Cincinnati Chili Recipe

Get ready for some good old-fashioned comfort food with this spin on the American favorite, Cincinnati Chili. You can play around with the ingredients to make it suit your fancy, especially with the toppings. Some popular accompaniments in Ohio include onions, tomatoes, pinto beans, grated cheese, and oyster crackers. In California, we like avocado, grated extra sharp white cheddar, and cilantro.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 sweet onions, diced

2 pounds ground beef chuck

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 32oz jar of your favorite tomato sauce

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 can pinto beans

2 small zucchini, diced

3 tomatoes, diced

1/4 cup North Coast apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup chili powder

2 tablespoons smoked paprika

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 pounds spaghetti

Grated cheddar cheese and chopped cilantro for garnishing

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add the ground beef, salt, and pepper to the pot, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until browned. Remove from heat and return the onions to the pot. Add garlic.

In a bowl, combine the tomato sauce, tomato paste, pinto beans, zucchini, tomatoes, apple cider vinegar, chili powder, smoked paprika, cinnamon, cumin, and cayenne. Add to the pot and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook for two hours, stirring every so often to keep the bottom from burning.

Cook the pasta to manufacturer instructions. Serve the chili over the spaghetti and top with grated cheddar and cilantro.