Host a Chili Cook-Off

Our chili cook-off was such great fun and easy to do, we thought we’d share how to host a competition of your own.

Chili Cook-Off

Pre-Chili Cook-Off Planning

Invite guests to bring their best chili in a slow cooker, hot and ready to serve. Encourage a variety - meatless, spicy, white, or surprise ingredient.
Borrow bowls and spoons or buy disposables so everyone can have a separate bowl for each chili.
Make Chili Name Tags with the name of each chili and a rating for heat level.
Make enough ballots so each guest has a ballot for each chili.

Just before the guests arrive, set up a Chili Toppings Bar—offer a variety of chili toppings and “go-withs “. Include shredded cheese, chopped onions, tomatoes, olives, bell peppers, sliced jalapenos and sour cream for toppings. You can get these ready the day before. Just cover and refrigerate until needed. Great go-withs include crackers, corn bread, tortillas and corn chips.
You may need to spread the slow cookers out among several outlets, so you don’t blow a fuse.
Offer a variety of drinks and a tossed green salad to round out the meal. A pan of Betty Crocker® brownies adds a special touch too.

Keep the cook of each chili secret—as to not throw the vote!
Invite your guests to taste a spoonful of each chili and fill out a ballot for their favorite before eating it as a meal. Have them clean their palate between tastings with a little water or soda cracker.
Have guests rate each chili on the ballot. The chili with the most points wins!
Announce the maker of each chili and then announce the winner.
Award prizes – grand prize, hottest, most creative, or easiest for just a few ideas.

Grand Prize Winner!

Kick-Butt Three- Bean Chili	Black Bean Chili with Cilantro	Espinosa Pollo Chili	Chili Blanco	Hot & Spicy Chorizo Chili

Brynne_Beverly said:	Posted: 1/29/2012 9:53 PM
We have a chili cook off at Hoodoo Ski Area, Sisters OR every last Saturday of March. This will be our 6th one. So far top honors go to our Rental Mgr for winning three of the 5 contests. Public is invited to join our cook off. Won't you join us!

mzspeech said:	Posted: 2/3/2011 8:54 AM
Hi My granddaughter's band is doing a chili cook off next week-end. I hope they have some of these ideas in place already. I will forward this info to her mom.

mongogirl said:	Posted: 1/28/2011 11:45 AM
Thanks for the idea. I am looking for new fund raisers for our group and this sounds like it could be a great one.

706 said:	Posted: 1/28/2011 8:04 AM
we have a fierce competition at work. 3 judges with point scoring ballets for 5 categories judge "blind" pots of chili. They do not know the "chef". Highest score wins. Then we have a separate People's Choice award--with paper voting tokens. Cups are set by each pot. the cup with the most tokens wins. Grand prize is a giant chili bean pinata that rotates to each new winner and an assortment of chili spices. Both winners get their names on the "wall of honor". Others bring in corn bread, toppings, etc.

Mari Ruffin said:	Posted: 1/28/2011 1:33 AM
Our church does this every year, and it's always a wonderful experience. The only thing I wish is that we would share the recipes as well. I'm not sure that adding toppings should be part of the tasting. It might alter the taste of the chili. The chili should stand on it's own merit.

bvillejohns said:	Posted: 1/27/2011 5:37 PM
What did the ballot look like? We run a yearly cookoff for the extended family and the items on the ballot are always debated! Would be good to have Betty as an impartial "balloteer". Any other ballots out there? http://mancuisine.wordpress.com/category/cuisine/chili/