This recipe is based on a chili I learned to make working in a local restaurant as a kid and Papa Louie’s Award-Winning Venison Chili. You can use any kind of ground sausage or ground meat, but this one was made with spicy venison sausage. Here’s what you need:
2 lbs ground (country style) sausage
3 small bell peppers (mixed colors)
1 large onion
2-3 cloves garlic
Fresh ginger (equal garlic amount)
28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
8 oz can tomato sauce
12 oz bottle of Hienz Chili Sauce
1 can of black beans
1 can kidney beans
Hot sauce (Crystal or similar)
Olive oil
Salt, pepper
Chili powder
Ground cumin
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Ginger powder
Garnish (cheese, jalapeño, onions, etc.)
Start by dicing about 1/4 of the onion and sautéing in a generous amount of olive oil with a pinch of salt and pepper. Once they are translucent, add in minced garlic and ginger. After about another minute of cooking and stirring, and the meat. Let the meat brown completely and sprinkle with chili powder. If you are using pre-made sausage meat, you shouldn’t need any extra salt; add some if you are using unseasoned chop meat.
After all the ingredients are well mixed and smelling good, add in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce and the chili sauce. All of it. Mix well and bring to simmer.
While simmering, sprinkle in a little onion powder, garlic powder and ginger powder in equal amounts. Then sprinkle in chili powder and ground cumin in double quantities as the other spices. Let the sauce bubble through for a few minutes before mixing in.
Now time to add in the rest of the veggies. Chop the remaining onion and the peppers in pieces that are bigger than diced but small enough to fit on a spoon. Stir them in. Rinse the beans throughly, and then add them in too. Use them all or use less depending on you liking.
By now, the chili should have been cooking for about 30 minutes and you should be able to stand a spoon on it own straight up in the middle of the pot. Now is a good time to add hot sauce and salt to taste.
It needs to cook on a very low simmer for at least another 15 minutes (45 minutes total), but the longer the better. About 2-3 hours is ideal.
When you have decided it’s time to eat, prepare your garnishes and enjoy! Serve over rice to cut the heat if needed.
Tip: For a really good veggie chili, follow all the same steps but replace the meat with chopped mushrooms.