Chili is an all-American staple, and a favorite comfort food during cold weather seasons. Because it can easily be heated up on a crockpot, it also makes a great option for tailgating or parties where people will be coming back for refills all day. This is also a very flexible meal option, as there are seemingly endless variations and it’s easy to give it a new twist just by adding an extra ingredient or two. You can also increase the healthy diet aspect by substituting a lean meat or using reduced-fat cheese. (Recipe credit: Julianna Grimes/MyRecipes.com)
Ingredients:
- 6 ounces hot turkey Italian sausage
- 2 cups chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
- 8 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 pound ground sirloin
- 1 jalapeño pepper, chopped
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 1/4 cups Merlot or other fruity red wine
- 2 (28-ounce) cans no-salt-added whole tomatoes, undrained and coarsely chopped
- 2 (15-ounce) cans no-salt-added kidney beans, drained
- 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
Directions:
- Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Remove casings from sausage. Add sausage, onion, and the next 4 ingredients (onion through jalapeño) to pan; cook 8 minutes or until sausage and beef are browned, stirring to crumble.
- Add chili powder and the next 7 ingredients (chili powder through bay leaves), and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in wine, tomatoes, and kidney beans; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- Uncover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Discard the bay leaves. Sprinkle each serving with cheddar cheese.
Complement your healthy diet with a great workout routine. To learn about the cardio equipment we can provide for your Phoenix area home, contact Fitness 4 Home Superstore.
