Directions:
In a large pot on the stove, sizzle the bacon and cook thoroughly. Remove from the pot and set the bacon aside to cool. While the bacon is cooling, lower the heat to medium high. Add the yellow onion and Rotel to the bottom of the pan and allow the onion/Rotel mixture to sweat for 2 minutes, then add the garlic and allow to cook for another minute before adding the sausage and ground beef. While the meat is browning, chop the bacon into small pieces and re-introduce to the meat. Mix the onion, garlic, sausage, ground beef, and bacon well. Once the meat is browned, add the cans of beans and tomatoes. Mix the beans and tomatoes in thoroughly, then add the chili powder, paprika, salt, pepper, Worcestershire, Tabasco, cumin, garlic powder, and liquid smoke. Stir gently, cover and allow to simmer for 20 minutes on medium heat. Turn the heat down and simmer until ready to serve. Garnish with the green onion, sour cream, and cheddar cheese.
*The best part about this recipe is that it is very forgiving. Often, we see a recipe that sounds good, but we may not have all the ingredients, or the exact type listed. This particular recipe is one that can handle substitutions with ease. If you don’t have bacon, you can skip that step and go straight to sweating the onions and Rotel. If you have a white onion instead of a yellow onion, go for it. If you only have two cans of kidney beans, but have a third can of black beans or pinto beans, you can use those. Pepper Plant hot sauce can be used in place of Tabasco; or whichever you prefer.
