I like my chili full-flavored and zesty, but you can control the heat by adding as much or as little chili powder and Tabasco sauce as you want. This chili is incredibly popular, especially during football season. People come and buy gallons at a time for their playoff and Super Bowl parties.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Spanish onions, peeled and diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced into
3/4-inch pieces
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced into
3/4-inch pieces
2 pounds ground beef chuck
2 cans (16 ounces each) dark red kidney
beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups (32 ounces) canned ground or crushed tomatoes
2 cups tomato juice
2 cups beef or chicken stock or broth
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
6 to 8 dashes Tabasco sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Heat a stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, garlic, onions, and bell peppers. Sauté for 7 minutes. Add the ground beef and cook, stirring frequently, until the meat is browned, about 10 minutes. Add the kidney beans, tomatoes, tomato juice, stock, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and basil. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 1^1/2 hours. Season with vinegar, Tabasco sauce, salt, and pepper.

Makes 6 to 8 servings. Nothing beats a bowl of chili topped with shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream, but you can also use chili to enhance other dishes.We serve it in nacho salads. During baseball season, we also use it as a topping for foot-long long hot dogs - a messy but fun treat.