Bill's Most Secure, Award-Winning Chipotle Black Bean Chili

Winner of two 2013 chili cook-off awards: Most Secure (shout-out to the nerdy engineers) and Best Overall

Bill's Most Secure, Award-Winning Chipotle Black Bean Chili

(Not for the faint of tongue)

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground sirloin
• 1 pound ground bison
• 1 pound ground Italian sausage
• 2 (15.5 ounce) cans black beans, drained
• 2 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes (use diced if you prefer chunky)
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 large onion
• 3 stalks celery
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded
• 3 tablespoons crumbled bacon
• 4 tsp beef base (I used Better Than Bouillon; or use 4 bouillon cubes)
• 1 cup beer (I used Sam Adams OctoberFest)
• 3 tbsp Chipotle chili powder
• 1 tbsp regular chili powder
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon crushed garlic
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons salsa picante or hot sauce (I used Tapatío salsa picante)
• 2 teaspoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon salt (I used Morton's Nature's Seasons blend)
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• optional: 1 diced jalapeño 

Directions

1. In a large skillet, brown the ground meats together. Drain.
2. Pour meat into large slow cooker.
3. Cut veggies (green pepper, red pepper, celery, and onion) into chunks and puree in a food processor (in batches, if necessary). Add to slow cooker.
4. Add all other ingredients.
5. Mix well and cook in slow cooker on high for 3 hours (or low for 6 hours), stirring occasionally.
6. Serve with your favorite toppings!