Great bowls of fire! Eleven prizes awarded at 23rd Annual Chili Fest
Oct. 12—TUPELO — Seventeen teams competed in the 23rd Annual Chili Fest in downtown Tupelo on Friday night.
Each team cooked its own chili and provided samples for the attendees, who then voted for the "Crowd Favorite." All other prizes were awarded by a panel of judges.
This year's winners were:
—First Place "Make Ya Wanna Slap Your Mama Good!" — Renasant Bank
—Second Place "Better Luck Next Year" — Ken Jeter Store
—Most Original Recipe "Everything But the Kitchen Sink" — CB&S Bank
—Most Unique Taste "Mystifying Oomph" — Community Bank
—Crowd Favorite "People's Choice" — Tupelo Fire Department
—Best Presentation "Serve It Up Right" — Renasant Bank
—Best Team Spirit "Rowdiest Cooks!" — Tupelo Fire Department
—Best Costumes "Sauciest Get Up!" — Renasant Bank
—Most Creative Tent "Most Souped Up Kitchen" — First Choice Bank
—Most Original Theme "Supreme Scheme" — Gum Tree Mortgage
—Honorable Mention — Barnes Crossing Automotive
Here are some of the winning recipes.
CHILI VERDE CON CERDO Y POLO
(Crowd Favorite: Tupelo Fire Department)
3 pounds pork, cut in 1-inch pieces
Salt and pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken, cut in 1-inch pieces
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 pound tomatillos, husked and quartered
3 (4-ounce) cans diced green chilies
2 cups packed cilantro
2 jalapeños, seeded
2 teaspoons cumin
4 cups chicken stock, divided
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
Season pork with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and brown.
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and brown.
Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add diced onion and sauté 4 to 5 minutes.
In a blender, add tomatillos, green chilies, cilantro, jalapeños, cumin and 2 cups chicken stock. Puree until smooth.
In a large stock pot, combine blended mixture, diced tomatoes, pork, chicken, and remaining 2 cups chicken stock. Bring to a boil over medium-heat. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until pork and chicken are starting to shred, 3 to 3 1/2 hours.
Ladle into bowls and top with sour cream, chopped cilantro or tortilla strips.
Recipe submitted by David Lee.
CHILI RAY CYRUS WHITE CHICKEN CHILI
(Most Original Recipe: CB&S Bank)
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced, or to taste
24 ounces low-sodium chicken broth
2 (15-ounce) cans great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
2 (4-ounce) cans diced green chiles (one hot, one mild)
1 (15-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
1 teaspoon cumin, or to taste
3/4 teaspoon oregano, or to taste
1 packet white chicken chili seasoning
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (8-ounce) block reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup half-and-half
In a Crock-Pot, combine all ingredients except cream cheese and half-and-half. Cook on low for 8 hours. Just before serving, add cream cheese and half-and-half to Crock-Pot and stir until combined and heated through.
Ladle chili into bowls and top with sliced jalapeños, sour cream, shredded cheese, Fritos Scoops and cooked, sliced Kiolbassa Chili and Cheddar Chicken Sausage.
Recipe submitted by Jordan Elrod.
EVERYTHING BUT THE KITCHEN SINK CHILI
(Second Place: Ken Jeter Store)
5 pounds ground beef
5 pounds ground sausage
3 cups oil
2 large onions, diced
2 large green bell peppers, diced
1 (105-ounce) can whole, peeled tomatoes
1/2 cup ground cumin
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups chili powder
All-purpose flour, for thickening
Combine ground beef and ground sausage and roll into balls about 1/2-inch in diameter. Heat oil in a large stock pot, add meat balls to hot oil, slowly, and brown.
Add onions, bell pepper and tomatoes to mixture and cook for 30 minutes over medium heat.
Add cumin, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper and chili powder. After 10 minutes of simmering, add enough flour to thicken. Serve.
Recipe submitted by Elizabeth Gable.
THE CLARKS' BEST-YET CHILI
(First Place: Renasant Bank)
Ground beef
Italian sausage
Diced onions
Diced bell peppers
Tomato sauce
Tomato paste
Petite diced tomatoes
Ro-tel tomatoes
Chili beans
Baked beans
Chickpeas, drained
Black beans, drained
Beef broth
Minced garlic
Chili powder
Paprika
Cayenne pepper
Crushed red pepper
Oregano
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Cumin
In a large skillet, brown ground beef and Italian sausage. Add onions and peppers and saute until tender. Pour this mixture into a large Crock-Pot.
Add tomato sauce, paste and tomatoes, then all the beans, beef broth and minced garlic. Mix well, then add remaining spices. Cook on high heat until fully cooked.
Recipe submitted by Kelly Clark.
