Cajun French Chili

Chili means only one thing to mean, comfort food.  It is an easy and satisfying one pot meal.  I love this recipe because it include smoked andouille sausage which gives the chili a unique flavor.  Don't forget the fixings.  I top my bowl with sour cream, cheddar cheese, and sliced green onions.   And no bowl of chili is complete without a slice of fresh warm cornbread for dipping.

Cajun French Chili
Recipe from What's For Dinner?

Ingredients:

3/4 pound (12 ounces) fresh ground round of beef

1 cup finely diced onions (about 1 medium)

1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic

1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder, such as McCormick brand, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

Pinch cayenne pepper

2 (28-ounce) cans premium diced or crushed tomatoes, such as Progresso brand

1 (15-ounce) can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 pound smoked andouille sausage, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds

1 green bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Directions:

Place the ground beef in a heavy bottomed pot, breaking up the meat and scattering it across the entire pot. Cover with onion, garlic, chili powder, black pepper, white pepper and cayenne. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the meat is browned and onions are translucent. Do not let the onions or garlic brown.

While the beef is cooking, heat the tomatoes in a saucepan. Add the beans and sausage. When the beef is fully cooked, add the tomato mixture to the meat and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching, for about 2 1/2 hours. Do not let it boil and do not cover the pot.

Add the green peppers to the chili and cook for another 30 minutes. This is important to keep the peppers crisp and not add a cooked pepper flavor to the chili.