by Ted Onulak

Created on: September 08, 2008   Last Updated: August 03, 2011

As leaves begin to fall and you rummage through your drawers to find that little pin for the bicycle pump to inflate your football, an easy Sunday game time meal that will satisfy the crowd is Chili Mac.

Allow me to present my Italian Sausage Chili with Papardelli.

Thanks to "no boil" lasagna noodles, this can be made in a crockpot in a snap. Papardelli is a kind of pasta that is loosely torn up from sheets, so breaking up the lasagna noodles will do the job. My second signature trick is that I get the whole smoked chipotli chilies, soak them in water and use them water and all to impart a fantastic smoky flavor to the dish.

Italian Sausage Chile with Pappardeli
Ingredients:

2 pounds of sweet Italian sausage,

1 chopped white onion,

1 chopped red pepper,

1 whole head of garlic,

32 oz. of red kidney beans,

32 oz. of crushed Italian tomatoes,

4 smoked chipotli chilies soaked overnight in 2 cups of water,

1 cup of sun-dried tomatoes,

2 beef bullion cubes dissolved in 1 cup of hot water,

2 boxes of "no boil" lasagna.

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation: To get started: Take 4 smoked Chipotli chilies and soak them in 2 cups of water overnight. Then the next day, put the reconstituted chilies, 1 packed cup of sun-dried tomatoes, and a whole head of crushed garlic cloves and 1 cup of beef broth or low-sodium beef bullion in a blender. Blend thoroughly into a wet paste.

Remove the sausage meat from the casings. Brown in a skillet then remove meat with a slotted spoon and transfer to a crockpot. Leave as much grease in the pan as you can. Coarsely chop one large red pepper and one large sweet white onion and add to the sausage. Add 1 32 oz. can of crushed plum tomatoes, 1 32 oz. can of red kidney beans and the Chipotli/sun-dried tomato mixture. Mix well.

Take 2 boxes of "no boil" lasagna noodles and break them into random bite sized pieces and add to your crockpot. Make sure there is enough liquid to cover the noodles. Add more beef boullion, or water if needed.

That's it! Let simmer on High for 2 hours, or on Low for as long as you need to do other things.

Though this chili has a little spice, it is really very mild and smoky, so your kids will love it, too! But this is definitely a grown-up, funky chili. Serve with shredded Manchego cheese and a spoonful of sour cream.

Win or lose, your football fans will be happy.

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