All American Chili

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 jalapeno 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-oz.) cans whole tomatoes, undrained and coarsely chopped 2 (15-oz.) cans kidney beans, drained 1/2 cup (2-oz.) 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 jalapeno) 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. Basically you want to eat the chili over hot dogs (grilled with snappy skins). I'm drooling...