almost Irish St. Patrick's Day Chili

Ok, so this is not really an authentic Irish dish but neither is green beer. Weeks ago I thought about cooking the traditional corned beef and cabbage on St Patty's day but when I planned out our menu and went shopping for the week, I completely forgot. So I decided to just put an Irish spin on what WAS planned for dinner tonight, chili. And what would be more appropriate than Guinness...plus we already had a few in stock since my husband likes to treat himself occasionally after a hard day at work :)

St. Patrick's Day Chili

ingredients:

1 T. oil

2 medium onions, chopped

1 large green bell pepper

1 lb. ground beef

1 lb. ground turkey (or pork)

2-3 t. chili powder

1 t. cayenne powder

1 t. ground cumin

2 T. brown sugar

1 bottle (12 oz) dark beer, preferably Guinness or other rich stout
1 can (14.5 oz) black beans, drained
1 can (14.5 oz) red kidney beans, drained
1 can (14.5 oz) pinto beans, drained
1 can (14.5 oz) chili beans
2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with liquid (regular or chili ready)

**optional: 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce if you like a soupier chili

1. In a large pot, saute onion and pepper in oil over medium heat for about 5 min. Add meat and cook until browned. Drain any excess grease.

2. Add spices, sugar, beer, beans and tomatoes (and sauce if using), stirring well. Let the chili come to a boil and reduce heat and let simmer for at least 25 minutes.

3. Serve with sour cream and green onions, or whatever your favorite chili toppings are.

4. Feel free to drink the remaining beer and celebrate the Irish!

(photo courtesy of myrecipes.com)