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Italian Sausage and Pepper Chili
Andre Lewis

Italian Sausage and Pepper Chili

This takes the sausage-and-pepper sandwich filling and gives it a spoonable red-bean base. Fennel seed reinforces the sausage flavor without adding another pound of meat. Add half the peppers at the beginning and half midway through so the finished pot has both sweet flavor and pieces you can still see.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 6 hours 55 minutes
Servings: 10
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 2 1/2 lbs bulk mild Italian sausage
  • 1 1/2 cups diced yellow onion
  • 2 red bell peppers cut into 3/4-inch pieces
  • 2 green bell peppers cut into 3/4-inch pieces
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds lightly crushed
  • 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
  • 15 oz canned tomato sauce
  • 30 oz canned kidney beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 tsp kosher salt

Method
 

  1. Brown the sausage and onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 9 to 10 minutes, crumbling the meat until it reaches 160°F.
  2. Drain the fat, add half the bell peppers, the garlic, chili powder and fennel, and cook for 2 minutes.
  3. Transfer the mixture to a 7-quart crockpot and stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, kidney beans, broth and salt.
  4. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours, stir in the remaining peppers, and cook for 2 more hours until those pieces are just tender.
  5. Rest uncovered for 15 minutes and skim any orange fat from the surface before serving.