Chili!

I LOVE slow cooker recipes. I love that I can just throw everything into the pot, switch it on and forget about it. I love that the smell of food cooking is so wonderful to come home to. And I love that I don't have to throw myself into food preparation as soon as I get home.


I found this recipe, through looking at a friend's photo of jams and chutneys!  The fruit of a half hour on the internet of blog diversions...like going on a treasure hunt, or entering a maze where I'm not bothered about finding the 'right' way.  It is from a cookery blog called Coconut & lime.

Here it is:

Slow Cooker Cincinnati Chili

Ingredients:
1 1/2-2 lbs lean ground beef
28 oz can crushed or coarse ground tomatoes (or whole, smashed)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon chipotle pepper
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
Instead of all these different spices, I used garam masala which has them all and more... because I love shortcuts. Didn't have any Worcester sauce, either, which didn't seem to matter.

To serve:
1 lb spaghetti
sour cream
chopped raw onions
dark red kidney beans (heated through)
shredded extra sharp cheddar

Directions:
In a large skillet saute onion, garlic, ground beef, and chili powder until ground beef is just barely cooked. Take care to break the meat into small bits. Drain off any excess fat. Add to a four quart slow cooker. Add all of the remaining ingredients. Stir. It might look a little dry but that is okay. Cook for 8-10 hrs. Stir.

Cook spaghetti according to package instructions.

There are several ways to eat Cincinnati style chili:
3-way: Spaghetti topped with chili, covered with shredded cheddar cheese
4-way: Spaghetti topped with chili, cheese, onions
5-way: Spaghetti topped with beans, chili, cheese & onions