Directions
Place 4 strips of bacon in large Dutch oven, set to med-low heat. Let bacon cook slowly until nice and crispy and most of the fat has rendered. 5-10 minutes. Remove bacon, chop and set aside.
Mix all seasonings and herbs together in a bowl.
Place ground meat in Dutch oven and sprinkle your seasoning mixture over meat. Bring to med-high heat and brown meat. (about 5 minutes). Remove meat and set aside.
Add EVOO to Dutch oven over med-high heat. Add onion and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Sauté onions until caramelized and translucent. Add garlic and continue to sauté until golden.
Add in tomato paste and stir until paste begins to caramelize. Return ground meat and bacon to pot and bring to high heat.
Stir everything together and allow to sit for about 30 seconds, just until it begins to crisp at the bottom. Pour in Cheerwine and CHA! By Texas Pete, then deglaze using a wooden spoon to scrape all of the browned bits from the sides and bottom of pot.
Allow to cook, reducing Cheerwine by about half (2-3 minutes)
Add crushed tomatoes, both beans and stir to combine, and bring to a boil. Set to low and let simmer for at least 30 minutes.
Serve topped with shredded cheese, chopped chives and corn chips. Enjoy!