Hot & Spicy Chili

I love chili!! I just made my first pot for the season last week. YUM!! I love being able to put it in the crockpot and smelling it as it cooks all day! :)

My mom has made chili with sausage for as long as I can remember...and it is YUMMY! Sausage puts a totally different spin on chili! I've taken my mom's recipe and tweaked it a bit to add some more flavor and spice. Last year I submitted it for a chili contest and it won runner-up!! :)

You will need:
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can light red kidney beans, drained
1 can dark red kidney beans, drained
8 oz. can of tomato sauce
1 large can of tomato juice
1 small can mushrooms, drained
1 roll of hot sausage
1 T. chili powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 T. seasoned salt
1/2 t. onion powder
1 t. cumin
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. oregano

Brown sausage with green pepper & onions; drain and rinse off with hot water to get rid of grease. Combine meat and all remaining ingredients in a crockpot and cook on low all day. (You can also cook on the stove top and let it simmer for a while.)

We serve our chili with mozzarella cheese (it's what I grew up with and we grew to LOVE!)! I know...most think this is an odd cheese choice.

If you prefer a more toned down version (not so spicy), you can use a mild sausage. I've also toned down the spices to a couple of teaspoons of chili powder, salt & pepper, garlic powder and some basil.