Wendy's chili maybe?

A couple of years ago I went thru Wendy's drive-thru and bought a cup of chili. I was pleasantly surprised. Went back later and bought another cup, only because I was hoping I might be able to duplicate it. I've worked it and re-worked it, and I'm pretty comfortable that I've been able to come up with something that is close to the same. The following is my own recipe, for what it's worth:

2 lbs ground chuck
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced bell pepper
2 11.5oz cans V-8 veg juice
1 8oz can tomato sauce
2 16oz cans lite red kidney beans, drained
1 28oz can diced tomatoes.

1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp beef bouillon granules
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tbl maple syrup

While lightly browning ground chuck, mince celery, onion, and bell pepper. Drain as much grease as possible from browned meat.
Add meat, and all other ingredients to dutch oven and stir to incorporate. Simmer all covered for 2-3 hours. Add a bit of water if it becomes thicker than you like.

***It is a very mild chili, no heat whatsoever. Can be easily modified by adding a chopped hot pepper to the mix.


That's my offer. I'd like to hear more from the rest of you. Thanks a lot. BigMac.