Ingredients:

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
   2      pounds        lean ground beef
   6      cloves        garlic
   1      4 oz can      Ortega chopped green chiles
   1      4 oz can      Casa Fiesta nacho sliced jalapeno peppers
   6      tablespoons   chili powder
   1      6 oz can      Hunt's tomato paste
   1      16 oz can     diced tomatoes
   1      tablespoon    balsamic vinegar
   1      tablespoon    extra virgin olive oil
   1      21 oz can     Bush's Best pinto beans -- drained
   1      whole         bay leaf
   3      teaspoons     ground cumin
   1      teaspoon      salt
   1      teaspoon      pepper
   2      tablespoons   brown sugar
   1      large         yellow onion (about 1 pound) -- diced

Preparation:

Dice onion, and puree garlic. To puree garlic, put a clove under a knife blade, hit the blade, which will remove the peel, then dice the clove, add a little salt, and crush the diced clove under the blade of a heavy knife until pureed. Saute onions in olive oil; when onions clear, add garlic puree. Stir quickly (less than a minute) to avoid onions browning. Remove sauteed onions and garlic from skillet. Brown beef in skillet; drain well. Add sauteed onions and garlic, stir quickly, then pour into crockpot. Add all other ingredients and stir. Cook eight hours on low, four hours on high. OPTIONAL: Best cooled and re-heated. Garnish with grated sharp Cheddar cheese and sliced green onions; serve with corn chips. To use dried instead of canned beans, soak two and two-thirds cups (one pound) pinto or kidney beans overnight in three times their volume of water. Add salt to the water the next morning, and slowly bring to a boil. Boil ten minutes, cover, and let simmer for two hours until beans are tender. Drain before using in recipe.