zyxquilts

I don't really have an actual recipe, but here's what I used this time:

1/2 large brown onion, chopped
4 or 5 cloves of garlic, chopped
1.5 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork sausage
chili powder
cayenne pepper
1 small can tomato paste
1- 10 oz can Rotel diced tomatoes w/ green chilies
1- 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 - 15 oz can tomato sauce
1 - 15 oz can pinto beans
2 - 15 oz cans kidney beans
1 - 19.75 oz can black beans

Saute the onion & garlic in a little butter, until onions are translucent, then add in the beef & pork, add chili powder & a bit of cayenne pepper (depending on how hot you like it), salt & pepper to taste, and cook until browned. While it was still hot, I put in the tomato paste & mixed it in until it was sort of melted in. Transfer all of this into your crockpot...and put it in the fridge until tomorrow! (I suppose you don't really have to do that, but I did!)
Next, open all the cans, and drain off most of the liquid from the beans - otherwise the chili will be too soupy. Dump all the cans into the crockpot & mix it all together. Turn it to high for an hour, then taste the chili, adding salt & chili powder as needed. Turn it down to low & let it cook all day, stirring once in a while. I think mine cooked for at least 8 hours all together. At the very end I added a HEAPING tablespoon of apricot jam - you could use any jam or jelly you have on hand - & stir it in.
Serve with crackers or nice sourdough bread or whatever you like!
Enjoy!

susiequilt

That sounds so good. I'll have to save that recipe for this winter. Thanks for sharing.
Congratulations on you "close second".

Mplsgirl

Apricot jam?!!! Wow, what does that do? This sounds like a great recipe.