Chili

This chili is easy, delicious, and perfect for Superbowl parties! There are many types of chili, but this has just about everything in it: ground beef, sausage, tomatoes, beans, and a variety of vegetables. It can even be Kosher, depending on what sausage you use!

I wanted my chili to have balanced but complex flavors. To do so, I cooked the vegetables and meats before I combined everything. That simple technique allowed the meat to brown and caramelize and the flavors of the vegetables to mingle. Once I mixed everything together, the flavor of the vegetables infused the rest of the dish, and the meat didn't completely dissolve.

In chili, you have to use chiles. It's in the name. There are plenty of bell peppers in the recipe, but I also added an Anaheim. They are sweet with a slight kick, so you can add more spice via other chiles (i.e. jalapeños or habaneros) or dried, ground up chiles (I used a few spoonfuls of cayenne). Canned diced green chiles add a gentle heat.

This specific batch of chili was meant for a Superbowl party at a Temple. Everything needed to be Kosher, so I used sweet Italian Beef Sausage. If that's not available or if you prefer something else, that is perfectly acceptable, but I do recommend sticking with some sort of Italian sausage. If you want even more heat, try a spicy variety!

As for my opinion on the chili vs chile debate, I refer to the dish as chili and the ingredients and country as chile.

1 1/2 lbs Ground Chuck
3/4 lb Italian Sausage
45 oz Canned Kidney and/or Navy and/or Cannellini Beans, Drained & Rinsed
42 oz Canned Petite Diced Tomatoes with Juice
4oz Diced Green Chiles
4 oz Tomato Paste
1 Yellow Onion, Diced
1 Green Bell Pepper, Diced
1 Red Bell Pepper, Diced
4 Cloves Garlic, Minced
1 Anaheim Chile, Diced
1 Jalapeno, Minced
3 T Chili Powder
1 Cup Chicken Broth
2 tsp Oregano
1/2 T Cumin
3/4 tsp Basil
3/4 tsp Salt
3/4 tsp Pepper
2 T Cayenne
1 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Sugar
1 T Worcestershire
2 tsp Hot Sauce

Heat some oil in a large pot. Add the sausage and brown on all sides. Set aside and slice into coins when cool.

Return the pot to the heat. Add the onions and bell peppers, season with salt and pepper, and cook until almost tender, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, Anaheim chile, and jalapeno and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the ground beef and sliced sausage and cook for 5 minutes or until browned. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the chicken broth, worcestershire, and hot sauce. Combine the chili powder, oregano, cumin, basil, salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika, and sugar. Stir into the chili. Add the beans, tomatoes with juice, and green chiles.

Cover the pot and simmer on low for at least two hours.

Serves 8
Recipe Adapted from www.allrecipes.com