How to Make Chili-Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

• 2 pounds 80% lean ground beef
• 1 pound Italian sausage, hot or sweet, removed from casings
• 2 (26-ounce) boxes diced tomatoes with juices
• 1 (6-ounce) jar tomato paste
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 green chiles, chopped
• 4 slices bacon, fried until crispy and crumbled
• 1 cup beef bone broth, homemade  or store-bought
• ¼ cup chili powder
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano leaves
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce, homemade or store-bought
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground fresh black pepper
• 3 tablespoons Swerve confectioners’-style sweetener or equivalent amount of liquid or powdered sweetener
• 6 bell peppers, any color

1. Preheat a stockpot over medium-high heat. Crumble the ground beef and sausage into the hot pot and cook until evenly browned, about 8 minutes, stirring frequently to break up the meat.
2. Pour in the diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Add the onion, celery, chopped bell peppers, chiles, crumbled bacon, and beef broth. Season with the chili powder, garlic, oregano, cumin, hot sauce, basil, cayenne pepper, paprika, salt, black pepper, and sweetener, if using. Stir to blend, then cover and simmer over low heat for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally. After 2 hours, taste and add more salt, pepper, or chili powder, if desired. The longer the chili simmers, the better it will taste.
3. When you’re ready to serve the chili, slice the 6 bell peppers in half lengthwise and remove the cores and seeds. You can serve the peppers raw, blanch them, or bake them.
To Blanch
4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Blanch the peppers in the boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain the peppers in a colander and rinse with ice-cold water (this will preserve the bright color).
To Bake
5. If you’d like to soften the peppers, bake in a 350°F oven until tender, about 20 minutes.
6. Serve the chili in the peppers, or cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to a month.