Golden!

I've long been a fan of Cincinnati Chili. I love the regional story of its creation and I adore the subtle surprise of cinnamon and allspice against the smack of heat. But occasionally I like to play with a classic. We eat green and gold food when we watch our Packers play football, so I opted for golden chicken and garbanzo beans in this Green Bay version of Cin-Chili.

Although I typically shun my Crock-pot, I was successful making this concoction using a slow cooker. Follow the instructions for sauteing the onions, peppers, and seasonings then add them to your slow cooker. Stir in remaining ingredients and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours.

Green Bay Chili
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 green or yellow bell pepper, chopped
4 to 5 cloves garlic, minced
7 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (from can), chopped
5 tablespoons chili powder
3 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
2 teaspoons brown sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon
3 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon allspice
½ teaspoon cayenne
15 ounce can tomato sauce
15 ounce can petite diced tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 pounds ground chicken*
Salt and pepper to taste

Sweat onions in oil until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Turn up heat to medium and add salt, pepper, garlic, and chipotles. Add remaining dry ingredients and cook while stirring until spices become fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add wet ingredients and stir to combine well. Add chicken and use spoon to break up. Bring to simmer and cook uncovered 20 to 30 minutes.

Serve over noodles and garnish with chickpeas (warm over low heat with a bit of chicken broth, cumin, and oregano), shredded yellow cheddar cheese, chopped raw onion, and cilantro.

*I buy 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts and slice into chunks, then place 2 breasts at a time in food processor and pulse until chicken is just ground (do not over process).