Cincinnati Chili

So if you are from the south, you may have never heard of Cincinnati Chili. As for me growing up in Southwest Tennessee, chili meant a spicy type of thick soup with ground beef and beans. Well, when we moved to Texas, their chili had nothing but meat...no beans. That was hard to get used to. When we moved "up north" to Lexington, I discovered the Gold Star Chili chain. It's not soup like you might think. First of all, it is a slightly spicy but sweet-ish meat sauce served over spaghetti noodles and topped with finely shredded cheddar cheese. You can also add beans and onions, but I prefer it without. When I was pregnant with Jack, Madalynn would have preschool on Wednesday mornings. I can't tell you how many days I ate at Gold Star Chili for lunch.
I made this for the kids and I last week and it is pretty close to the Gold Star version. Pretty yummy and kid friendly. It does have what seems like several ingredients, but nothing too unusual. There are some spices in this that don't sound like they belong in something you're cooking for dinner, but it turns out well!
Cincinnati Chili
3/4 lb of lean ground beef
1 medium diced onion
1 garlic clove, pressed or finely chopped
1 (15oz) can of tomato sauce (I used 2 small 8 oz cans.)
1 1/2 c. water
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper, or to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar
8 oz of spaghetti noodles, cooked according to directions
1/2 c. finely shredded cheddar cheese
*OPTIONAL 15 oz can of red kidney beans, heated
*OPTIONAL chopped onion

-Crumble beef into a large, nonstick skillet, add diced onion, and brown.
-When browned, add garlic, tomato sauce, water, cocoa, chili powder, salt, allspice, cinnamon, cumin, red pepper, and vinegar. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat, and simmer slowly for 1 hour.
-Stir occasionally and add more water if needed to make it the consistency of a meat sauce.
-Spoon sauce over cooked spaghetti, top with cheese (beans and onions if desired).
-Serve with oyster crackers.