Eight-ingredient beef, bean chili hides Super Bowl surprise

A HEARTY and easy way to feed a crowd, chili is an ideal addition to a Super Bowl party. But to add interest to this savory winter staple, we reach for an ingredient from the baking world.

This recipe from our book “Cook What You Have,” which draws on pantry staples to assemble easy, weeknight meals, has all the usual suspects: ground meat, beans, cumin, chili powder, tomato and onion. But it also has one unconventional ingredient — cocoa powder.

At least, it’s unconventional in most of the country. In Cincinnati, cocoa and other warm spices, such as cinnamon and allspice, are common components of chili (as is spaghetti, but we skipped that this time). Just a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder adds surprising depth and complexity —without making the dish taste like chocolate. Because cocoa is a fermented product, it adds a subtle richness that builds on the umami