A few months ago, I got word that my church would be having a chili cook-off. I have entered several chili cook-offs, but my chili always ends up tasting like everyone else’s, (and for some reason, I can’t ever bring myself to add the secret chocolate bar that everyone talks about). The most memorable chili I ever tasted was from my friend Kelli, who smoked pork for 3 days to incorporate into her recipe. Yum.
Anyway, this year, I put my thinking cap on. I wanted to make something that was a far cry from normal chili, specifically, non tomato based. One of my favorite foods in the whole world is BBQ. So I decided to start with my favorite BBQ sauce in the world- Famous Daves- and go from there. I added a bit of this and that (peppers, pineapple, molasses, brown sugar, bbq sauce, lime), and ended up with what I call, “Sweet and Sassy Chili.” Apparently the judges liked my non-traditional chili, because it won 1st place! (I’m being really dramatic about my big win… it actually wasn’t a big deal at all, lol).
I’ve been waiting for just the right time to share my recipe here on my blog. With the Superbowl just a couple of weeks away, I thought some of you might be looking for a good chili recipe. Look no further, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed! If you make this (and especially if you win a chili cook-off with this recipe), please tell me about it! I would just love to hear! Oh, aaand if I know you in real life and we happen to be attending a chili cook-off together… well, you get my drift, right? hehe.
Sweet and Sassy Chili
2 pounds ground beef
1 pound bacon
1 onion
2 peppers (any color)
1 can (15 oz) chick peas
1 can (15 oz) chili beans
1 can (15 oz) baked beans
1 can (20 oz) pineapple chunks or fresh pineapple
1 lime
1 bottle BBQ sauce (Famous Daves Sweet and Zesty)
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup brown sugar, optional
Serve with Tortilla Lime Chips and Mango Salsa.
1. Cook bacon (I bake mine in the oven at 375 for 10-20 minutes). Crumble.
2. Brown the beef.
3. Put the bacon and beef into a crock pot.
3. Meanwhile, chop the onions and peppers.
4. Saute the onions and then add the peppers (I use the same pan).
5. Add the onions and peppers to the crock pot.
6. Drain and rinse the beans.
7. Cut the pineapple into small pieces.
8. Add to the crock pot the beans, pineapple, lime juice, BBQ sauce, molasses, and brown sugar. Stir well.
9. Cook on low for 3 hours.
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