Award Winning Chili

 Award Winning Chili (WON Spiciest)

This weekend we had a chili cook-off and trunk or treat. I wasn't going to make a chili, but decided what the heck. Here is the recipe I made for the cook-off. It's a sweet/spicy chili. Not too spicy, but since a white chicken chili won the top prize mine is more traditional chili, hence the winning category of SPICIEST it was the winner. To me, (no offense intended for the winners) but chili is supposed to be a bit spicy and red. Not white, and with chicken. Just saying. Well that is my two cents. What ever they are worth. Many who tried the chili were kind of shocked it won spiciest since it wasn't very spicy, definitely not a triple alarm chili. It has a great flavor and not just sweet or spicy. I had many compliments on the chili, I only had a small amount left to bring home. It was great Sunday on chili cheese hotdogs. :) This recipe is fairly easy and tastes delicious! Makes a large crockpot full, so freeze half for later or feed a crowd :)

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef, browned and drained
1 med onion diced
2 tsp diced garlic
2 cans chili beans
1 can tomatoes with green chili's
1 can green chili's
3 small cans Rotel (R) tomato sauce (mild)
1 1/2 cup pace picante sauce
2 heaping Tbsp chili seasoning
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
1 can tomato paste
1/4 c cocoa powder
4 tsp liquid smoke (use 1/2 when cooking the ground beef and onions together)
8 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 pkg bacon bits
1 cup brown sugar
S & P to taste

Directions:

Put ground beef, onions, garlic, Worcestershire, S & P,  and 2 tsp liquid smoke in pot for chili. Brown beef, and cook onions until translucent. Cook down until most liquid has cooked off. Add all of the other ingredients stirring occasionally to blend together. Place on simmer and let simmer anywhere between 30 min or later. Great to transfer to a crock pot on low or keep warm once it's all heated through.  The longer it simmers the more the flavors marry each other and meld together better.

Me and my "Spiciest" award! 

A red wooden spoon and a box of Hot Tamales.

It looks like my son Mikey was photo bombing with his hand :)