Valerie Bertinelli Cincinnati Chili Recipes

CINCINNATI CHILI

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a medium Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add half the chopped onions and the garlic and cook until soft, stirring, about 5 minutes. Add the chili powder, paprika, cumin, allspice, coriander, cinnamon, cayenne and cloves. Cook, stirring, until fragrant. Add the beef and cook the mixture, stirring, until the beef is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon salt.
• Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, bay leaf and 1 1/2 cups water; simmer the mixture, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until slightly thicker. Add the chocolate, vinegar and Worcestershire and cook until the mixture is thickened but still soupy, about 15 more minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions. Drain well.
• Discard the bay leaf and season the chili with the freshly ground pepper. Divide the spaghetti among bowls and top with the chili, beans, remaining onion and cheddar. Serve with the oyster crackers if desired.

FOUR-ALARM RIB-EYE CHILI

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a medium Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the rib-eye and cook until browned all over and the fat has rendered, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the rib-eye to a baking sheet and turn the heat down to medium.
• Add the onions, poblanos, bell peppers, Anaheim peppers, serranos and garlic to the Dutch oven and sauté until softened, 5 minutes. Add the chili powder, coriander, cumin, cayenne and 1 teaspoon salt; cook for another 2 to 3 minutes to toast the spices. Next, stir in the tomato paste; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes to toast the tomato paste and incorporate it into the vegetables. Deglaze the pot with the lager, bring to a boil and cook until reduced by half, 5 minutes. Add the chipotle puree, crushed tomatoes, pinto beans, kidney beans, corn and the rib-eye. Bring the chili to a simmer and cook, partially covered, for 30 minutes, until the chili has thickened and the rib-eye is very tender. Season with salt to taste. Serve with your favorite toppings.

WHITE CHICKEN CHILI

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the garlic, jalapeno, onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the ancho powder, coriander and cumin and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock, increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a brisk simmer. Add the chicken breasts and simmer until the chicken is just cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate to cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, add the beans and their liquid to the pot with the broth and simmer for 5 minutes. Transfer about half of the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth (be careful when blending hot liquids). Return the blended liquid to the pot and add the green chiles. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes to blend the flavors.
• Meanwhile, shred the chicken. Add the chicken back to the chili and season with salt and pepper.
• Serve the chili with an assortment of toppings.

THREE BEAN TURKEY CHILI

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or large wide pot over medium-high heat. Add the turkey, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and cook, breaking up any clumps with a wooden spoon, until brown, about 8 minutes. Remove the turkey and set aside. Add the garlic, celery, onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, about 8 minutes. Add the chile powder and tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
• Return the turkey to the pot and add the diced tomatoes, beans, green chiles and chicken broth. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender and the flavors have melded, about 30 minutes.
• Serve the chili topped with the cheese, sour cream and scallions.

CINCINNATI CHILI

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add the ground beef to the pot, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and return the cooked onions to the pot; stir in the garlic.
• Combine the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, vinegar, chili powder, paprika, cinnamon, cumin, allspice, cloves and cayenne in a bowl; add to the pot along with 1 cup water and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook until the chili is slightly thickened, about 1 hour, 30 minutes.
• Serve the chili over the spaghetti; top with chopped onion, pinto beans and grated cheddar and serve with oyster crackers on the side.

CINCINNATI TURKEY CHILI

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large wide pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Reserve 1/3 cup chopped onion, then add the rest of the onion and the garlic to the pot; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the turkey and cook, breaking it up into small pieces, until cooked through, about 3 more minutes. Add the chili powder, cinnamon, cocoa powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring, until the spices are lightly toasted, about 1 minute. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, then add the tomatoes and 1 cup water.
• Bring the chili to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat as needed to maintain a steady simmer, until the sauce reduces slightly, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, salt the boiling water, add the spaghetti and cook as the label directs for al dente; drain.
• Season the chili with salt and pepper. Divide the spaghetti among shallow bowls and top with the chili. Sprinkle with the reserved chopped onion and the cheese.

CINCINNATI-STYLE CHILI

Steps:

• For the chili: In a stockpot or Dutch oven, combine the tomato sauce, tomato paste, onions, chili powder, cocoa powder, sugar, kosher salt, cinnamon, cumin, garlic salt, allspice, pepper, cayenne, cloves, bay leaves, beef (do not brown first) and 2 cups water. Mix until combined. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for approximately 2 hours. Stir in the vinegar and simmer for another 30 minutes.
• To serve: Serve on a bed of spaghetti and top with the beans, onions and a mound of cheese (or any preferred combination). Add hot sauce, if desired, and eat with oyster crackers.

TURKEY MUSHROOM SLOPPY JOES

Steps:

• Pulse the mushrooms in a food processor until finely chopped.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion, bell pepper and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and an additional 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook for 3 minutes. Add the ground turkey, 1 teaspoon salt and some pepper and cook, stirring and breaking up any clumps with a wooden spoon, until the mushrooms have released their liquid and the meat is browned, about 8 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, chili powder, coconut aminos, Worcestershire and apple cider vinegar. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Serve on buns.

VEGGIE CHILI

Steps:

• Remove all the stems from the mushrooms and add them to a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Add half of the mushroom caps, slightly breaking them up with your hands as you add them. Pulse the mushrooms until they are finely chopped. Set aside. Halve and slice the remaining mushroom caps and set aside.
• Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the oil and heat until shimmering. Add the finely chopped mushrooms from the food processor and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook until the natural liquid from the mushrooms has released and evaporated, about 4 minutes. Add the onion, celery, bell peppers, poblano pepper, cilantro stems and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin and coriander. Stir to coat until the spices are fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, zucchini and sliced mushrooms. Stir to combine. Bring the mixture up to a boil, then turn the heat down to low. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Remove the lid from the Dutch oven and add the corn, black beans and pinto beans. Stir to combine. Continue cooking until the corn and beans are heated through, an additional 5 minutes. Season with salt.
• Ladle the chili into bowls and top with the desired toppings.