Sweetpea's Chili

This chili recipe took me two years to perfect. It's just a basic beef chili, but it's really good! Try substituting ground turkey--it works great too. Doubling or tripling this recipe is no problem. I always do so I can freeze some. It reheats amazingly well! Fair warning--this chili is pretty spicy! You can lower the spice by using milder peppers instead of the jalapenos. It's also easy to increase the heat--we add a another teaspoon of red pepper and a whole cascabel pepper (remove before serving) with the rest of the spices. Additional diced jalapenos or some habaneros also work great.

• Ready In: 1 hr 30 mins
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 lbs ground beef
• 3  green jalapeno peppers, chopped
• 1  onion, chopped
• 3  garlic cloves, pressed or minced
• 1⁄2 large green bell peppers or 1⁄2 large red bell pepper, chopped
• 2  tablespoons chili powder
• 1  tablespoon  dried chipotle powder
• 1  tablespoon cumin
• 1⁄2 tablespoon dried celery flakes
• 1  teaspoon  ground red pepper
• 1⁄2 tablespoon salt
• 1  beef bouillon cube
• 3⁄4 cup beer
• 1 (29 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (27 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
• 1 (27 ounce) can pinto beans, drained
• 1 (14 ounce) can  of petite diced tomatoes with juice
• 2  cups water
•  black pepper
•  shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
•  sour cream (optional)

Directions

1. In skillet, brown and drain ground beef.
2. In large pot, combine the beer, water, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and the beans.
3. Add the peppers, garlic, and onion. Heat thoroughly.
4. Add the beef and all of the spices.
5. Cook for about an hour to allow the flavors to combine.
6. Garnish with the cheese and sour cream if desired.