I'm sure you could also throw it in your slow cooker, and turn to low while you're at work.
Enjoy this chili on its own or on top of (GF) pasta, spaghetti squash or rice.
Recipe Adapted From: Half Baked Harvest | Cincinnati Chili Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
Sending love to all those affected directly by this virus already, and hoping we all can return to some semblance of normalcy soon. Stay safe & healthy, my friends.
