Chili

[Effie]

We are having "FlatLander Chili". This is a new chili recipe for us. I'll let you know how it's rated by our family. We ALWAYS have shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, scallions and saltines with our chili. ~Effie

Flatlander Chili

2 lb browned ground beef
1 can tomato juice (46 oz)
1 can tomato sauce (29 oz)
1 1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup celery
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chili powder {WOW! Sounds like alot ... I won't use that much. ~EFFIE}
2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp white sugar
1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper
2 cups canned red beans, drained and rinsed

Place all ingredients in a large kettle. Bring to boil. Reduce heat ans simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

[Grandma Gerri]

Yes! This is wonderful chili. Sometime if you want, try using 1/2# or so, to your taste, of mild Italian sausage (I find it ground up in one store here, but links would work, too) in addition to your ground beef/chuck. I add a little bit of beef bouillon and we do the brown sugar vs white. Years ago we drove to San Francisco from Wisconsin and ate in some 'greasy spoon' truckstop restaurants. They had the best chili and I spent years trying to find the secret ingredient to make mine taste the same. Much later I found it was nothing more than brown sugar.

PS Beef stew tastes even better with a little Italian sausage or bratwurst chunks added to it.