Chili - The ONE

This chili is so good!  And you can crock pot or stove top it, to boot!  My dad, who has been the tasting participant in many a chili cook-off, boldly declared that this is the best chili he has ever had. It's that good.

Combine it with a batch of Famous Dave's cornbread (mix from Costco) and his honey-butter recipe, and you've got a happy family.

I found the recipe here:

http://www.pipandebby.com/pip-ebby/2014/2/15/the-best-chili-on-earth.html

Without further ado:

Serves: 12

Total time: 8-9 hrs (crockpot), 2.5 hrs (stovetop)

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds ground beef, turkey or venison  [I use turkey.]
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 yellow or white onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped   [I just use a shake of dried parsley.]
• 2 jalapeño peppers, finely chopped (optional)   [I omit these.]
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper   [We don't love spice, so I leave this out.]
• 46-oz. can tomato juice   [I have just use a quart of home-bottled pureed tomatoes]
• 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
• 15-oz. can tomato sauce
• 16-oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 16-oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed   [I typically use great northern beans instead.]
• Shredded cheese and sour cream, for topping

Instructions:

1. In a large skillet, cook ground meat over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Transfer the meat to a bowl. Drain excess grease from skillet, but do not clean.
2. Add the olive oil to the skillet. Add the onion, green pepper, garlic, parsley and jalapeño peppers (if using) and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and fragrant (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and add the chili powder, cumin, sugar, oregano, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Stir until combined.
3. If cooking the chili stovetop, add the cooked meat back to the skillet. If using a slow cooker, add meat-veggie mixture to the slow cooker. Add the tomato juice, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, kidney beans and pinto beans to either the skillet or slow cooker, depending on which you are using. On stovetop, bring to a boil, dial back to medium-low and simmer for 2 hours. In slow cooker, cook on low for 7 to 8 hours. Serve warm with cheese and sour cream.