Comfort Chili

This Meaty Comfort Chili has all of the flavor and comfort that you could ask for in a healthy dinner. This recipe tastes even better the next day!

You have several serving options with this chili. You could serve it in bowls, topped with a sprinkle of cheese, a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of fresh green onions. You could scoop it over freshly baked sweet potato. You could use it to dress up a serving of scrambled eggs. You could serve it, chilled, over a large salad. The possibilities are endless. Enjoy!

Courtesy of RealHealthyRecipes.com

What you need
Servings: 12

6 oz. hot turkey Italian sausage, loose
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 Tablespoon garlic, minced
1 lb ground beef
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped and seeded
2 Tablespoons chili powder
2 Tablespoons coconut sugar OR honey
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
3 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
2 bay leaves
1 ¼ cups Merlot or other fruity red wine
1 (28oz) can no-salt-added whole tomatoes, undrained and coarsely chopped
2 (15oz) cans no-salt-added kidney beans, drained
Sour cream (optional garnish)
Shredded cheese (optional garnish)
Green onion (optional garnish)
Diced tomatoes (optional garnish)

Instructions

1. Heat a large heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, onion, bell pepper, garlic, ground beef and jalapeno to pan; cook 8 minutes or until sausage and beef are browned, stirring to crumble.

2. Add chili powder, coconut sugar, cumin, tomato paste, oregano, black pepper, salt and bay leaves and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in wine, tomatoes, and kidney beans; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

3. Uncover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Discard the bay leaves. Sprinkle each serving with the garnishes.

Nutrition
One serving equals: 284 calories, 1g fat, 79mg sodium, 28g carbohydrate, 12g fiber, and 16g protein