How to Make Cincinnati Chili

I first tried Cincinnati Chili at a great restaurant called Skyline Chili that's in the Ohio and Northern Kentucky area. Though my particular recipe is somewhat different, it has become one of my favorite dishes to both cook and eat. This particular recipe yields six servings, but many people end up going for seconds.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• 1/2 pound of ground beef
• 1 green pepper, finely chopped
• 1 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 32 ounces of canned diced tomatoes
• 1 16-ounce can of red kidney beans
• 1 16-ounce can of black beans
• 2 tablespoons of chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• salt
• pepper
• 1 16-ounce package of uncooked spaghetti
• 1 package of shredded cheese (optional)

1. In a large pot, begin to brown your ground beef. Usually the fat of the beef will be enough to keep it from sticking to the pot, but if it is extra lean you may need to use cooking spray.
2. Next add the peppers and onion as the beef is browning. Let them cook a few minutes as you prepare your other ingredients.
3. With the kidney and black beans, it is best to rinse them in cold water using a strainer. Getting the juice off the beans will offset a lot of the negative side-effects that traditionally come with eating chili.
   
   When you're ready, add the beans to the mix along with the can diced tomatoes. Cover the large pot and turn to a low heat. If you have one, set your kitchen timer for 20 minutes.
4. You can now boil your spaghetti in the time you're waiting for the chili to fully cook. By the time you have your spaghetti ready and on plates, it will almost be done.
5. I usually wait and add spices just a few minutes prior to the chili being finished, but that is a personal preference.
6. Serve the chili over the spaghetti. Without the cheese, this is known as two-way spaghetti. Adding the cheese is called three-way spaghetti. Enjoy!

Tips & Warnings

• There is also four-way spaghetti (cheese and extra onions on top) and five-way spaghetti (cheese, extra onions, and extra kidney beans on top).
• My version is not very runny compared to some chilies, but if it turns out that way oyster crackers are a nice addition as well.