Sausage and Chicken Chili

Open all the cans. Drain the fluid from the tomatoes, mushrooms, black beans and kidney beans. Add the contents of all cans to a large stew pot or Dutch oven. Put on the stove over low heat.

If the chicken is already cooked (I often buy a rotisserie roasted chicken at the grocery store), crumble it into the stew pot. If not, start the chicken cooking by whatever means you prefer. When it is ready, pull bite-sized pieces off and add them to the stew pot.

Heat a skillet with a little oil over medium heat. Remove casings from sausage, then brown. While the sausage browns, crumble with a spatula or wooden spoon. When the sausage is browned, transfer it with a slotted spoon or spatula to the stew pot, leaving behind as much fat and oil as possible.

In batches, brown the garlic, onion, red and green peppers in the skillet with the oil and fat from the sausage. When each batch is lightly browned, add it to the stew pot. Add more oil if the pan is getting dry.

Add all the chopped hot peppers to the pot. Add the spices. Cover and let simmer, stirring occasionally for hours. Fluid level in the pot will rise over time. Remove the bay leaves before serving.