My step-dad’s chili is award winning. Literally. He’s won cook-offs with his but this recipe isn’t for that because he doesn’t really have one. I live 4 hours away from him now, so I’ve had to learn to make my own which I’ve written down for you here. This version is very thick and meaty. Add a can of tomato juice (or reduce the amount of meat) if that’s not your thing.

The Recipe

1 lb ground pork sausage (I either use spicy or mild, depending on my audience)
1 lb ground beef
8-12 cloves garlic minced (I like garlic, we use closer to that 12 number)
1 large yellow onion -chopped
2 chopped green peppers
1 jalapeno pepper (seeded if you’re a wimp like me)
2 T chili powder (don’t be shy, heap it in there)
2 T brown sugar (packed in tight)
1 T ground cumin
3 T tomato paste
1 t dried oregano
1/2 t ground black pepper
1/4 t salt
2 bay leaves
2 (28oz) cans whole tomatoes, undrained and coarsely chopped
2 (15oz) cans dark kidney beans, drained

1- Heat a large Dutch oven on medium-high heat. Add in the ground sausage (remove casings if necessary) and beef and set them to browning for a minute or two.
2- Add in the garlic, onions, and peppers. Let that cook until the meat is well browned and the peppers/onions are soft. Stir it all up.
3- Add everything from the chili powder-bay leaves and cook for a minute or two getting it all well and stirred in.
4- Add the tomatoes (the best way I’ve found to coarsely chop those bad boys is make your three year old wash his hands REALLY well and then set him to town squashing) and beans.
5- Cook uncovered for about 30 minutes before serving. Remove bay leaves (or if you are like us and a bay leaf in your dish means you doing dishes – add them to the Misters bowl) and serve with grated cheese, saltines, and/or sour cream.

Leftovers are AWESOME.

And I know some people put noodles in their chili but that makes it goulash, so I don’t. If you’re one of those weirdo’s you can certainly do that with this recipe, just don’t tell me about it.

The Discussion

What is your favorite thing to have for dinner? (This one does double duty as research!!)

The Daily Tip

Family dinners are a great time to practice gratitude and thankfulness. In our family, we have a prayer board and each week we offer up a different prayer of thanksgiving. If you are interested in doing this, all you need is a google search to get some suggestions. If prayer isn’t something you’re comfortable with, just go around the table and share some daily blessings.