Cincinnati-Style Camp Chili Mac with Spaghetti, Warm Spices and Sharp Cheddar
Brown 1 pound of ground beef with onion in a big pot over a medium camp stove or a grate over coals. Stir in chili powder, cocoa, cinnamon, tomato sauce and water, simmer 15 minutes, then cook broken spaghetti and kidney beans right in the pot for 10 to 12 minutes. Pile on cheddar and raw onion. Total time is about 55 minutes.
Cincinnati chili is a different animal from the cumin-and-heat chili most of us make. It is looser, a little sweet, and warmed with cinnamon, allspice and a spoonful of cocoa. Served over spaghetti with a mound of cheese, it is a regional classic. Here it all cooks in one pot, so the pasta soaks up the spiced sauce.
It is an easy dinner after a long day. Everything is chopped at home or at the picnic table, and the pot does the work while you set up chairs. Top it with raw onion and oyster crackers, and keep the hot sauce close.
Cincinnati-Style Camp Chili Mac with Spaghetti, Warm Spices and Sharp Cheddar
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Serves
- 5
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Heat
- Medium flame, then a steady medium-low simmer
- Pack weight
- 4 lb
- Campfire
- Camp stove
- Backpacking
- Cooler required
- One burner
- Some water
- A few dishes
- Prep ahead
Ingredients
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Gear you'll need
- 5-quart pot with lid (or deep 12-inch skillet with lid)
- Camp stove, or a grate over steady coals
- Wooden spoon
- Instant-read thermometer
- Cutting board and knife
- Can opener
- Ladle
- Fine-mesh strainer or bandana for straining dishwater
Steps
-
Brown the beef
Heat the oil in a 5-quart pot over medium heat. Add the beef and break it into small crumbles with a spoon. Cook 7 to 8 minutes, until no pink remains and it reaches 160°F. Spoon off extra grease into a can or jar.
-
Soften the onion
Add the diced onion and a pinch of the salt. Cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring, until soft. Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds.
-
Toast the spices
Add the chili powder, cocoa, cinnamon, cumin, allspice and cayenne. Stir constantly for about 1 minute, until it smells rich. Don't let it scorch.
-
Build the sauce
Pour in the tomato sauce, water, vinegar and Worcestershire. Add the rest of the salt and scrape up the browned bits. Bring to a bubble, cover, and simmer on medium-low for 15 minutes.
-
Cook the pasta
Stir in the broken spaghetti and the kidney beans, pushing the pasta under the liquid. Cover and cook 10 to 12 minutes, stirring every few minutes so it doesn't stick. Add a splash of water if it gets thick before the pasta is tender.
-
Rest and taste
Pull the pot off the heat and let it sit, covered, for 3 minutes. The sauce will tighten up. Taste and add salt, a splash of vinegar or hot sauce.
-
Pile on toppings
Ladle into bowls and cover each with a big handful of cheddar. Add raw onion and oyster crackers. Serve right away while the cheese melts.
Trail Notes
At home, mix the chili powder, cocoa, cinnamon, cumin, allspice, cayenne and salt in a small bag. Dice the onion, shred the cheese and snap the spaghetti in half. Camp cooking then takes about 40 minutes.
Keep the raw beef at 40°F or below, on the bottom of the cooler in a sealed bag, and cook it the first or second night. Wash your hands and the spoon after handling it. Cool leftovers within 2 hours (1 hour if it's above 90°F out) and eat within 2 days.
Ground turkey works, but cook it to 165°F and add an extra tablespoon of oil. For a meatless version, skip the beef and use a second can of beans.
Strain food bits out of your dishwater and pack them out in the trash. Scatter the water at least 200 feet from streams, lakes and camp. Never pour grease on the ground. Seal it in a jar and pack it out.
Round out your camp day
Picked to work with the same kit as this recipe.
BreakfastCast-Iron Bacon Egg-in-a-Hole Toast
LunchCampfire Beer-Simmered Brats in Cast Iron
Snack or treatCast-Iron Chili Mac Corn Chip Pie with Cheddar and Pickled JalapeñosMore one-burner camping meals →Planning a trip? Get the free 3-day meal plan →
Campers ask
What makes Cincinnati-style chili different?
It is a thinner, finely crumbled meat sauce flavored with sweet warm spices like cinnamon, allspice and cocoa, rather than a thick chili built on cumin and heat. It is traditionally served over spaghetti and covered in shredded cheese.
Can I cook the pasta right in the chili at camp?
Yes. Break the spaghetti in half, submerge it, cover the pot and stir often. It takes 10 to 12 minutes, and the starch from the pasta thickens the sauce.
How do I keep chili mac from sticking to the pot?
Use enough liquid to cover the pasta, keep the heat at a steady medium-low simmer, and stir every few minutes. If it starts to dry out, add a splash of water.
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