Secret Ingredient Chili

My family absolutely loves chili.  It is my favorite snowy day meal.  There are so many different versions that there's no reason to ever get bored with the same old chili.  But this recipe is my favorite.  The "secret ingredient" is one that no one ever guesses, but that adds a new level of flavor.  Its cinnamon.  Yep, the same cinnamon that you put on your toast in the morning tastes great in chili.  It doesn't take much to deepen and enrich the flavor of the chili.  I serve this out of bread bowls as a main dish on Superbowl Sunday.  If I'm feeling really ambitious, I'll also whip up a pot of  Smokey Chipotle Chili for those that like it HOT!

Secret Ingredient Chili

Serves 12-15

2 lbs. ground beef

1 large onion, diced

2 cloves minced garlic

2 quarts diced tomatoes

2 cans tomato sauce

1 4oz can diced green chilies

2-4 Tsp. chili powder or to taste

1-2 tsp. cumin or to taste

2 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. pepper

cinnamon  (start with 1/4 tsp. and then add more to taste)

2 15 oz cans kidney beans, drained

1 15 oz can chili beans, undrained

Cook the ground beef, onion and garlic until meat is no longer pink.  Then add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, green chilies and spices. I started with 1/4 tsp. of cinnamon, and ended up using just shy of 1 tsp. Simmer the chili 1 1/2-2 hours. Add the beans and simmer until they are heated through.

Source:  A Mommy's original recipe