Chili (Ground Meat and Italian Sausages)

This vegetable packed chili recipe is easy to prepare, does not require any fancy ingredients, and freezes exceptionally well. I love to change up the vegetables with whatever I have on hand and the same for the beans and spice level. Each time I make this recipe it tastes different, which is lovely.

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cup red onions, finely diced
1 cup carrots, finely diced
1 cup celery, finely diced
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
1 orange bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
1 head (8-10 cloves) garlic, finely chopped
2.2 lbs ground meat, such as beef, pork and/or veal (1 kg)
4 hot Italian sausages (1 kg)
2 (14 oz) cans heritage diced tomatoes (2x398 mL)
3 cups passatta or tomato purée (710 mL)
1 (14 oz) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (398 mL)
1 (14 oz) can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed (398 mL)
1 (14 oz) can baked beans in tomato sauce (398 mL)
1 Tbsp. dried Italian seasoning
1 Tbsp. chili powder
½ tsp. ground Spanish cayenne pepper
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground

Garnish:
shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream
toasted garlic bread

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until it is shimmering. Add the onions, bell peppers, carrots and celery. Cook until the vegetables have softened, about 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove from the skillet and place in a container.

In the same pot, add the ground meat and cook, breaking up the beef with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 10 minutes.Remove to container with vegetables.

In the same pot, add the sausages and cook until browned on all sides and no longer pink inside. Remove and slice. Return sausages to the Dutch oven and add the vegetable/meat mixture. Stir to combine.

Add the tomatoes, passatta, italian seasoning, chili powder, cayenne and red pepper flakes. Gently stir until all ingredients are combined. Add all the beans and gently stir once more.

Cover with a lid. Cook on low for 1-2 hours (stir every 30 minutes). Remove the lid and let simmer until the desired thickness is achieved, about 30-45 minutes more.

Let cool, then store overnight and reheat the next day for best flavour. Serve with toppings of your choice. Season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Makes 8-10 servings.

Storage: Leftover chili can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The chili can also be frozen for up to 1 month (let the chili thaw in refrigerator for 24 hours before reheating).