Cincinnati chili (meat- and veggie-based)

As a shoutout to Deerslayer, here is my recipe:

1lb ground beef (ground turkey also works well)

1 6-oz can of tomato paste

1 packet of Cincinnati chili mix (in the blue packet; back label should say it was made on Thunderbird Lane, Fairfield OH)

2 quarts of water

Add water to a stockpot, add in tomato paste and mix well (a whisk works great here).  Once thoroughly mixed, add in chili mix and mix well.

Add in ground meat, break up well (a whisk also works great here), and once thoroughly mixed, bring to a boil, drop to a simmer, and let simmer 90-120 minutes over med/low heat, stirring every 15-20 minutes, to the consistency you want (I prefer thicker than is served in the restaurant, but not overly thick/gloppy).

Serve over cooked pasta, or in a bowl by itself, with plenty of shredded cheddar, hot sauce of choice, and oyster crackers.  Red kidney beans (warmed) and/or chopped onions (raw) are good add-ins.

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For a veggie-based version, sub out the ground meat for 1lb of green lentils, and make in a slow cooker.

Mix the remaining ingredients as above (water + tomato paste, then chili mix, then lentils) in the slow-cooker, set slow-cooker on "low", and let cook for a good 8-10 hours.  Stir every 2-3 hours (in my slow-cooker, food can tend to stick to the sides and burn if not stirred every 2-3 hours).

I usually make this a day ahead and reheat the next day, served the same way as the meat-based version above.

Both versions also freeze well.