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Game-Day Three-Meat Chili
Andre Lewis

Game-Day Three-Meat Chili

Beef, sausage and bacon make this the heavy pot you set beside a stack of bowls and stop worrying about. It serves twelve without becoming a thin vat of tomato broth. Use hot sausage if the room likes heat; the base recipe lands squarely at medium.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 7 hours
Total Time 7 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 12
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 8 oz thick-cut bacon cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 2 lbs 85-percent lean ground beef
  • 1 lb bulk mild Italian sausage
  • 2 cups diced yellow onion
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 cup chili powder
  • 1 tbsp ground cumin
  • 56 oz canned crushed tomatoes
  • 30 oz canned kidney beans drained and rinsed
  • 30 oz canned pinto beans drained and rinsed
  • 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
  • 2 tsp kosher salt

Method
 

  1. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat for 7 minutes until browned but still pliable, then transfer it to a 7-quart crockpot.
  2. Brown the beef, sausage and onion in the bacon drippings for 10 to 12 minutes, breaking both meats into small crumbles, until they reach 160°F.
  3. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of fat and stir the garlic, chili powder and cumin into the skillet for 1 minute.
  4. Transfer the meat mixture to the crockpot and stir in the tomatoes, beans, broth and salt.
  5. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours until the chili is thick and the beans are tender, then stir well before setting the cooker to warm.