Photography: Randy Mayor; Styling: Melanie J. Clarke

Chili is one of my favorite dishes and this recipe has received the highest rankings on CookingLight.com!  I am looking forward to giving it a try.

6 ounces hot turkey Italian sausage
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
8 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground sirloin
1 jalapeño pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cumin
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 bay leaves
1 1/4 cups Merlot or other fruity red wine
2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes, undrained and coarsely chopped
2 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans, drained
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Remove casings from sausage. Add sausage, onion, and the next 4 ingredients (onion through jalapeño) to pan; cook 8 minutes or until sausage and beef are browned, stirring to crumble.

Add chili powder and the next 7 ingredients (chili powder through bay leaves), and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in wine, tomatoes, and kidney beans; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Uncover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Discard the bay leaves. Sprinkle each serving with cheddar cheese.

Note: Like most chilis, this version tastes even better the next day.

Yield:  8 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups chili and 1 tablespoon cheese)

CALORIES 375 (29% from fat); FAT 12g (sat 4.6g,mono 4.1g,poly 1.1g); IRON 5mg; CHOLESTEROL 59mg; CALCIUM 165mg; CARBOHYDRATE 33.7g; SODIUM 969mg; PROTEIN 28.9g; FIBER 8.2g