Brown ground beef in skillet until done. Remove excess fat. Put ground beef in large stew pot. Sauté diced onions in skillet until transparent (Do Not Brown!) Add onions to the cooked beef along with the tomato juice, kidney beans, dark kidney beans, sugar, water, pepper, salt and bay leaf

Simmer for one hour or more to blend flavors. Can be kept "on back burner" for several hours. Serve with grated Cheddar cheese on top

Submitted by Jane Sweeney