All-American Chili

Vegetable broth for sauteeing the vegetables. Start with 1/4 cup, and add as needed.

2 large sweet onions, chopped

1 red & 1 green bell pepper

8 garlic cloves, minced (yes, 8)

1 jalapeno pepper, chopped

2 TBS. chili powder

1/4 tsp. ground chipotle powder (add more to taste, but start small)

1/4- 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional) This subs for the red pepper that would have been in the Italian sausage.

2 TBS. brown sugar (sub if you prefer)

1 TBS. ground cumin

1 TBS. whole fennel seed (this is the licorice-flavored seed found in Italian sausage--add it only if you like this flavor-I love it)

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

3 TBS. tomato paste

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. salt

2 bay leaves

1 1/4 cups of Merlot or other dry fruity red wine

2 (28-ounce) cans of Muir Glen Fire-Roasted Crushed Tomatoes

3 cans (15 ounce) of different beans, drained & rinsed (like black, kidney, or cannelini)

Preparation

1. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat & start with 1/4 cup of vegetable broth (instead of oil).

2. Add onion, peppers, garlic & jalapeno to the pan & saute for about 8 minutes until the vegetables are soft.

3. Add all the spices through the bay leaves and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

4. Stir in the wine, tomatoes, and all the drained beans. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat; and simmer for 1 hour; stirring occasionally.

5. Uncover and cook for 30 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the two cups of corn during the last 15 minutes of cooking.

Note: Like most chilis, this one tastes even better the next day! I'm really nutso about making certain that my food is fresh, but this still tastes terrific after one week.

Serving Size: 1 cup

Number of Servings: 20

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user CHIX96.