Smoky Sausage and Bean Chili

We're having a weekly soup fundraiser contest at work.  Each week, somebody brings in a soup; at the end of the contest, the person who gets the most employees to buy a bowl of their soup wins, with the sales going to charity.  I realized I would need a crockpot-friendly recipe since it was going to be at work all day, so I decided to go with chili because it's winter and cold and chili is the perfect hearty dish to warm you up.    I found a non-traditional chili recipe in a Slow Cooker cookbook I own, and I went with that.  I was short on time so I made up my own instructions, added bacon, did some stuff on the stovetop, used canned beans instead of dry, and transferred everything to the crockpot to heat. I doubled the recipe which barely fit in my crockpot.  I liked it a lot, but I added a tad too much chili powder for my taste.  Otherwise, it would have been perfect.  I served it with mini corn muffins.

Smoky Sausage and Bean Chili
adapted from Slow Cooker Revolution
Serves 6-8

Ingredients:
5 slices thick-cut applewood-smoked bacon
2 onions, minced
2 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup chili powder
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2-3 cups chicken broth
1 can white beans, rinsed
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 pound kielbasa sausage, sliced 1/2" thick
8 oz andouille sausasge, cut into 1/2" pieces
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Cook the bacon; set aside on a paper towel, then chop into small pieces.  

Transfer the bacon drippings remaining in the pan to a large pot and use to saute the onions and bell pepper until they begin to soften.  Add chili powder, garlic, cumin, and oregano, and stir for a minute.  Transfer to a slow cooker.

Stir everything else into the slow cooker, including the crumbled bacon.  Take some of the white beans and mash them, adding the mash back into the slow cooker.  Stir well.  Cover and cook until heated through.  Remove bay leaves.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.