My proudest culinary moment!!!

I am excited to say, that I was the winner of this year's ISU Chili Cook-off!  While, this may not be a big deal to some, to me it was like the equivolent of earning a Michelin Star.

The recipe is original.  Makes a bunch.  My son helped me (he pretended we were playing "Toy Chef").  And, .... my inspiration was Elvis.

Here's the recipe!

Hunka Hunka Burning Love Chili, by Annette
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
2 lbs country sausage
3 1/3 lbs hamburger
2 containers of spicy vegetable juice
2 bags of red, green, yellow, and onion mix (in your freezer section)
2 bags of vegetable soup mix -- has okra, carrots, potatoes, corn, green beans, lima beans, peas (in your freezer section)
2 cans of diced tomatoes with seasoning
1 can of kidney beans
1 can of chili beans
1 jar of chili sauce
2 tsp of cumin
1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper
1 TBSP chili powder

Brown your sausage and hamburger then drain and rinse the grease off.  Add this to your large stock pot on low heat.  

Add minced garlic and your vegetable juice.

Take the pepper/onion mix bags and chop the pieces in 1/2 (or good bite sizes) then add them to your pot.

Add the vegetable soup mix, diced tomatoes, beans (drain kidney beans, but use the sauce in the chili beans), and chili sauce.

Let this all cook for a while until it gets warm on medium - low heat.

Add your cumin, and half your chili powder.  Let it simmer a bit and give it a taste.  If you feel it needs more 'burning love' add the rest of your chili powder and get brave with the 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper.

Let this cook on low to medium heat for few hours and give it a good stir now and then.  You'll want to watch it from getting too hot -- so the sugar in the chili sauce doesn't scorch.

This ends up making about 7 qts of chili.  The chili freezes beautifully, or the recipe may be halved if it is too much for your needs.