Cooler temperatures, the middle of October, a visit from Penn State, and playoff baseball means that it is finally time for chili!  Fall means football, hoodies, pumpkin spiced everything, and hearty food.

And, because Mrs 3M turned 29 (again) this week, I gave her some time off for good behavior, and decided to take care of the weekly offering on my own. 

3M's Original Chili

INGREDIENTS

3 lbs Gound Beef
1 lb Spicy Ground Sausage (Bob Evans, if available)
1 lb Bacon
1/4 cup chili powder (to start)
1 Tablespoon ground black pepper
1 Medium Onion, chopped
Crushed Red Pepper
Paprika
46 oz Bottle Spicy V8
29 oz Can Tomato Sauce
3 - 16 oz Cans Beans (1 light red, 1 dark red, q chili)
6 oz Can Tomato Paste
10 3/4 oz Can condensed Tomato Soup
10 oz Can Rotel
14.5 oz Can diced tomatoes

DIRECTIONS

Brown the ground beef, sausage and bacon in a large skillet (I use an electric skillet) and sprinkle paprika over the meat for flavor.  I recommend using meat sheers to cut the bacon into strips and mix it in with the other meat (or cook separately as desired). Using a spatula, chop the meat as you brown it to the size of chunks desired in your chili.

Meanwhile, empty the contents of the Spicy V8, tomato soup/sauce/paste, Rotel, Beans, diced tomatoes, and spices into a large pot and place on medium heat.  I add one pinch of crushed red pepper (optional). Do not drain anything. Dice the medium onion to your desired size (I try to make my pieces very small).  Then, add to the meat or into the pot, as desired.  Continue to chop the meat as it browns.  When complete, drain and add the meat to the pot. 

When all ingredients are in the large pot, add more chili powder as you bring it to a boil.  Once you bring it to a boil, reduce heat to LO and stir frequently as the meat will settle on the bottom and burn. Continue to slowly add more chili powder throughout the cooking process to achieve your desired taste.  I never measure the chili powder, and I add it until I get the taste I like – a little salt and pepper added also never hurts. 

Continue to cook on low heat for about an hour, ensuring the beans are fully cooked, then serve.  Sour cream, shredded cheddar, and oyster or club crackers go very well with this chili!

PRO TIPS
If you like a little more zing in your chili, drop in a few slices of jalapeno when you combine ingredients, for a little extra kick.
You can substitute the beef or sausage with venison or bison (two I've used), or any other meat that suits your fancy.
If you accidentally burn the chili, don’t panic.  If you have another large pot to transfer it to that would be best (recommend using a ladle and not trying to pour hot chili).  Otherwise, just stir it as you normally would and don’t scrape the layer of burnt chili off of the bottom of the pot, it will ruin the rest of the chili.  Just scrape it out afterward, it actually won’t impact the taste if you let it be.

I hope everyone enjoys the chili and a blackout win!

Previous Tailgate Fare

Week One: Buffalo Chicken Dip
Week Two: Chicken Tacos
Week Three: The World's Greatest Veggie Dip
Week Four: Jalapeno Stuffed Pretzel Bombs
Week Five: Turkey Cheddar Kabobs
Week Six: Southwest Chicken / Crab Pinwheels