"A Little Something for Everyone" Chili

It is officially fall, my favorite time of year (well maybe not officially according to the calendar, but in my eyes it is)!  The weather is cooling down, there is crispness in the air, and football is on the tv.  Time to make some chili!

This is my favorite chili recipe because it's got a little something for everyone -- fresh vegetables, different kinds of meat, an assortment of beans, and a little bit of spice.  The secret is to make this the night before, cool in the fridge and then reheat the next day in a crock pot on low to get all those flavors going.   I like to serve it with some corn bread muffins drizzled with honey (to add a little sweet to balance the spice).

Ingredients
1 lb of ground beef
1 lb of sausage
1 onion, diced
2 peppers, diced
2 cloves of garlic, diced
3 tomatoes, diced
2 15-oz cans of tomato sauce
2 15-oz cans of diced tomatoes
3 tablespoons of chili powder
1.5 teaspoons of cumin
1 teaspoon of oregano
1 15-oz can of garbanzo beans
1 15-oz can of kidney beans

Preparation
1.  Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add ground beef and diced sausage (any kind works, I threw in some regular sausage and chorizo, but you can use hot Italian as well).  Cook until almost cooked through.

 

2.  Add the diced onion, peppers, and garlic to the Dutch oven with the meat.  Cook for another 8-10 minutes until the vegetables are tender.  Remove from heat and drain excess fat. 

3.  Lower heat to medium-low and add diced fresh tomatoes, tomato sauce, canned diced tomatoes, chili powder, cumin and oregano.  Cover and cook for 45 minutes.

4.  Add garbanzo beans and kidney beans to the Dutch oven and continue cooking for 15 minutes, uncovered. 

5.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.  Cover with lid and place in the refridgerator overnight.  The next day, warm in a crock pot for 2-4 hours on low and serve with cheddar cheese, sour cream and an assortment of hot sauces!