Favorite Chili

Football season and cooler temperatures means chili to me.  This hearty version has become our favorite!

Favorite Chili (modified from original recipe from Cooking Light)

Serves 9 (1 cup servings)

• 20 ounces hot turkey Italian sausage, casings removed (usually this is 6 links)
• 1 pound 93% lean ground sirloin
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped (adjust up/down to your heat tolerance)
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried oregano)
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 ¼ cups Merlot or other fruity red wine
• 1 (28 ounce) can low sodium diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (28 ounce) can low sodium crushed tomatoes
• 1 (15 ounce) can black, pinto or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• ½ cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the first 7 ingredients (sausage through jalapeno) to the pan; cook 8 minutes or until the meats are browned, stirring to crumble. Drain any excessive fat drippings.

Add chili powder and next 8 ingredients (chili powder through bay leaves) to the pan, and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in wine, tomatoes and beans; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Uncover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Discard bay leaves. Sprinkle each serving with cheddar cheese. Like most chili, this version tastes better the next day and freezes well.

Nutritional Info/Serving: 362 Calories, Fat 12 g, Protein 29 g, Carbs 32 g

21 Day Fix Container Equivalents/Serving:  1.5 Green, 1 Red, 1 Yellow, 0.5 Blue