Crock Pot Chili with Turkey & Sausage

Good served with Cornbread or Fritos.

• Ready In: 5 hrs 20 mins
• Serves: 20
• Yields: 5 quarts

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 lb  bass farm mild bulk pork sausage
• 1⁄2 lb ground turkey (or substitute lean ground beef)
•  salt & pepper
• 1  dash seasoning salt
• 1 -3  tablespoon chili powder, to taste
•  basil
•  oregano
•  garlic powder
• 3 (15 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 (12 ounce) can tomato juice or 1 (12 ounce) can  V8 vegetable juice (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1⁄2 large green pepper, diced
• 1  medium onion, diced
• 1  teaspoon sugar or 1 -2  dash ketchup
• 1 (16 ounce) can  Bush's light red kidney beans, rinsed & drained
• 1 (16 ounce) can  Bush's dark red kidney beans, rinsed & drained

Directions

1. In a 5-quart crockpot combine canned tomatoes and beans, cover and turn on high while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
2. Brown the turkey and sausage together in the same skillet, seasoning with seasoned salt,regular salt, and pepper, drain and add to crockpot.
3. (Note: If I have a 1-lb package of each, I usually cook all of it and freeze half for the next time I make chili.) Saute green pepper and onion in a little olive oil until tender and add to crockpot.
4. Season to taste with chili powder, basil, oregano and garlic powder.
5. NOTE: If you use pre-seasoned canned tomatoes, you may not need to add additional seasonings, or not as much.
6. I usually add a small spoonful of sugar or a squirt of ketchup to take the acid edge off the tomatoes and sweeten it up just a bit.
7. You'd be surprised at the difference this makes!
8. Once everything is in the pot, add as much or as little of the tomato or V8 juice as you like to get the desired consistency.
9. Cover and cook on high 4-5 hours, longer if you use low.
10. Serve with Corn Bread.
11. Variations: You can substitute chili hot beans or black beans for one of the cans of kidney beans, or use ground beef in place of the turkey.
12. You can add a can of tomato paste to thicken it (just add a bit more sugar or ketchup).