1 (12 oz.) pkg. Morningstar recipe crumbles
1 cup finely chopped white onion
1 tbsp. minced garlic (about two cloves)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 (15 oz. ea.) cans diced tomatoes (I use Hunts balsamic vinegar, basil, and olive oil, and a can of Hunts tomatoes with mild chilies)
1 (10 oz.) can Rotel tomatoes with chilies
1 (15 oz.) can red kidney beans, drained
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained
1 (15 oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (6 oz.) tomato paste (optional)
1 medium green bell pepper, diced small
1 medium red bell pepper, diced small
1 medium yellow bell pepper, diced small
1 medium orange bell pepper, diced small
1 medium purple bell pepper, diced small
2 Habanero chilies, finely chopped
5 to 10 slices American cheese (Velveeta works best)
4 tbsp. chilli powder
2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
2 tsp. ground white pepper
4 tsp. cilantro

In a LARGE deep pot, heat the oil. Once its hot, start heating the crumbles, onion and garlic. Allow to brown fully, let the onions get transparent. Add one teaspoon of the white pepper, let it all cook for a few minutes.

Pour in all the tomatoes, sauce, and seasonings, let that heat up, and bring to a simmer, for about 2 hours. You can add all your vegetables at this point if you want them to be soft when its done, but I like my veggies kinda crisp, so I add them towards the end. Do add all your beans, though, as they need to absorb the flavors of the spice and "meat".

Once that's simmered for two hours, melt in your cheese. It's up to you how much you want to use - I used 7 slices on tonight's pot. Let it heat for another 20 minutes or so, add any remaining ingredients you might have. If it's too soupy, add in the can of tomato paste, just be sure you adjust your spices accordingly.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS:

I always serve this with dairy sour cream on the side, to cool it down for non-spicy folks, and I serve mine over elbow macaroni - that's how my mom always did chili. Most Mexicans and Puerto Ricans I know grew up with rice. Its a preference thing.

Another thing I do on occasion is transfer the whole pot to a glass casserole dish big enough to hold it, and I pour a layer of cornbread batter on top of it and pop it in the oven. It's kind of hard to get the baking times for the cornbread right, though, so be careful. Its good whether it bakes all the way or not, but just keep that in mind.

Have fun and enjoy!

Submitted by: Chadwick