Amazing Paleo Chili

I have to say my most favorite part of chili is definitely the ground meat. In other words, forget the beans, let's make some Paleo chili! I saw a few recipes (from Mark's Daily Apple, etc) for Paleo chili, but they all included giant chunks of meat. I really love the ground texture, so I had to modify an existing recipe. The original is "Ryder's Turkey Chili" by Guy Fieri off of www.foodnetwork.com...but here's my version:

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons bacon grease or butter
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 carrot, diced
1-2 tomatoes, diced
1 1/2 jalapeno peppers, minced, seeds removed
several cloves garlic, minced
2 small red onions, diced
2 1/2 pounds ground turkey/beef/pork
2 hotdog franks, sliced into small rounds
1 small can tomato paste
1 16oz can tomato sauce
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (this really gives a kick!)
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Shredded cheddar cheese or sliced avocado, for garnish

yeah I probably could have kept the franks intact to make
"chili dogs" but I decided to include them.

Alright, I've got everything chopped up...let's begin!

Warm the grease/butter in a large pot over high heat. Add the bell peppers, jalapenos, garlic, onions and carrots, and cook until caramelized, about 8 minutes.

Mmm that's right...caramelize!

Next, all of the meat and gently stir, trying not to break up the meat too much but getting it to cook; cook until the ground meat is just no longer pink, about 5 minutes depending on the size of the pot.

simmering chili...looks so yummy! Will definitely have
leftovers for a few days...

Add the tomato paste and sauce and chopped tomatoes. Stir for 4 minutes, then add the chicken broth. Now add all your spices: chili powder, paprika, cumin, cayenne, *cinnamon* and a few cranks of the pepper mill. Let it simmer for about another 5-10 minutes to really let the flavors and spices soak in.

I love the texture of cool avocado with a warm chili

I really think this chili tastes its best as leftovers...after it's been sitting in the fridge overnight and all the flavors have melded together. But nevertheless it also tastes amazing right after it's done as well! Just make sure you cool it enough so you don't burn your tongue.