Sweet Heat Louisiana Chili

Source:My Kitchen Cafe Blog

This chili is scrumptious! Perfect for a cold fall night here in MI. This chili is a little bit of work, but it is well worth it. Chris LOVED this chili. It was way too spicy for Lex though, so take caution if making it for kids. We put a dollop of sour cream and shredded sharp cheddar cheese on top to garnish and it was just perfect! I also served corn bread along side of it. YUM!

1 medium onion, diced
1 large green bell pepper, diced
3 stalks of celery, diced
3 cloves of garlic, smashed or diced (I grated mine using a hand help microplane grater)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound of ground meat (I used ground beef)
1 quart of beef stock
2 large cans (28 oz. each) of whole stewed tomatoes
1 can of kidney red beans
1 can of black beans
2 cups sun-dried tomatoes
3 bay leaves
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp cayenne pepper
3 tsp creole or cajun seasoning blend
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt to taste

Over medium heat, saute first four ingredients (onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic) in 1 tbsp
of oil. Once the onions begin to sweat, add your choice of ground meat. Brown to perfection.
When the meat is cooked, add the stock, bay leaves, dry mustard and cayenne. Simmer over
medium heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half (This took me about 10). Rehydrate the sun-dried tomatoes and
dice. Puree the stewed tomatoes in a food processor or blender. Add to pot. Rinse the canned
beans in plenty of water, add to the pot along with brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, salt and the
cajun or creole seasoning. Mix well and simmer over low heat for two hours, stirring
occasionally. Take off heat and allow to stand covered for five minutes. Serve and enjoy.