Special Guest Post by Snarkaholic: Ultimate Sweet Victory Chili + The Game Plate = Match Made in Heaven

Everyone say a warm welcome to today's guest poster, Janet at Snarkaholic! She blogs, often irreverently, about life in Los Angeles from the point of a non-native, non-celebrity-chaser. But this weekend, it's the Super Bowl, so you KNOW she had to write about food!

I'm a chili-aholic, and the Super Bowl is the perfect excuse to whip up a batch of my famous Sweet Victory Chili, which makes for perfect nachos, or just as-is. Adding brown sugar to chili may sound strange, but it perfectly balances the spicy flavors and rounds everything together. And, of course, my hubby and I can't watch the Super Bowl without a Go Plate ($6-43 depending on quantity) to hold our beer & snacks in one hand, leaving the other free to flip off the TV when the ref makes a terrible call. Our beloved Vikes may not be in the bowl, but it'll still be a good game!

Serves: a small army
2 lbs lean ground beef
Olive oil
3 green bell peppers, chopped into 1-inch chunks
2 red bell peppers, chopped into 1-inch chunks
2 medium yellow onions, chopped into 1-inch chunks
4 garlic cloves, diced
3 15-ounce cans kidney beans, drained
2 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes
2 15-ounce cans tomato sauce
2 cups water
Salt & pepper to taste
2 heaping tablespoons cumin powder
2 heaping tablespoons chili powder (probably 3 level tbsp of both chili & cumin, given my verrrry casual measurements)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
Green Tabasco sauce

1. In a LARGE stock pot or Dutch oven, brown ground beef (in batches) in a little olive oil. When it's nearly done, add chili powder, cumin, and a little salt & pepper. Cook until fragrant and spicy-smelling. Spoon beef into a bowl and set aside.
2. Add a tiny bit more olive oil and saute peppers, onions, and garlic until just soft - do not brown, you just want 'em lightly golden.
3. Return beef to pot, and add all remaining ingredients (beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, brown sugar) plus a few dashes of green Tabasco sauce depending on how spicy you like things.
4. Bring mixture to boiling, then kick the heat down to a simmer and let 'er rip for a good 45 minutes. Your house will smell like every man's fantasy. (Women's, too. My mother-in-law had one bite of this stuff and immediately asked me for the recipe.)
5. Serve with tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, green onions, etc if so desired. Freeze leftovers (if there are any). Mmmmm. Leftovers.