Chili Rick's

Ingredients

• 2 (29 ounce) cans tomato sauce
• 2 (28 ounce) cans peeled and diced tomatoes
• 2 cups diced onion
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 pound bacon, diced
• 2 pounds spicy sausage
• 3 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 (32 ounce) bottle hickory smoke barbeque sauce
• 1/2 cup chili powder
• 4 (15.25 ounce) cans kidney beans, undrained
• 2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate, chopped

Directions

Method written by CompKitchen from the ingredient list. Not the original author's method, not kitchen-tested.

1. Place the diced bacon in a large stockpot over medium heat and cook until crisp, about 8 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set it aside, leaving most of the fat in the pot.

2. Add the spicy sausage and lean ground beef to the pot. Break up the meat and brown over medium-high heat for about 15 minutes, until no pink remains and it reaches 160°F (71°C) in the thickest parts. Drain off excess fat.

3. Add the diced onion to the pot and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring, until softened.

4. Stir in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, chili powder, Italian seasoning, hickory smoke barbeque sauce and chopped unsweetened chocolate. Return the bacon to the pot and bring to a gentle simmer, about 5 minutes.

5. Stir in the undrained kidney beans and bring back to a simmer.

6. Reduce the heat to low and partially cover. Simmer for about 2 hours, stirring every 20 minutes and adding a splash of water if it thickens too much or sticks.

7. Taste and adjust seasoning, then serve hot.