Meaty Comfort Chili

Cold days call for warm, hearty comfort food and, boy, do I have the perfect recipe for you today. This Meaty Comfort Chili has all of the warmth, flavor and comfort that you could ask for in a healthy dinner. This recipe tastes even better the next day! 

You have several serving options with this chili. You could serve it in bowls, topped with a sprinkle of cheese, a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of fresh green onions. You could scoop it over freshly baked sweet potato. You could use it to dress up a serving of scrambled eggs. You could serve it, chilled, over a large salad. The possibilities are endless. Enjoy! ​

Servings: 12 

Here’s what you need...

• 6 oz. hot turkey Italian sausage, loose
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1 Tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped and seeded
• 2 Tablespoons chili powder
• 2 Tablespoons coconut sugar OR honey
• 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
• 3 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 ¼ cups Merlot or other fruity red wine
• 1 (28oz) can no-salt-added whole tomatoes, undrained and coarsely chopped
• 2 (15oz) cans no-salt-added kidney beans, drained
• Sour cream (optional garnish)
• Shredded cheese (optional garnish)
• Green onion (optional garnish)
• Diced tomatoes (optional garnish)

1. Heat a large heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, onion, bell pepper, garlic, ground beef and jalapeno to pan; cook 8 minutes or until sausage and beef are browned, stirring to crumble.
2. Add chili powder, coconut sugar, cumin, tomato paste, oregano, black pepper, salt and bay leaves and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in wine, tomatoes, and kidney beans; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally. 
3. Uncover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Discard the bay leaves. Sprinkle each serving with the garnishes. 

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 284 calories, 1g fat, 79mg sodium, 28g carbohydrate, 12g fiber, and 16g protein