BRUNS TAKES LA PAWS CHILI CROWN

    The Langford Area PAWS Chili Cookoff was a success last weekend, drawing plenty of interest during the doubleheader basketball games, where chili was served and tasters voted for their favorites. This year’s top honors went to Alicia Bruns, who took first place, followed by Scott Smith in second and Dan Ogren in third. Bruns also shared her winning recipe with the community, giving local cooks a new option to try for a warm, hearty meal during the winter months. 
Alicia’s Award-Winning Chili
(Note: this is a recipe for a roaster size amount. If you want to make just a large crock pot, cut the recipe into one-third)
Ingredients:
6 lbs ground beef, cooked and seasoned
3 lbs Italian sausage, cooked
2 lbs bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 Tbsp butter
3 red bell peppers, diced
2 green bell peppers, diced
1½ cups finely diced celery
½ medium yellow onion, very finely diced
1 small jalapeño, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 (12-oz) cans tomato paste
2 (10.75-oz) cans tomato soup
4 (28-oz) cans chili beans
2 (15-oz) cans dark red kidney beans
2 (15-oz) cans light red kidney beans
4 (28-oz) cans petite diced tomatoes
1 cup chili powder
¼ cup dried oregano
6 tsp cumin
¼ cup dried basil
2 Tbsp Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
3 tsp paprika
¼ cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp Kinder’s “The Blend” seasoning (salt, pepper, garlic)
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
12 beef bouillon cubes
3 Tbsp liquid smoke
Directions:
    In a skillet, sauté the onions, bell peppers, celery, jalapeño, and garlic in 2 Tbsp butter until tender. While the vegetables cook, combine all base ingredients—tomato paste, tomato soup, chili beans, dark and light kidney beans, and diced tomatoes—in a roaster pan. Stir and keep on low heat. Mix all dry seasonings (chili powder, oregano, cumin, basil, Lawry’s, paprika, sugar, and Kinder’s Blend) together and stir into the chili base. Add Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, and beef bouillon cubes, stirring to combine. Next, fold in the sautéed vegetables, followed by the cooked ground beef, Italian sausage, and bacon. Stir thoroughly, then simmer  Let simmer on low 175 to 200 degrees for 3 hours.   It tastes best if you make it the night before and then warm up in roaster the next day.