6 oz hot turkey Italian sausage

2 cups chopped onion

1 cup chopped green bell pepper

8 garlic cloves, minced

1 pound ground sirloin (I double this amount)

1 jalapeno pepper, de-seeded and chopped (I omit this)

2 Tbs. chili powder (or to your liking)

2 Tbs. brown sugar (I add more)

1 Tbs. ground cumin

3 Tbs. tomato paste

1 teasp. dried oregano

1/2 teasp. freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teasp. salt

2 bay leaves

1 1/4 cups Merlot or other fruity red wine

2 (28 oz) cans whole tomatoes undrained and coarsely chopped

2 (15 oz) can kidney beans, drained (I omit any type of beans...

it's a big no-no to put any type of beans in Texas Chili.

I add more ground beef instead.

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I add more)

Directions:

1). Heat a large pot over med-high heat. Remove casings, add sausage, onion, and next 4 ingredients

to pan and cook 8 minutes or until sausage and ground beef is browned. Drain grease.

2). Add chili powder and next 7 ingredients (chili powder through bay leaves), cook for 1 minute, stirring

constantly. Stir in wine, tomatoes, and beans. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for one hour,

stirring occasionally. Uncover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Discard the bay leaves.

Sprinkle with cheddar cheese.