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I’m not a big believer in the “rules” around how chili should be made. Some folks say it can’t have beans, some say it can’t have Italian sausage, and that’s fine… and maybe this isn’t a “real” chili, but it’s dang good. I’d sit down with a bowl of this beef and Italian sausage chili any time, any where. It has a bit of kick, and fantastic layers of flavor.
Also try version 1.0 of this great chili. It’s just as great, just a little different. You can’t have too many variations on beef and Italian sausage chili, if you ask me. If you prefer a bean-only chili, my white bean chili is the way to go.
Inspired by a recipe from Barbecue Lovers.
Beef and Italian Sausage Chili Version 2.0
Ingredients
- ½ pound bacon
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound mild Italian sausage
- 1 package chili seasoning mix or use 2 tablespoons of homemade seasoning
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ sweet onion chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- 2 medium carrots chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 14/2 ounce stewed tomatoes chopped
- 3 cups spicy V-8 vegetable juice
- 2 cups beef broth
- ⅓ cup Heinz 57 Steak Sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flake
- 15 ounce dark red kidney beans rinsed and drained
- 15 ounce black beans rinsed and drained
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
For garnish
- ½ cup Extra sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 2 green onion sliced
- ½ cup sour cream
Instructions
- Cook the bacon in a large skillet until just starting to crisp. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Remove all but one tablespoon of the bacon fat.
- Crumble the beef and sausage into the skillet and brown. Drain off most of the resulting grease.
- Stir in the chili seasoning, cumin, garlic salt, and black pepper. Reduce heat to low.
- In a large Dutch oven, place the onion, bell peppers, carrots, celery and garlic. Add in the tomatoes, vegetable juice, broth, steak sauce and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat a simmer and continue simmering until the vegetables are tender. The carrots will take the longest to cook.
- Add the cooked meat, beans and cilantro to the Dutch oven and stir.
- Crumble the bacon and add to the pot.
- Simmer for another 30 minutes. Add more salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve with garnishes, if desired.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.
