Crock Pot Cincinnati Chili

Sue Lau's Note:

Have your chili 3,4, or 5 ways, Cincinnati style. This is also great on hot dogs, smothered with shredded cheese.

• Total Time: 4 hrs 20 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 4 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 5

Crock pot Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons mild chili powder
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup water

Have It 5 Ways

• 1 lb spaghetti, cooked
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup finely grated cheddar cheese
• 1 (15 1/2 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed, drained, and heated
• hot sauce (your favorite- I like Franks or Crystal)

Directions:

1. Brown ground beef, onions, and celery in a large skillet, drain off all fat.
2. Place ingredients for the crock pot into the slow-cooker and stir well.
3. Cover crock pot and cook for 7-9 hours on low, or 3 1/2-4 1/2 hours on high, stirring during last part of cooking if using high setting.
4. Cook spaghetti 1/2 hour before chili is done.
5. To have chili 3-ways, serve it with spaghetti, chili and cheese.
6. To have chili 4-ways, serve it with spaghetti, chili, onion, and cheese.
7. To have spaghetti 5-ways, serve it with spaghetti, chili, beans, onion, and cheese.
8. Douse your chili liberally with hot sauce, if desired.

Reviews

[Wanda-R]

Where is the chocolate? Cincinnati Chile MUST have chocolate in to truly be the real thing.

[bricookie55]

This recipe was a real winner in our house. I did add a bit of cocoa powder, and used chicken broth in place of the water, and it turned out delicious, with real depth of flavor. Thanks for posting!

[AWinPA]

My husband and I loved this! We had it "5 way" for dinner last night, and we both took it to work for lunch today. It reheated beautifully. We left out the paprika due to an allergy and added a couple of squares of chopped chocolate. Our crockpot seems to get too hot even on low, but this cooked on low for 6 hours and was perfect. It reminded us of Hard Times Cafe, too. Since we only get there once a year or less when we visit friends 4 hours away, that is a real bonus!