2 fabulous chili recipes

I've never had a favorite chili recipe. A long time ago, I found this basic, easy chili recipe and have used it a "guideline" ever since. It is nothing special by itself, but I can turn it into something awesome, depending on what I feel like putting in it. (My chili never turns out the same. Never.) And sometimes into something not-so-awesome, like the time I experimented by just using sausage instead of ground beef. Not my family's fav. But anyways, I've been wanting to find a really, really "awesome-every-time" chili recipe and recently pestered two of my friends enough to get them to give me their awesome recipes. I think I'm going to have to have my own chili-cook-off because I haven't decided which one like better :) I will probably tone down the chilies in these, however, because my family doesn't like it quite so spicy :)

Jason's Awesome Chili

(can be made with either chuck roast or hamburger/sausage mixture)

Ingredients:
1 can light red kidney beans
1 can dark red kidney beans
1 can pintos
1 can black beans (all bush's preferably)
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow/orange bell pepper
1 sweet onion
1 small can of diced tomatos and green chilis
half a pack of applewood or smoked bacon
1 large can of crushed tomatoes (hunts)
1 packet of McCormick original chili seasoning
1 packet of McCormick mild chili seasoning
1 small can of tomato paste
a little less than a 1/4 of a cup of mustard, and the same for ketchup
1 3lb Chuck roast/ 1 lb of lean ground hamburger and 1 lb of Jimmy Dean Spicy Sausage
3/4 cup of light brown sugar
1 tsp of cinamon
1/4 cup of molasses
cover the top of the chili with chili powder once, mix, then cover lightly with cayenne pepper once and mix
salt and pepper to taste.

For Chuck Roast:
1. chop bacon into small bits and cook in a large skillet
2. chop peppers and onion into small bits and sautee in bacon grease
3. put bacon, sauteed veggies, and whole chuck roast, diced tomatoes with chiles, McCormick original chili mix, and tomato paste in crock pot and cook on low for 4 hours
4. add beans and large can of crushed tomatoes cook on low for 4 more hours checking every now and then to make sure the chuck isn't burning
5. add everything else, mixing after each ingredient, if meat is tender enough to shred at this point do it, otherwise check later to shred meat.
6. Cook for 4 more hours

For Hamburger/Sausage:
1. chop and cook bacon
2. saute veggies in bacon grease and drain
3. mix all beans, peppers, onion, crushed tomatoes, tomatoes and chiles, mild chili seasoning
4. cook on low for about 2 hours
5. mix hamburger and sausage together thoroughly, brown and add original mccormick mix.
6. add meat to crockpot
7. add everything else seasoning to taste
8. cook on low for about 6 hours

Theron's Awesome Chili:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons bacon grease, or canola oil
• 2 red bell peppers, diced (about 2 cups)
• 2 jalapenos, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
• 3 Anaheim chiles, roasted, peeled, chopped
• 3 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, chopped
• 2 yellow onions, diced (about 2 cups)
• 1 head garlic, minced (about 1/4 cup)
• 2 pounds ground beef, coarse grind
• 1 pound bulk Italian sausage
• 2 teaspoons granulated onion or onion powder
  
• 2 teaspoons granulated garlic or garlic powder
  
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 1 cup tomato paste
• 1 cup beef stock
  
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 (15.5-ounce) cans pinto beans, with juice
• 2 (15.5-ounce) cans kidney beans, with juice
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
  

Directions

In large stock pot over high heat, add butter and bacon grease. Add bell pepper, jalapeno, chiles and onion and cook until caramelized, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute a minute longer. Add chuck and brown. Add ground beef and sausage to brown and stir gently, trying not to break up the ground beef too much. Cook until meat is nicely browned and cooked through, about 7 to10 minutes. Add in granulated onions, granulated garlic, chili powder, paprika, cumin, coriander, cayenne, salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add in tomato sauce and paste and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in beef and chicken stock. Add beans, lower heat and simmer for 2 hours.