Fusion Chili

CLAP CLAP CLAP Excellent!!!! I agree with the description. It is the perfect blend of Tex and Mex. I am a Texas girl living in California land of Baha Mexican cooking. Fish tacos are good, but I forgot how wonderful Texas tastes. A well thought out recipe. Excellent texture, taste and heat. I used 10 chipolte peppers in adobe sauce from a can. This saved the entire first step. I just used 10 not the whole can and it was perfect. I also added 2 extra cans of diced tomatoes. I prefer my chili a bit soupy since most thicken later. I only used 1 large yellow onion. I also added some red and green bell peppers I really felt like I was building a great tasting chili right from the get go. I loved the extra touch of carmalizing the tomato paste. Really added a nice layer of flavor. This is the best chili I have ever made.

I am so glad I was enticed to make this. It appeared to be time/work intensive but looked interesting - it is worth every bit of effort and fun to make as well. My chile has always been -well, chili. This is CHILI. I've never used dried peppers before. No problem finding them but only 5 in a bag and with cost in mind I bought only one bag. That amount was actually perfect for my family. I used the internet to define how to make the ancho paste and then winged it because recipe does not clarify for neophite dried pepper users whether to put the liquid the peppers soaked in, in the food processor along with the peppers to make the paste. I made quite a mess doing it too but that will go better next time now that I've done it once. I got 1 lb less italian sausage and when I got home from the grocery store discovered that I had picked up a pkg of hot and a pkg of mild which actually turned out to be excellent. I don't use a lot of sausage of any kind and was afraid it's flavor would overwhelm everything else, it doesn't. I agree with others that 1/4 cup of honey is perfect. My husband said this is the best chili he's ever had. My daughter's fiance said he doesn't care for chili therefore, doesn't eat it often, but he liked this very much and says when I make it again not to change a thing. Lon, you made me into a chili artist. Thanks

Awesome flavour and texture. Hot yet sweet. I used this in a family/friend chili cook-off and walked away with first place.

GREAT recipe! I did make a few changes based on my own tastes and at the suggestion of other reviewers. I cut the honey down to 1/4 cup, I also substituted a cup of strong coffee and a bottle of dark beer (a porter) for the wine as I don't think wine has any business in something as earthy as chili <smile> and as the recipe was becoming a bit too thick. I also omitted a few veggies I didn't have handy. Will definitely make again!

I posted years ago that I had won a cook-off with this chili. Well, since then, I've won THREE more!

This is a great recipe!! I used this with variations below and won our first annual church chili cookoff! Adaptations: Instead of using dried ancho chilies, I took the advice of another reviewer on here and used chipoltes is adobe sauce. I used about 5oz of a 7oz can. But you may want to start with half a can and see how you like the heat then add more of the can. I did still blend the chipoltes. Instead of wine I used beer. About 16+ oz of a dark beer was used vs only 8oz of wine. I cut out a bit of the meat (about 3/4 lb) as it was pretty heavy meat. I added 2 tbsp cocoa powder I added full cup of honey vs half cup I added some water (1/2 cup) The recipe can be pretty hefty on thickness, so I added some liquid (beer, water, etc and added some extra diced tomatoes). This adaptation turned out really well. Hope this helps! It had a nice warm sweet front taste with a dark beer warm heat on the back end. Excellent!

I recently made this chili and served it to 20 or so guests, along with a few other chili options for those who did not eat pork or beef. Fusion Chili is well worth the effort! I was asked to print copies of the recipe for folks to take home. Make Fusion chili ahead of time, refrigerate at least overnight, then warm it up and serve (I used a Crock Pot). The blend of flavors is complex and slides from very sweet at first bite to a wonderful dry heat after a few moments. Chili doesn't get any better than this!

This chili was a huge hit at a chili cookoff. Of the 30+ pots of chili, mine was gone first. This recipe has taken first place in my list of favorites.

This is the best chili I have ever tasted. One of 17 entries in my office's Annual Chili Cook-off and got voted first place. Don't let the term "sweet" throw you. The sweet is very subtle and only one of the many layers of flavors. The "serves 12" recipe makes about 6 quarts. I made a half-recipe and added 2 (15 oz.) cans of diced tomatoes for a total of 4 quarts. Excellent recipe.

GREAT--zesty, interesting, unusual--chili! The reviews are so impressive that I tried to follow the recipe closely as possible, though toward the end I started taking some reviewers' suggestions. *I hate fennel's anise-y flavor so I used a lb. of Gaspar's Hot Chourico and a lb. of the good pork breakfast sausage my butcher makes. (Five lbs. meat total; 6 lbs. is too much, IMO.) *I had only yellow onions, so used three med. ones. *I had only one sad little stalk of celery so I added a cup of froz. chopped green peppers and 6 oz. chopped canned green chiles. *Was doubtful re:carrots in chili, but grated in a scant cup. Undetectable, really, & healthy. *I can't even remember how much additional liquid I added; as written, the chili (even leaving out a lb. of the sausage) is more a fork-food than a stew. I added 2 cans beef broth, 2 cans chix broth, ~a cup of strong coffee (great suggestion!) *I worried about the honey, but the sweetness is subtle and interesting. Next time, though, I might try 1/3 cup instead of 1/2. *For the hot sauce I used mostly Chipotle Tabasco, the rest reg. Tabasco. *Same w/the chili powder; mostly Penzey's ground Chipotle, the rest chili powder. *When it was nearly done I thought it needed a little more chile flavor, so I added 2 more tsps. cumin, dash of Mex. oregano, Tbsp. of Penzey's dry Adobo seasoning. It's an artful blend of flavors. I'm a native Texan and like my chili authentic, but this is lovely. My compliments to the chef!

I made this chili for a Halloween/football party I gave this year. I made the full serving and it was completely gone by the end of the day- people were going back for seconds and thirds!! They really loved the big chunks of sausage and that you could taste the sweetness of the honey without it being overwhelming. The only change that I made in the recipe was substituting yellow and red bell peppers for the carrots. Delicious!!!

I did not enjoy the sweet taste that the honey gave the chili. I even used half of the honey that the recipe called for, as per the suggestion of others. I also thought it took way too long to prepare. If I'm going to spend an hour and a half preparing a dish, it had better knock my socks off.

This recipe was great! I followed the directions with the exception of cutting back on the amount of honey. My mother didnt think that I needed to let the chili simmer for three hours, but the flavors do have a chance to blend when simmering on low heat. I would make this recipe again.

Great tasting chili this is. Fixed it for a company get together/cook-off. Came in second place of 19 pots. Made a tweek so I could fix for the audience, but the whole of it was the original flavor. Thanks a bunch. Add this to my recipe collection for later.

made this for 10 guests. people raved about it. i took suggestions and went light on the honey, but i think it could have used more sweetness. I loved the ancho paste and the carrots put a different spin on it! i'm from the midwest and no one here has heard of carrots in chilli!! This also went great with macaroni...

This had a nice smoky flavor. Nothing really sets it apart, but the recipe offers a very good bowl of chili. Shredded cheddar cheese on top perfected it. My only change was to use beer instead of wine just because I didn't have any.

I ended up quartering the recipe because I was only cooking for 2 people and still got 4-6 bowls of chili. I used all the ingredients except for the hot sauce (The wife can't handle spice). I also added a can of 16oz tomato sauce because I like my chili a little soupier. The result was fabulous. I actually prefer tons of heat in my foods and this was very flavorful without of bunch of spicy ingredients. You can notice the layers of flavor in each bite. I think the tomato paste caramelizing process was key to the success of this recipe. I used to use a knockoff of Wendy's Chili, but this will now be my go to chili recipe. Thanks, LONBINDER.

Help! I can't stop eating this! OMG it's wonderful and so different. Chili will never be the same. I used a 3lb roast (slow cooked), 1lb hot and 1 lb sweet Ital sausage, 3 cans beans, and 2 cups of frozen corn - which added a nice color and crunch. Left out the carrots. I can see why others won prizes with this! And it may make a lot, but certainly not too much based on its flavor. I wish I had more left over to take to people. Making it is work but fun because it's a creation, not just throwing stuff in a pot like I usually would do.

Terrific! I made it for the super bowl and it was a huge hit.

This is it! Everyone loved it. I used canned chipotle peppers in adobe as suggested (whirred 10 in my bullet blender), chorizo, added an extra can of beans, and only 1/4c honey. I was worried the chipoltles would make the flavor too smokey-but after cooking a while it was perfect! This makes a lot too. After browning meat, sauteing veggies, and carmelizing the paste I added everything to my electric roaster oven to simmer. It didn't even make it the full 3 hours before people were dipping out their second bowl!

This is the best chili I've ever tasted. Just a tip--let the ancho chiles soak while you prepare all of the other ingredients and give them a stir now and then. It took a bit of processing to get them to a paste consistency and I think further soaking would have helped me with that. Thanks for sharing your recipe.

Delicious. My chili is still simmering. But it's definately very tastey....I cant stop tasting it. The honey adds a nice sweetness, but not too sweet. I happened to have poblano chilies, which is the non dried ancho. I roasted, pealed and blended with a few jalepenos, the parsley and honey to make the honey/chile mixture. This really wasnt too labor intensive....even having to roast the poblanos. But it's worth it if you are looking for a chili that's not as much work We're going to top it with a little sour cream, crumbled fresco queso and corn bread on the side.

it is great I did not know what a really good chili was before I made this chili.. the anchos are the key. not to hot just right

This is wonderful chili. It has a sneaky heat to it. I agree with it's description totally. It is worth the effort and time it takes. I'm entering it in a chili cook-off tomorrow. I'm glad I chose this recipe!

This is a winner! I printed this recipe in 2002 and just made it for the first time in 2009! I am so thankful that I did not throw this recipe away. I used every ingredient it called for but I added 32 ounces of beef broth and I used 12 ancho chili's instead of 10. I would not make it without the beef broth or else you have a very thick paste like chili. It was the biggest hit at my husbands company chili luncheon. Don't try any other chili recipe until you try this one!

Making the chili sauce is the key! The last couple of times I made chili, I needed to keep adding chili powder to increase the chili flavor, sometimes making the final product grainy. This sauce had GREAT chili flavor without having to add a ton of chili powder. We loved this chili. I made it as written, except used a combination of four different dried chili peppers for the sauce, simply because I'm always buying them and rarely use all. I will use this as my new recipe! Thanks for posting!

What a DELICIOUS chili! I made this chili for my family on Superbowl Sunday and what a hit! Taste even better the second day! Make a full batch because you'll want to be eating this for dinner the rest of the week!

This was a hit! I took this to my church's chili cook off and I won for most spiciest. It was great. I loved making it, and enjoyed eatting it as well. Thank you sharing!!!

This stuff is great!! Made it for a Halloween chili party we had and it went over great! We also used it for a chili cookoff and won second place!! This recipe makes a lot. Looking foward to making it every year. It has so much flavor, sweet yet has a bite. Would definately recommend to anyone.

First, it was very time consuming pulling together 24 ingredients for this recipe. I halved the recipe, cooked it in the morning, and then transferred to a slow cooker. The canned tomatoes went in undrained, but the kidney and pinto beans went into the chili with their liquid. The mixture was very dry, and I still added a little bit more red wine, otherwise, followed the recipe to the T. I do agree with a comment made by some of the other reviewers. Do yourself a favor and start by reducing the honey, as I thought it turned out pretty sweet. You always can add more, but once it's in there, you can't take it out. I'm giving this 4 stars, but I doubt that I'll make it again. Admittedly, I don't have a huge attention span, so I think I'll make the compromise to stick with a recipe with fewer ingredients.

Our family has been hosting a Chili Cook off for quite a few years at my home. Since I host it, I don't usually enter it. This year, I kept my entry a secret and out of ten Chili's ~ this one won! I agree with most that I had to add much more liquid to my taste. I added two large cans of diced tomatoes AND a large can of tomato puree. I used the entire amount of honey and even added a little bit more toward the end. I used a full can of chipolte peppers and the sauce (instead of the dried) for a real sweet/hot chili. On our table for all of the chili's that we served, we had chopped onion, sour cream, shreaded cheese, diced chili's, and jalapeno peppers. Next time, we might offer some rice or noodles for Cincinatti chili for those that want a full meal.

Honestly, I don't know how this recipe is NOT considered within the "top 20" chili recipes on this web site. I made this for a chili cook-off with 4 or 5 of my neighbors, and it blew everyone's socks off. My slight variations to this recipe were mixing up the types of meat (in addition to ground chuck, I used ground bison, beef tips, as well as hot and mild italian sausage) and instead of ancho chiles, I used dried chipotles and thai bird chiles (only because my local kroger didn't have the anchos).

dynomite!...was worried about the honey qty...so i followed others advice...thats it now my # 1 chili recipe...even better reheated...good job

I just won 1st place in my chili competition with this recipe. I did it exactly to specs at it tasted excellent. I knew once I tasted it that I had already won 1st. When they announced the winner they said I won with an "overwhelming" amount of votes. I am going to make another batch soon for myself and my friends. Thank you very much for posting this recipe. I knew it was golden.

I used habanero peppers instead of the peppers it suggested. I also put chorizo sausage instead of Italian. It was a hit. Lots of compliments. I will cut down on the honey for the next time I make it.

The best recipe i have ever made!!! I am now the official chili maker in the family!

I was amazed at how good this chili was. The ingredients lists can be intimidating and preparing the chilies was something I'd never done before, but it wasn't difficult and the result was wonderful. The first taste is one of mild sweetness and good chili flavor, then a warm sensation settles in the mouth. The warmth was nice; it is not a heat that distracts or interferes with the taste and won't set you to downing glass after glass of water to put the fire out. This recipe could be easily adjusted to add more heat if so desired. I will definitely be making this chili again.

I really, really liked this recipe. It is definitely a Tex-Mex Chili with a very unique layered flavor. I quartered the recipe because I was making it for just my husband and I and we still had enough for two meals! i DID use the carrots (but I've never used them in chili before) and will use them again. I didn't take a bite and think "oh, there's a carrot" but I think it added to the over all "package" of flavors. I couldn't find spicy Italian sausage in casings but used a fully cooked hot and spicy Italian Sausage that tasted more like andouille sausage to me. It didn't have the licorice flavor that others are talking about. I really liked what I used so I'll probably stick with it. Since it was fully cooked I waited to add it when the recipe says to add the cooked ground beef back in. I added more beans and stewed tomatoes because that's the way we like it. I only added half the amount of honey. I like sweet and spicy but my husband doesn't like sweet chili. I will definitely make this again and again!

My family loved this and asked for it again. This makes it 5 star.

This is really good if you want a change from regular chili. I used molasses instead of honey (none in the house) and didn't include the sausage (used ground chicken and sirloin). It's a bit sweet for me but all of the flavors did blend well.

honestly i would say 3 1/2 stars, but that's not an option! this is a very good meal, but it lacks the "chili" feel. it's decidley italian in flavor, except for the chilies. I thought there was too much sausage and would have liked peppers and more beans. Really enjoyed it over rice, but the flavor was more italian then anything. We made this for company, and the whole (giant) pot was gone by the time the night was over, so it was a hit though!

I've made this chili about 4 times now in the past year. LOVE LOVE LOVE IT! The first 2 times I made it exactly as the recipe called for and it was a bit too soupy for my liking and didn't really have the LOOK of chili, but still was delicious. The last 2 times I've made it, I've used ground pork sausage instead of the Italian sausage and used about 2 medium sized cans of tomato sauce along with the diced tomatoes the recipe called for; it was absolutely delicious and definitely looked and tasted more like chili. I normally serve it with sour cream and corn bread. This is definitely my "go to" chili recipe.

This was pretty good chili.

We had to throw out our old chili recipe because this one was so good. The sausage and different onions really adds great flavor and the chiles were perfect. It was spicy, sweet and delicious!

Fun to make. I omitted the wine and soaked the chiles in white balsamic vinegar...nice bite to it.

I entered this chili in a contest we were having at work and it won out of 12 entries!! I made a couple modifications. I used chorizo instead of Italian sausage andi ommitted the carrots. Its a little work but well worth it!!

This recipe is excellent. Like the addition of honey. It helps all the spices stick to the palate and gives it an mild sweetness.

This chili is the ultimate best! So flavorful, and yet fairly light.

Entered this in our church chili cookoff and won FIRST PLACE. Only change i made was used 4 tablespoons of chili powder. Folks always mentioned that none of the chili's were hot enough. Mine was not over hot but just right!! Thanx. The flavors were wonderful. Great recipe.

WOW! This is some AWESOME chili! I did make a few changes to it though because I couldn't fins come ingredients. Instead of ancho chilis (believe it or not I couldn't find em) I used canned chipotle peppers, I have used them in other dishes and it ads a great smokey flavor as well as heat. I also used beer to deglaze the pan instead of wine, I agree with the other user that wine has no business in chili =) I plan on making this again for football sunday but this time I am armed with the ancho chilis and am excited about how its going to turn out! Thanks AGAIN for a great recipie!!

I am very picky about chili. I needed something different for a cookoff we had at work. It only went up against 13 other chili recipes but the judges said it was number one by a long shot. I did replace the hot italian with regular italian sausage and instead of ground beef used steak. Other than that it was a good base and highly adjustable for your taste.

Love, love, loved it! So did my husband. I didn't change a thing, actually found dried ancho peppers, I'm thinking mine were larger than the ones that the author used because I had to double the vinegar and water, I added the puréed mixture to taste. I couldn't believe how much it made. Fantastic chili! Thank you

The first time I made this it was my first attempt at Chili, and everyone LOVED it. I live in a small town with one grocery store that does not always have the exact ingrediants, so it's a little different everytime I make it but I always have people asking for more. Personally it's my favorite recipe, and I have a lot of fun making it. Thank you for sharing!

This chili is great. I used regular Italian sausage instead of the "hot Italian" and I thought that it had just the right amount of "kick". Thanks for a great recipe.

GREAT CHILI! This is one of the most flavorful chili's I've ever made - my family loved it! I also added several dried Chipotle peppers (prepared the same way as the Ancho) for a slight smoky flavor with a spicy kick. I also added diced green and red pepper. I only used about 1.5 lbs of hot italian sausage plus the 3# of ground beef. It is very thick so you might want to add some water or tomato sauce if you don't like it that dense. Don't leave anything out of this recipe as every ingredient adds it's own special flavor! WONDERFUL - Thank You for sharing it!

I loved this chili - so did my daughter who does not like chili. There are so many flavors that develop while you eat it. It is like a gourmet chili. If I owned a restaurant this is the chili I would serve. That being said, my husband and son only rated it a 4 - they loved the fusion but thought it was a little too sweet - they do not like their chili to have any sweetness. I will be making this again!

otustanding recipe. Everybody loved it, only ghange was I doubled the tomatoes and tomato paste(my preference).

I had some leftover ancho chills to use, so I searched high and low for a recipe in which I could incorporate them. I found this and was intrigued. I followed EVERYTHING except I omitted the celery because I had none. Instead, I threw in an extra cup of carrots. At the end, neither my husband nor I were impressed at all. He's from Mexico, so he mostly enjoys the smoky, spicy flavored recipes; however, this was a no go. It was too "smoky" for us and the spice was a bit much for me. I didn't get what everyone was saying about the sweetness. The spice was so overpowering that I could barely taste the honey. In the end, for as long as it took to make and the disappointing results, I have decided I will never make this again.

Guests totally loved this pot of chili! I used some of the review suggestions: half the honey called for especially. I used 2 lbs. regular sausage and that was plenty!! The left overs made great burritos the next day!!

Great flavor! I roasted the chiles, removed the stems and seeds and ground them in a spice grinder which gave them a wonderful smokey flavor, also it is much easier. I also used dark beer instead of wine as wine gives an Italian taste more like a pasta sauce. I also used habanero hot sauce which gives it a lot of zing which I enjoy but some won't. Great recipe.

Best Chili Ever, However I did not add honey or beans because I am on a low carb diet. Instead of Ground Beef I used some steak that I had left over, and cut it into cubes. The perfect amount of spiceness. Will Definently make again:)

My guy loved it! It has a very interesting taste which I believe is the honey. This chili is a bit sweet but then pow! A second later the heat hits. This is time consuming to make - but worth it. I cut the recipe in half and the only change I made was to use 3 cans of tomoatoes instead of two. If I had used 2 cans I would have had to stay close to the pot to stir to make sure the bottom didn't burn. With the three cans I was able to stir every hour. Thanks so much submitter!

We absolutely love this! Easy to make and tastes great! I make this for the family, for my husbands coworkers, for church gatherings and always get lots of complements and an empty pot. For those who aren't into spicy chili this is easy to moderate level of hotness. I will say that I use sweet peppers not anything hot.

wonderful recipe. I loved it the first time we cooked it, and the second, and the well you get the picture. highly recomend it to the person who likes things spicy with plenty of flavor. I have forgotten all other chili recipes and will remain faithfull due to the tex-mex inspired flavor. THANK YOU FOR THIS RECIPE......

This chili was very good, it was sweet and hot. I liked the meat to bean ratio (fewer beans than meat). If you prefer a lot of beans I would double the beans. Overall a good recipe. My two year old loved it!

A good chili recipie which I enjoyed and my roommates loved. Personally I found it a hint too sweet.

Great recipie. Made it for my boyfriend and his co-workers, they keep asking for it again.

I substituted beer for the red wine. Pretty good!

OMG! I brought this to my sons' school annual chili cook-off and almost won! If they had a second place, I would have gotten it. It was a tie for the spicy category and the school principal made the deciding taste test and I only lost because the other chili was spicier (too spicey). I omitted the red pepper sauce and maybe I should have left that in. I made it without beans and only half the honey. I got many compliments on this recipe. It's a great one!

I fed this recipe to 12 people while camping. I cooked in it my cast iron, camp dutch oven over (and under) coals. Many in the group stated that it is the best chili they'd ever had and I have to agree. My husband would've preferred a couple thai chilies thrown in for added heat, but that's just him. There are only two things I did differently—one being that I couldn't find dried ancho chilies, so I bought fresh poblanos and added a little water and some of the white wine vinegar when pureeing them. This was to add some of the flavor you'd expect from soaking the anchos as instructed in the recipe. Second, I had to reduced the recipe by a 1/4 so it would fit in my 6 quart dutch oven, but I used the full amount of diced tomatoes. This recipe was so good that I wouldn't want to change it. I wouldn't substitute beer for the wine or use bell peppers as others have done, because then it wouldn't be Fusion Chili anymore. It would be some other recipe. This recipe has become a star in my cooking repertoire... especially when camping!

I made a vegetarian version of this chili and it was awesome!! I just substituted the meat with a package of vegetarian "beef" crumbles-- the meat-eaters couldn't tell the difference! I also couldn't find ancho chiles so I went with another reviewer's suggestion of using chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. I used a little less honey but I love the balance of sweet and spicy in this chili. This recipe's always a huge hit at get-togethers with friends and family! Even my boyfriend's mother, who doesn't like any spicy food, went back for seconds on this!

Love this recipe! I've made it several times! The prep work is a little time consuming the first time around but it's well worth it! Authentic chili! And it yields a lot of chili, good for a family or potluck get together...I used the canned ancho chili peppers ...and something I learned after the first batch I made was too spicy, you may want to remove the seeds and rinse the peppers and then chop or place in food processor..I didn't realize how potent those things were...! I used 3-4 whole ones the first time with seeds included...! Set my stomach on fire, and my wasn't too happy either! Definitely cut down on the prep time by using the canned ancho chili peppers though..;) delicious! I made sure the next batch I made was mild...:)

My first time making chili and it was very good. I accidentally used Marsala wine, plus I used venision ground meat so the taste was probably slightly different. Also, could not find the right peppers so I just used green chili's. All in all, will make again but with less honey and more Tobasco sauce for a spicier kick.

No leftovers at my house. I was told to make it again. I did make a few minor changes but this was great.

This chili was FANTASTIC and so much fun to make,love the sweet followed by heat.EXCELLENT! Ancho chilies are kind of expensive,but you should have a few in the recipe for their great flavor.

Alot of effort for so so results, I expected spectacular flavor and was put off by the anise flavor from the spicey sausage...I didn't try but I think ground pork would be a good substitute for the sausage.

Loved it!

This is hands down the BEST chili I've ever had. I've made it 3 times now and get rave reviews every time. The honey gives it a nice sweetness that I don't think is overbearing. For the hot sauce I use Sriracha which, along with the ancho chile paste, gives it just the right amount of kick and I love the sweet/spicy combo. I like to make it the night before and reheat it the next day, it really helps infuse the flavors and makes it taste even better. This recipe is just perfect.

Definetly different, but I'm not sure if it's worth the exrta prep and time involved. I changed the recipe in that I used 4 1/2 lbs. of meat, (including chiorzo and sirloin), an extra can of tomatoes, and green peppers instead of celery. I cannot imagine how "beefy" and thick it would be otherwise. (I could hardly stir it in the pot). As it was everyone thought it was a "beef, no bean" recipe. And it was definitely NOT hot enough, and a little too sweet. Still I gave it four because it did have a good, unique flavor. Next time I'll add hotter peppers and more bean.

I followed the recipe closely except that I couldn't find chipotle at the grocery store down the street, so I used some Habanero peppers I still had in the freezer... It cleared out your sinuses but you couldn't stop eating it, every bite was worth it, delicious.

I made as directed, omitting the carrots. It is different and has a unique flavor. Good overall, however I probably wouldn't make it again. It's very time consuming and is on the sweet side.

I made this for the superbowl last year, absolutely fantastic, made me into the hero of the party. Only thing I did different is add bacon, because everything is better with bacon.

I was looking for a new chili recipe for our upcoming Superbowl party. Wow!! This recipe is has an incredible flavor. I thought that the ancho chilis would be hard to find but found them easily in the international section at Walmart. I do not have a food processor for the chilis so I used a food chopper instead and got them small enough to "paste." Also used cumin seeds instead of ground cumin. Otherwise, followed recipe exactly. My husband and I loved it!! This will now replace my old chili recipe. Can't wait to use at the party!! Go Panthers!!

I have not made the chili and got the recipe from a co-worker who did make it for a few work functions. There was not even 1 bean left in the pot!!! Everyone loved it! I gave the recipe to my Sister last year for a super bowl party. She said people were loading the chili in take home containers!!! It is a big hit! I am going to try my hand at the chili this year! Hopefully I will make it a successful dish!!

I couldn't find any ancho chiles so I used aniheims, I deleted the sausage and used ground turkey instead of beef..I also used green pepper instead of celery. I really enjoyed this chili and was very pleased with the sweet/spicy combination. I really want to make this again, but I would like to make the sauce a little thicker, I was considering pureeing some of the beans or adding more tomato paste.

I made this chili for a Superbowl party and boy was it a hit. I slow cooked it the night before. I used half of the recommended honey and it was perfect. I substituted the wine for a dark creamy ale - which gave it a very nice taste. The Ancho peppers had flavour but no heat. I added two Jalapeno peppers & a Banana pepper. Everyone (including the kids) loved it.

Great mix of flavors. I added a bit more chili powder and some diced tomatos with green chilis to add some heat. Great job, just not hot enough for my own tastes to give it five stars.

This recipe is great. I does take done time but not a ton of skill. It is just great flavors that melt together to make a sweet, savory, and spicy dish. I made the recipe as is, with the addition of some spicy chili paste. I love really spicy dishes and it made it perfect for me and my family. The nice thing about this recipe is that you can make small variation to fit the taste you prefer and stl have a great dish because it is filled with so great flavors.

I really liked the way you used the dried chiles, it gave it a nice smokey taste. However, we thought the italian sausage gave it a slight spaghetti twang. I did leave out the carrots because I had ran out, but not sure I would like them in my chili. I liked the layers of flavors and will fix again but without the sausage. Thanks

This chili made me an "award-winning" chef! My friends and I had a chili cook-off, and I won first place (and the $75 prize) out of 11 recipes. I'm only giving this four stars because I modified it quite a bit. First, I only used 3 cans of tomatoes, not 4. I also used stewed and slow-cooked beef that I shredded rather than ground beef. I think that was part of what won over the crowd. I upped the chili powder and cumin spice a bit, also adding cayenne powder and using soaked and blended red pepper flakes, which are hotter than the peppers called for in this recipe. I cooked this at night, let the flavors meld overnight then put it on the crockpot all day. Huuuuuge recipe. Feeds way more than 12, I should say. I don't know how anyone could possibly ever fit this in a deep, wide skillet. Anyway, I brought it to the party with a little hesitance, but I guess the results prove it!

When they announced the chili cook-off at our church I leaned over to my husband and confidently whispered "I'm winning that!". When I got home I came to allrecipes and found this recipe. It makes a biiiig pot of chili, and I didn't even do a trial run before cooking my entry. I got second place out of about 40 entries, and I think I'd have won had it not been for the novelty of venison chili....I'd have definitely won had it been a popular vote and not the opinion of one judge. My husband doesn't like chili much but he loves this recipe. It's a definite keeper!!! Thank you Lon!!!

This was the most amazing chili that I ever made!! My staff and my family loved it.

I love this chili and so does everyone I've made it for. It tastes amazing...literally an explosion of flavors. It's the only recipe for chili I use now. I always follow the directions exactly and it turns out amazing every time!

This is a wonderful dish! It smells great while cooking it and tastes even better! I like my chili very spicy so I replaced the anchos with a mix of habaneros, jalapenos, and anaheims. It did not disappoint! Also I found it very hard to find dried chiles in the store so I made my own. It was super easy though it did take all day. What you can do if you want to dry your own chiles is cut them in half, take out all the seeds and the white guts, then put them on a baking sheet and throw them in the oven at 150 degrees for 8-10 hours. You can leave your oven on all day while you are at work, and when you get home, you'll have dry chiles! Also I had some dry black beans laying around so I used those instead. I think they actually worked out better than the recommended kidney beans.

My friends and family have always loved my chili. I decided to try this with a few modifications and served it to friends and family. They said throw out the old recipe and replace it with this one. Changes were a used chipolte chilis instead of ancho. I added approximately 6 cups of water (the chili was unusually thick). I decreased the beef and pork by 1 pound each, skipped the kidney beans, and added a small bag of cooked pinto beans. This will go down as my new chili recipe. It is a perfect blend of flavors.

I usually make half (6 servings, 3 lbs of meat). I find it's not spicy enough, so I usually double the hot sauce, add maybe half a tablespoon of cayenne pepper, and throw in 4 habanero chiles (those measurements are for the half recipe). I also push the chili to the side and brown a couple tablespoons of flour on the bottom of the pot. That thickens it up a bit more. Toward the middle of the simmer, I add a bit of heavy whipping cream (or milk or half-and-half). I love this recipe!

Add me to the list of those that won a chili-cookoff with this recipe! I tweaked it a teeny bit(no pintos). My husband said it was the best he's ever had.

Ok... just tried for first time 2 weeks ago... My first Chili Cookoff... WE WON!! This Chili was so different and delicious, it was all gone by the end... It makes a lot!! Can feed quite a few people! It was a little labor intensive as I have never soaked, pureed, blended, carmalized and deglazed all during one recipe! It made for a fun time in the kitchen with my husband! Worth the effort! TRY THIS!!!! (oh... we added 1/4c taco seasoning and 1/4c bacon bits... weird, I know, but delicious.

Some of my guests really enjoyed this, but it way way too sweet for me. It reminded me of sloppy joes, which I enjoy but was not what I was intending when making this for a party.