A RealFamilies RealFun Blog

Jun 24 2008

Five way chili

Category: Come and Get It

I love my slow cooker almost as much as I love my family. Maybe I exaggerate a little, but my slow cooker has made life much easier. I frequently make chili in several of its variations like picadillo (with raisins and apples), white (with chicken, corn and white beans) or chili con carne. One of our favorites is Cincinnati style chili because it combines foods Nathan and Lucie love -- chili, spaghetti, beans, and grated cheese.

John Kiradjieff, the founder of the Empress Chili Palor, created it in 1922. The dish is called "Five Way" because of its five layers. The first layer is a serving of spaghetti covered by a layer of chili. Next is a layer of kidney beans followed by chopped onions. The entire dish is then covered with grated cheddar cheese.

I use the recipe in Heartland Cooking Crockery Favorites by Frances Towner Giedt. While this seems like a weird combination of spices, Nathan and Lucie -- who love salsa and spicy foods -- really like it.

Cincinnati Chili Five Ways*

Servings: 6

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 7-9 hours on low or 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours on high

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds ground beef round
2 medium yellow onions, chopped (2 cups)
1 medium celery rib, chopped (1/2 cup)
4 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
salt, optional, and black pepper to taste
1 28-ounce can peeled tomatoes in puree undrained
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
1 pound dried spaghetti, broken in half

Toppings:
3/4 cup grated Cheddar cheese (3 cups)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 15 1/2-ounce can dark red kidney beans, heated and drained
Oyster crackers (optional)

Preparation:
1. In a large skillet, brown ground beef, onions, celery, and garlic over medium-high heat until the beef is browned and the onions are limp, about 5 minutes. Drain off all the fat.

2. Transfer meat mixture to a 31/2-quart or larger crockery slow-cooker and combine with remaining ingredients except spaghetti and Toppings. Stir to mix well. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours or on high for 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours.

3. About 30 minutes before serving, cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.

4. Stir the chili. Serve in wide, shallow soup bowls, ladled over a serving of hot spaghetti. Garnish with cheese, onions, and beans. Serve with oyster crackers on the side.

Kid friendly tips:
1. If you have very young little ones, you may want to break the spaghetti in thirds. If you forget to break up the spaghetti before cooking, you can always use clean scissors or kitchen shears to cut up the noodles.

2. Place the toppings in separate bowls and let the kids serve themselves buffet style. Your kids may want to skip some of the toppings and have "three way chili" (spaghetti, chili and cheese) instead.

3. If you have one of those kids (or are one of those adults) who don't like different kinds of food touching each other, have the chili by itself with a bowl of buttered spaghetti on the side.

4. This is great heated up in the microwave the next day. You can also take the chili and use it in burritos or tacos with a little salsa, shredded jack/cheddar cheese, sour cream, and avocado slices.

*From Heartland Cooking Crockery Favorites by Frances Towner Giedt