Cowboy Chili

My parents have been raving about a dish that my sister-in-law made for them once called “Cowboy Chili.” Luckily, my mom got and e-mailed me the recipe. I made it one night for dinner a couple weeks ago, and both Husband and I loved it. I made another batch for a church potluck this weekend. If the leftovers (or lack thereof) are any indication, then I think it was a hit. Below is my modified variation of the recipe. The great thing about it is that you can add whatever else you like or have on hand. The secret is the baked beans because their sweet sauce adds a nice flavor to the dish.

Cowboy Chili

1 lb ground sausage (I used Jimmy Dean original) 1 lb ground turkey (or ground beef) 1 medium onion, diced 1 large green pepper, diced 2 cans baked beans (I used Bush’s original beans. One can was 28oz and the other was 16oz) 1 can (15 oz) red kidney beans 5 or 6 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled

Brown the ground meat on the stove, and drain. Saute the green pepper and onion in a separate pan. Drain and rinse the kidney beans in a strainer. Add the meat, green peppers, onions, drained kidney beans, crumbled bacon, and the baked beans to a large pot on the stove on medium heat for about 15 minutes, or until warm enough to your liking. Serve and enjoy! A couple of notes:

- If I make this just for Husband and me, I use only 1 lb ground sausage. I threw in the ground turkey this time because I wanted to make a larger batch for the potluck. Also, if it’s just for us, I use the smaller cans of the baked beans. - The original recipe called for sliced kielbasa, which would be tasty as well. - You can throw in any other type of beans you like – pinto, black, or northern beans would probably taste just as good.

Enjoy!