JRay's Chili

If you love heat, this chili is for you. I've taken a combination of a few of my favorite chili recipes and added my own personal touches to create a very flavorful, spicy chili. You can also sub dried basil and oregano for fresh, and bacon bits for crumbles; fresh is always a better flavor though. The longer it simmers, the better it tastes. Serve in bowls with Cheddar cheese and sour cream topping. Goes well with cornbread.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 10 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 40 mins
• Calories: 282 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
• ½ onion, chopped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 2 ½ cups tomato sauce
• 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
• 1 (8 ounce) jar medium salsa
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1 (15 ounce) can light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 ounce) can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• ¼ cup chili seasoning mix
• 3 tablespoons crumbled cooked bacon

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Break ground beef into a large stock pot over medium-high heat; cook and stir until completely browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Drain fat from the beef and return pot to heat.

Step 2

Stir tomato sauce, light red kidney beans, dark red kidney beans, salsa, celery, onion, bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, chili seasoning, bacon, garlic, oregano, basil, salt, black pepper, and sugar with the ground beef in the pot. Place a cover on the pot and cook the chili until the flavors have blended, at least 1 hour.