Heat oil in large stockpot. Add garlic, onion, and peppers. Sauté 10 minutes or until most of the liquid is evaporated.
Add all remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes.
Dogs
Preheat grill. Grill dogs (or sausages) 12 minutes, turning frequently, or until cooked through.
With 5 minutes remaining in the cook time, butter the cut sides of the buns (optional) and place them butter side down on the grill. Grill buns 2-4 minutes or until warm and toasted.
Place a dog (or sausage) on each bun. Top with chili. Top with cheese, if desired.
Notes
Note: We used Applegate Farms Roasted Red Pepper sausage for testing purposes. To find a clean hot dog or sausage, just read the ingredients and make sure that there are no red tier ingredients.Note: If you have leftover chili, it freezes great! Or, serve it another night as a topping for baked sweet potatoes. UM, YUM!