Rootin'-tootin' No-fail Chili

Total Time: 4 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 4 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 lbs ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 celery rib, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 1 (14 ounce) can stewed tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 (32 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 2 cups water
• 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies
• 3/4 cup chili powder
• 1 (14 ounce) can red kidney beans (optional)
• salt and pepper
• grated sharp cheddar cheese (optional)

Recipe

• 1 in a dutch oven, add oil and cook ground beef on medium heat until no longer pink, but not browned.
• 2 add onion, green pepper, garlic and celery. season with salt and pepper and saute until the vegetables become somewhat soft, about 10 minutes.
• 3 drain mixture in a colander and add back to pot.
• 4 add remaining ingredients (except cheese), stirring well after each addition.
• 5 bring chili to a simmer, cover, and cook on stove 3 to 4 hours. if chili is too thin, put the lid ajar for last 30-60 minutes of cooking.