National Chili Day was February 25th this year and a radio station here in Atlanta that I listen to occasionally decided to have a cook-off between the morning show hosts to celebrate the day. Kevin and Taylor in the Morning from 104.7 the Fish had several judges in the studio on the 25th to judge each of their chilis. Taylor won! Here’s the link giving their recipes.

http://www.thefishatlanta.com/article.asp?id=780218

Both of the recipes look phenomenal but I admit I haven’t tried them yet. I think I may hae to try the Jamaican chili first since the addition of the jerk spices is a new and different twist that I haven’t tried before. Although the jerk spices add some heat to the chili, I noted that Kevin also uses a habanero powder for more heat. I’m willing to bet that this chili is not for the mild chili lover. It will have some kick.
I hope you enjoy experimenting with these 2 recipes - I’ll report back after I have a chance to play with the recipe some! Meanwhile, enjoy your chili! Only a few days left before spring so chili season is winding down for most folks - except me!

I am a southerner. Always will be. That said, it’s 19 degrees here in Atlanta with a wind chill of 5. Five! Cold weather makes me hungry so I have turned again to my failsafe chili to keep me warm. I’ve come up with some different ways of serving chili that I thought might interest everyone so here goes…

1. Serve with Fritos corn chips. Yummy! Especially those ones shaped like scoops.
2. Serve over pasta. Yes, pasta. It’s good and it’s even better when you add cheese and onions.
3. Put chili inside of a baked potato and add green onions, cheese and sour cream. Warms me up just thinking about it.
4. Serve with tortilla chips - this works especially well with the Hot & Spicy chili.
5. For thicker chili recipes, serve on a hamburger bun for a sloppy joe type sandwich. I’ve found that leftover chili is really good this way.

There you go - a few ways you can enjoy more chili this winter. Stay warm out there! I know I’m trying here in Atlanta!!

Ok, so maybe you don’t think the title is as funny as I do, but then again it’s probably just my cold medicine affecting my head. Anyway, it’s finally getting chilly here in Atlanta and I’m super excited about experimenting with a new easy chili recipe soon. My family is asking for their same old favorite, but I’m really up for something new this year. Since I’ve been attending several chili cookoffs over the past few months, I’m taking a new look at some of my old favorites. One of my works in progress is a chili powder mix instead of using fresh chilis. I discovered that it’s much easier to mix your own chili powder than it is to cook peppers for every pot of chili. Most competitors use a blend of spices and chili powders to cut down on prep and cooking time for competitions. I can’t wait to see what this chili season has to offer! Are you experimenting with any new chili ideas lately?

There are so many types of peppers to use in chili recipes that some people find it overwhelming when trying to choose. Check out our article on some common types of chili peppers to give you some basic knowledge before you head out shopping for those chiles to use in your next pot of chili!

We would love to hear what types of chiles are your favorites as well as which types you like to use in your chili recipe. Do you use fresh chiles or a powdered form? As always pictures are welcome!

It’s football time!! Well, in less than 2 weeks it will be. Pre-season has started and college football will soon be in full swing. It’s time to start perfecting those chili recipes for your halftime eats. Why not start with my favorite, Halftime Chili? You can make this with or without meat for you vegetarians out there. I’ve recently posted a chili con carne recipe that would be incredible to serve at a larger football gathering like your next tailgate party. Use a camping stove to keep it warm, pair it with your favorite beer and you’ve got a super tailgate event!

If you’re looking for something new to try tonight, check out our new jambalaya recipe. Jambalaya is similar to chili, but it has rice in it. It’s a hearty meat dish just like our chilis. If you prefer, you can slim it down a bit by switching out the meats for seafood. We would love to hear what you think of it!

For those of you in the Atlanta area, here’s an upcoming chili cook-off for a good cause. It’s the City of Canton Paw Park Chili Cook-off on August 22, 2009. There are both CASI (Chili Appreciation Society International) and Open Chili competition. Register soon - there aren’t many slots available. Make sure you try and find me so we can take a picture together!

Send me an email if you would like me to post about your upcoming chili cook-off.
danna@famouschilirecipes.com

Famous Chili Recipes attended their first chili cook-off in Georgia as a spectator this past Saturday. The cook-off was sponsored by Rocco’s Pub in Marietta and all proceeds from the event were donated to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.

Not only did I have a great time eating a lot of great chili, I also met many awesome people. Let me take the time now to say hello to Kevin Williams, Bill Donnelly, Steve Nelson, Kevin Miller, Pete Miller and everyone else that I talked with on Saturday. I learned so much about competition chili, and I had a super afternoon.

Find out who took home top honors along with a hefty $1000 prize by reading the entire article about the 2009 Georgia State Chili Cook-off. There are also pictures from the event in the article but here are a few just for the blog.

Chili Mexicali

Check out out our new article on how beans may help you lose weight.  It gives us another reason to eat chili more often besides our usual reason of chili just plain tastes good!  Let us know which beans, if any, you prefer to add to your chili recipe and inform us of new ways you’re adding beans to your diet.

We’ve been planning a blog for everyone to talk about their favorite chili recipe, their chili experiences and anything chili for quite some time.  Here it is!  Please introduce yourself and let us know how you became a Famous Chili fan!  Check back often to find out about events, contests, and new chili recipes of course.  Thanks for reading!