Wendy's Chili Knockoff

"I am obsessed with Wendy's Chili lately, and even though it's reasonably priced, that's not really a good excuse for hitting the drive-thru. Especially when it's something I can make at home! After several minutes of scouring the internet I came up with a recipe that showed some promise. So, I wrote my ingredient list and headed to Wendy's. Sitting in the grocery store parking lot chowing on my chili, I made a few amendments to the recipe list and then headed on in. And, boy oh boy. FANTASTIC! This recipe makes a giant batch (it fills my 8 quart stock pot), but freezes beautifully. If you'd like to make the chili in a slow cooker, I suggest halving the recipe."