Miss Coleen's Cheater Turkey Chili

Ingredients:
2 tbl vegetable oil
1 lb ground turkey (or ground beef)
1 turkey kielbasa (or Polska kielbasa)
1 medium white onion, coarsly chopped
2 peppers, coarsely chopped (I always use 1 red, 1 green)
1 jalepeno, chopped (optional)
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1 beer (the darker, the better)
1 can light kidney beans
1 can dark kidney beans
1 can diced tomatoes OR 1 can tomato paste
Spices: cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, bay leaves, oregano, thyme - to taste
Liberal amounts of both liquid smoke and Frank's Red Hot (to taste- I like it hot and smokey!)

Directions:
In dutch oven over medium heat, heat oil and add onion. Cook appx 5 mins. Add peppers and garlic, cook until softened (not browned).

Increase heat to high, add meat and cook. Add spices and hot sauce. Deglaze with beer and liquid smoke.

When meat is browned, add beans and tomatoes with most of the liquid of both. Reduce heat and simmer for 1+ hours. This "cheater chili" can be eaten within 30-45 mins, but the longer it cooks, the better it tastes.

Serve by itself (yum!) or with sour cream, cheddar jack cheese, and cilantro (yummer!)

Recipe courtesy of ~ Yours truly!

Ok, so my one problem when it comes to chili -besides the obvious of loving it and eating it in mass quantities- is that I don't measure ANYTHING when I make it. I literally throw things into the pot until it smells right. (yes, I have this other problem that I cook 95% by smell - my friend at work makes fun of me for it). I also like it super chunky so I don't chop up my veggies very small (which I suppose is really personal preference). I think I had measurements on the original recipe that I used when I first started making it, but that all went out the window when I started changing things (the other thing that my friend at work doesn't let me live down- I halfway cook based on recipes, because I next to always add in my own flair). The best part of this chili is that it doesn't take all day to make. I usually let it cook for at least 35-40 mins, unless I have time to let it cook for like 2-3 hours which is when it is PERFECT.

Key ingredients are: beer (obvi) and liquid smoke. Do not (I repeat, DO NOT) skip these two ingredients. That is all.

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