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Italian Meatball & Sausage Chili
"Until now, employees of Bally’s Atlantic City have enjoyed this Italian version of chili themselves in the employee dining room they’ve named Breakaway Café," says the cafe's food service director, Rolf J. Weithofer. "Hot and sweet Italian sausages are matched with such Mediterranean favorites as cannellini beans, cremini mushrooms, and roasted garlic to make a hearty, spicy stew to enjoy year-round."
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This recipe comes from the brand-new book, THE SEVEN STARS COOKBOOK: Recipes From World-Class Casino Restaurants (Chronicle Books, $45). Note: All the casinos in the book belong to the Harrah's Entertainment Group.
Serves: 20
Ingredients:
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds cremini mushrooms, quartered
4 red bell peppers, seeded, deveined, and diced
4 white onions, finely diced
3 pounds ground beef
2 pounds hot Italian sausage, casings removed
2 pounds sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
One 4-ounce can tomato paste
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
4 cups canned diced Italian tomatoes
2 cups cooked cannellini beans
1 cup dry red wine
2 bunches flat-leaf parsley, stemmed and minced
1 cup fresh basil, cut into fine shreds
½ cup minced fresh oregano
2 cups roasted garlic cloves
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Toasted or grilled Italian bread slices, rubbed with garlic
Grated Parmesan cheese for serving
Preparation:
In a medium sauté pan, heat the oil over medium heat and sauté the mushrooms, bell peppers, and onions until tender and lightly browned, about 8 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a large soup pot.
Add the beef and sausage to the pan and sauté over medium heat, cooking meat until cooked through, about 10 minutes, and then skim off excess grease.
Stir in the tomato paste and red pepper flakes, then the tomatoes, beans, red wine, herbs, and garlic.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 1 hour.
Season with salt and pepper.
Serve with the garlic bread and Parmesan cheese alongside.
