A five-component torque bomb: ground beef chili over spaghetti, with beans and cheese. It’s savory, tangy, rich, and hypnotic.
Why This Chili Works
This isn’t the thick Tex-Mex type—this is five-layered, warm-spiced chili über sauce that covers spaghetti like velvet. It’s sweet, spicy, tangy, and deep red-brown. Loaded with cinnamon, cloves, cocoa, and Worcestershire—believe it. It’s served spicier, layered heavier, and eats stranger than most chili—but you’re not here for average. You’re here for the full five-way: Chili + spaghetti + kidney beans + shredded cheddar + onions. Maybe tops it with oyster crackers and hot sauce.
Chili Breakdown & Prep
- Chili: simmered ground beef in spiced tomato base
- Spaghetti: cooked al dente, oil-whooshed to prevent clumping
- Kidney beans: warm and tender
- Cheddar cheese: shredded sharp cheddar
- Onions: diced raw white onions for bite
Five distinct parts building five-way magic. You’ll plate: spaghetti, chili ladle, beans, cheese, onions. That’s it—simple, stacked, heritage-loading.
Recipe Card
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: ~1 hr 20 mins
- Servings: 6
- Calories: ~680 kcal per serving
- Diet: Contains meat, gluten-free optional (use GF spaghetti)
Ingredients
For the chili sauce (makes enough for 6 bowls):
- 2 lbs ground beef (85/15 recommended)
- 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 Tbsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp cocoa powder (unsweetened)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 1½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar (optional, for balanced sweetness)
- 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
- ½ tsp black pepper
For the five-way build:
- 1 lb spaghetti
- 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained & rinsed
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, freshly shredded
- 1 cup white onions, finely chopped
- Optional hot sauce or oyster crackers for garnish
Instructions
Step 1: Brown the Meat
Heat a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high. Add beef and cook until it’s just losing its pink, breaking into small crumbles. Don’t drain—meat fat adds flavor.
Step 2: Cook Aromatics
Add diced onion and garlic to same pot. Reduce heat to medium, cook 4–5 minutes until onions are translucent and aromatics fragrant.
Step 3: Season It Up
Stir in chili powder, cumin, cocoa, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, salt, and pepper. Toast spices 1 minute so oils wake up—this gives depth.
Step 4: Build Sauce
Pour in tomato sauce, beef broth, Worcestershire, vinegar, and brown sugar. Scrape bottom to deglaze. Bring to simmer gently.
Step 5: Simmer
Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 45 minutes. Stir every 10 min—sauce should thicken and deepen in color. Taste halfway and adjust salt or spice.
Step 6: Prep Spaghetti & Beans
When chili nears done, boil water and cook spaghetti al dente. Drain and toss with a drizzle of neutral oil to prevent sticking. Simultaneously, warm kidney beans in microwave or small pan.
Step 7: Shred Cheese & Dice Onions
Use freshly shredded cheddar—pre-shredded has anti-caking junk. Dice onions finely so everyone gets a bite.
Step 8: Build the 5-Way
For each bowl:
- Add ~1 cup cooked spaghetti
- Ladle ~½–¾ cup chili over noodles
- Spoon a generous ¼ cup kidney beans
- Sprinkle ~⅓ cup shredded cheddar
- Top with ~2 Tbsp diced onion
Optional: serve with hot sauce or oyster crackers on the side.
Notes
- Chili makes more than needed—leftovers freeze well.
- Spaghetti: traditional long strands, no corkscrews or twirls.
- Beans: rinsed to avoid diluting flavor. You want individual character per layer.
- Cheese: sharp cheddar is essential—milk & acid balance hold flavor under chili heat.
- Onions: raw small-diced—adds crunch and onion brightness beneath heat—not buried.
- Spice levels: moderate out-of-the-bag. Add cayenne to taste after simmer.
Recommended Products
- 24 qt Staub Dutch oven – for even heat during long simmer
- High-quality non-stick spaghetti pot – drainage and strand separation
- Oxo stainless steeled spice containers – keeps imported spices fresh
Nutrition (Estimated per serving)
- Calories: 680 kcal
- Protein: 35g
- Carbs: 65g
- Fat: 30g (saturated ~13g)
- Fiber: 6g
- Sugars: ~7g
- Sodium: dependent on salt/spices—adjust to taste
How to Serve & Enjoy
This is plateable chili. Offer hot sauce, oyster crackers, or garlic toast. It’s a meal that combines comfort with stacking texture and depth. Great for game night, movie night, or a cold evening treat. And yes, it’s called “Christmas Eve Chili”—it’s perfect for any holiday loading day.
Leftover Strategy
- Refrigerate chili sauce and spaghetti separately. Keeps beans separate if possible.
- Reheat spaghetti in hot water, drain, toss with oil. Heat chili gently and replate.
- Cheese and onions fresh anytime.
- Freeze sauce in 1-cup portions for fast friends-night bowls.
Final Serve
You built layers: spaghetti as base, chilli sauce as foundation, beans as texture, cheese for cream, onions for crunch. It’s not sloppy—it’s intentional. Five-way builds complexity from simplicity. You didn’t pour chili on fries—you assembled five components with purpose.
When someone bites and says, “This is… different.” You smile and say: “Yeah. That’s the point.”
Want more unapologetic, multi-layered, kitchen-commanding recipes? Email me at [email protected]. Tell me what your readers are craving next—layered lasagna? power bowls? I’ll send recipes that deliver flavour and structure.
