Drunken Polish Chili

What would Superbowl commercials be without a pot of chili to accompany the entertainment? Actually, although I'm very, very fond of soup of all types, especially those that contain beans, I make chili very seldom because a) I like the meat in soup to only make a cameo appearance, not be the star, and b) I don't generally like spicy hot foods. Yes, I know, I was born in Cuba, and grew up with Cuban food, but, in fact, Cuban cuisine is not very hot.

This recipe was given to me by my friend Julie, who assures me that it has won the Chili Cook-Off at her work two years running. The recipe gets its name from two key ingredients: Merlot (Drunken) and Kielbasa sausage (Polish). I lightened it, as per her instructions, by substituting ground turkey for the beef. And here's the verdict . . . Yum!

I am going to have some awesome brown-bag lunches this week! Lentil soup from yesterday and Chili from today . . . I better keep my eye on that refrigerator at work . . .