Vegetarian Cincinnati Four-Way Chili

When we were first married, we lived about a block away from Chili Macs, a Cincinnati chili shop with an outdoor patio. Because we could bring our dog and the food was cheap and fast, we spent many summer evenings there.

I loved the combination of cinnamon, sweet/hot onion and sharp cheddar cheese, but after we moved to the suburbs I forgot about Cincinnati Chili for years until Tom decided to see if we could make it at home. We’ve made it several times since then – meat and veggie versions – and it’s always good, but never exactly how I remember it from the old 'hood. Still, this most recent version of vegetarian Cincinnati Chili gets very close. The pasta and cheese make it a kid-crowd pleaser, too.

I used a couple of different meat substitutes and added zucchini and carrot because I'm not crazy about the texture with crumbles only. Total meat substitute is about the equivalent of a 12- or 16-oz. package.

Note: The toppings are the numbered “ways.” 1. Spaghetti 2. Chili 3. Cheese 4. Onion. Five-way chili has an additional topping, kidney beans. My kids like to add sour cream (of course).

Vegetarian Cincinnati Four-way Chili

2 tbsp. oil (olive or your preferred)
1/2 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 package Morningstar Farms Grillers Crumbles
2 veggie burgers, chopped
1 grated zucchini
1 small chopped carrot
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 ½ tsp cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
Hot sauce (to taste - a couple of shakes)
1 tsp. allspice
¼ tsp cloves
¼ tsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp. cocoa powder (unsweetened baking cocoa) [note: use Dutch Process cocoa, or the best quality you have on hand]
Salt (to taste)
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 ½ cups veg broth
1 tsp cider vinegar
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 lb. spaghetti, boiled and drained

Chili Toppings:
1 white onion, chopped
Sharp cheddar cheese, grated (low-fat is fine)
(for 5-way: kidney beans)

Heat oil in large saucepan. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is translucent. Add the meat substitute, zucchini and carrots. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add the seasonings and cocoa powder, tomato sauce, vegetable broth, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Cover and simmer about 30 minutes.

Serve in bowls constructed as follows: spaghetti, chili, cheese and onion.

Chili Night (Big Molar-style Texas Chili)

It was a dark and windy October night, perfect for chili, when we gathered for the long-awaited chili cookoff. 

Mmm, Steam-ay

The moment of truth for the tales of neighborly chili prowess had arrived.

L and T made a mouth-watering white chicken chili

J and W made a Spanish-seasoned chili with hamburger and fresh garden peppers. Can chili taste like a garden? Yeah, MMM.

Apologies for lame photography - we were eager to get to the eating portion of the evening

Tom made his Texas Big Molar style beef chili and Big Molar-inspired beans. 

They were all fantastic. I hope to bring the other recipes for future posts, but here’s our chili contribution. This is a great combination chili if you have a vegetarian to serve – the meat-eaters can mix the beans and meat. Our kids just have the beans over rice. 

Big Molar – style Beef Chili

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium green pepper, chopped

2 pounds chuck roast, cut into smallish pieces

1 (14-ounce) can beef broth

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon granulated onion

5 tablespoons chili powder, divided

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic (or 3 cloves fresh minced)

Salt to taste

Heat vegetable oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and cook until browned; drain fat (save for beans if desired.) Transfer the meat to a 5-quart stockpot or dutch oven. Cover with 1 inch or so of water. Heat to a boil and cook 30 minutes.

Add broth and tomato sauce, cook over medium-high heat until thickened, about 30 min. Stir in seasonings except garlic and salt. Reduce heat to simmer. Cook 30 min. Add garlic and salt and cook 30 minutes more.

Big Molar Inspired Beans

2 tablespoons olive oil or rendered fat from the beef, above

1 medium chopped onion

1 chopped bell pepper

1 can mild or hot green chiles

Tsp. paprika

2 tsp. granulated onion

2 Tablespoons chili powder

1 tsp black pepper

4 cloves minced garlic

2 cans red kidney beans, drained (or equivalent dried beans that have been soaked and cooked)

8 oz can tomato sauce

Heat cast iron skillet over low heat. Add oil or rendered beef fat, about 2 Tablespoons. Add chopped onion and bell pepper. Cook until vegetables are soft. Add green chiles. Add spices except for the garlic. Cook for a few minutes to allow flavors to blend.

Add minced garlic and red kidney beans, tomato sauce, and about ½ cup water or vegetable broth. Cook over low heat, covered, for about an hour.

Tonight we’re gathering again for soup and bread night. We’re cooking borscht and peach cobbler as I type. Mmm. Hate the shorter days of fall, but I do love the food. (recipes later! Off to the oven)

Mexican Chocolate Veg Chili

“Oh, man, best thing ever!”  - Milo

Since most of our meals are vegetarian, it’s no surprise that we have chili pretty often. Tom makes an especially good chili, never the same taste twice. (As he explains, it all depends on what we have in the house. Pantry chili, I guess you could call it.) Last night’s was a little picante and a bit sweet, and the kids went crazy for it. Here’s the closest he can come to capturing it in recipe form.

Ingredient note 1: You’ll find Sazón Goya on the list, which turns out to be largely MSG, oops. I’m fascinated by the concept of MSG – a chemical that makes any food taste better! How cool is that? – but that’s a topic for another post. In any case, feel free to skip it. We've been having fun with it.

Ingredient note 2:  This was pretty sweet. It skimmed the borderline for me and came in on the yummy side, but some diners may find it too much in their chili. I might cut the hot chocolate tablet amount by half next time.

Mexican Chocolate Veg Chili

Chop up all the half-used onions in the refrigerator (about half a large yellow onion and half a purple onion)

Oil for cooking

1 – 7 oz can mild green chiles

1 T paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 packet Sazon con cilantro y tomate [see note above]

1 15-oz can kidney beans

1 28-oz can pinto beans

1 28-oz can diced tomato

1/ 2 circle of Mi Abuelita Mexican style hot chocolate [see note above]

In about a tablespoon of oil, saute onions and green chiles until onions are starting to soften. 

Make a pool in the middle. Add a little more oil. Into the oil, put 1 T paprika, 1 t garlic powder, 1 t  black pepper,  1 t  cumin,  t 1cinnamon, and one packet Sazon con cilantro y tomate.  Cook in oil, Indian style

Add 1 15oz can kidney beans, with liquid, followed by a 28 oz can of pinto beans, without liquid. Add 28-oz can of diced tomato. Cook on med for 40 minutes. 

Note from Jen: I always rinse all canned beans! Tom insists on using the liquid. The experts of teh google search tell us that to avoid the bean's more unpleasant side effects, drain and rinse.

Then add a half circle of Mi Abuelita Mexican style hot chocolate and allow to soften before stirring into the chili. Cook on low for a while stirring occasionally.

We served over macaroni noodles. Also good alone, with rice, or on tortillas. Optionally, top with cheese, or hot sauce, or sour cream, or all three.

Serves 4 generously, with leftovers (or 6 without leftovers)