Heat large chili pot and add oil. Add peppers and onions and cook until softened. Remove from pot.

Add ground meat to pot and cook until not pink. If you are using bacon instead of sausage then cook the bacon first remove from pot and then cook the ground meat. Drain off all oil. Unless you want the extra fat and flavor. My hips can’t handle that much fat so I drain the meat.

On medium heat add back in the vegetables, the spice package from Carroll’s, the fire roasted tomatoes, the tomato sauce and then rinse both sauce cans with a full can of water and add to pot. Get it. Fill the two cans of tomatoes with water and add to pot. Yep. Basically 5 cans of goooo. Also if you want it Spicey add the chili powder or hot sauce. I do this sometimes.

Bring to hot (not boiling). Cover and greatly reduce the heat with barely a flame. You want to slowly Simmer the chili for about an hour. Stirring occasionally and not burning the bottom. if for some reason you do burn the bottom which totally happens DONT scrape the bottom. Just leave it down there and change pots.

Add your beans and macaroni and cook for another 15 -30 minutes or until noodles are done. Serve.

Remember that chili is always better the next day. So if you can make it early and just let it sit Off the heat for a couple of hours until dinner time- It’ll taste way better. Otherwise leftovers will be amazing.

Final note. I love to add carrots in my chili but I have to hide them from my husband. To do that I usually grate 2 or 3 carrots and cook them with the peppers and onions. I can only do this if he’s not in the house!! He thinks it’s all wrong. Shhhhh. This does make the chili sweeter so you have to add the chili powder.

Have fun and don’t forget to add the sour cream and cheddar cheese on top your yummy bowl of goodness.