3 Bean - 3 Meat Chili

Hey "Q" fans, Happy New Year! This past weekend was the NFL Wildcard Round and in honor of the playoffs, I decided to make chili. This recipe is a little different than what I normally make, but sooo good. Anyway, let's start with what you need!

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground turkey
1 lb ground venison
1/2 red onion - chopped
2-3 carrots - chopped
2 celery stalks - chopped
1 14oz can dark red kidney beans
1 14 oz can light red kidney beans
1 14 oz can black beans
1 6oz can tomato paste
1 29 oz can tomato sauce
2 10 oz cans diced tomatoes & mild green chiles
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I prefer to use cheddar or a "Mexican" blend)
1/4 cup honey
3 T chili powder
2 T hot sauce
2 T butter or margarine
2 T brown sugar
1 1/2 T cumin
1 T lemon juice
1/2 t of all of the following: thyme, basil, oregano, paprika, salt, cayenne, black & white pepper

Optional items:
1 green bell pepper - chopped
2 jalapenos - diced
1 habanero - diced
2 button mushrooms - sliced
12 oz beer (I used Shiner Bock)

Place the butter in a stock pot and saute the carrots, onions and celery until it just begins to soften. Pour them into a bowl and set aside. Open your beans and pour them in a colander, rinse and drain. Add all of the ground meats to the stock pot, brown & drain.

Add the sauted veggies back to the stock pot with the ground meat, mix and cook for about 5 minutes. Add all of the remaining regular ingredients except the cheese, brown sugar and beans. You can also add any of the optional ingredients except the beer now.

Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1-2 hours. I add the beer into the mix now. Continue simmering for another 1-2 hours, then add the brown sugar and beans. Simmer for another hour.

At this point you have 2 options. Option one is to stir in the cheese and serve. Option two is to stir in the cheese and let it simmer for one more hour. I know this is lot of time, so if you can't wait any longer, I don't blame you. If you can, it's soo worth the wait.

Chili has such a down home, keep you warm on a cold day feel to it. It's so versatile too. Whether you like it with beans or without. No matter whether you eat it plain or topped with sour cream, shredded cheese, jalapenos, pepper flakes, hot sauce or any other toppings, it's fantastic. A great big meal in a bowl.

Just "Q" it and enjoy!