Chili con Carne

I planned to make this chili as soon as I found out it was going to be in the 60s this weekend (perfect sweater weather). It is simple but delicious—and always a crowd-pleaser. Instead of serving it with standard cornbread, I make my mother-in-laws recipe for Southern Corn Casserole to pair with it.

Chili con Carne

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

1 medium white onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 1/2 jalepeno peppers, chopped

1 can (approx 14.5 oz) diced tomatoes

1 1/2 cup tomato sauce

1 can dark-red kidney beans

1 to 2 tsp. chili powder

1/2 to 1 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 bay leaf

Cook meat, onion, and peppers until meat is lightly browned and vegetables are tender. Drain 3/4 of the fat. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Remove bay leaf and serve.