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This is THE BEST prize winning chili recipe. It is made in a slow cooker/crock pot with ground beef, black beans and fire roasted tomatoes. It has just the right amount of heat and is full of flavor
Rewind to several years ago at our church's fall party. It was a crisp evening and the competition was fierce. Every year there was a church chili cook off and the chili voted for the most would win. For several years I had entered and didn't even make it into the top 3! People took this competition seriously!
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Some would drive 3 hours away to a specialty spice store to get high quality spice mixes to use in their chili's. Some would spend 2 whole days prepping their chili. I was always surprised and some of the chili's that would make it in the top 3. Some were delicious and some were... well you know... not good absolutely disgusting! It made me wonder if there was some fraudulent voting going on. But it was a CHURCH competition for crying out loud and I shouldn't assume that!
Anyway I FINALLY won after several years of competing? The prize? A gift card and my name engraved on a ladle plaque somewhere in the church office LOL! I need to go back and find that plaque to get a picture to prove that I once held the title for the best chili.
Before I we get to the recipe I need to give a shout out to my friend Lauri for offering the inspiration for this recipe. Years ago she gave me a chili recipe and after changing some things in it, I adapted it it to this!
How to make the best prize winning chili!
Chop onions, red pepper, garlic and jalapenos and put them in a large pan with the ground beef.
Add 2 teas. chili powder, and ½ teas cumin to the meat mixture and saute until meat is browned.
While the meat is browning, add all of the rest of the ingredients to a large slow cooker
The cocoa powder really deepens the flavors that are used here. If you don't have a can of french onion soup you can always substitute it with a can of beef broth.
When the meat is browned and drained, place it in the slow cooker with the other ingredients and set it to high for about 3-4 hours.
I highly recommend this Hamilton Beach slow cooker!
Now you cannot have chili without all of the fixins! That means a huge bowl of diced onions, oyster crackers, freshly shredded cheddar cheese, and sour cream. Oh and don't forget the cornbread! Here is my favorite recipe for Trader Joe's copycat cornbread.
Prize Winning Chili
Ingredients
Ground Beef Mixture
- 2 lbs Ground Beef
- 1 Red Bell Pepper Diced
- 1 Onion Diced
- 3 cloves Garlic Minced
- 1 Jalapeno Diced
- 2 teas Chili Powder
- 1 teas Cummin
For the Slow Cooker
- 2 cans Tomato Sauce
- 1 can French Onion Soup (or beef broth)
- 1 can Fire Roasted Tomatoes
- 1 can Mild Chili Beans
- 1 can Black Beans
- 1 4 oz can Chopped Green Chilies
- 3 tablespoon Cumin
- 2 tablespoon Chili Powder
- 2 teas Cocoa Powder
- 1 ½ teas Salt
- 1 teas Cayenne Powder
- 1 teas Oregano
- 1 teas Sugar
- 3-4 dashes Frank's Redhot Sauce
Instructions
- Add ground beef, bell pepper, onion, chili powder and cumin to a large pan. Brown together and drain the grease.
- Add all of the rest of the ingredients to a large slow cooker
- After the ground beef mixture is browned and drained, add it to the slow cooker
- Stir and cook on high for 3-4 hours
- Serve with onions, crackers, cornbread, cheese, and sour cream
Lora Rovegna
Oh that looks good. I never would think to add cocoa powder. I need try that.
Emily A
It is a super good way to add depth to the recipe, yet it’s subtle
Sydney Delong
Looks good! I have recently discovered that avocados make a great topping as well!
Emily A
Oh yes! I think avocados are a great topping to almost anything!!
Holly
Congratulations on your award winning recipe! I can't wait to try it... I have used cocoa before in chili and liked it so this will great to try!
Emily A
You won't regret this recipe!
Debbie
Oh this would be so good on this rainy day that we are having today!!
Emily A
Good for cold days!
Lee Anne
The cold dreary day we are having here today calls for some of this chili!!
Emily A
It's that time of year!
Tricia Snow
What an awesome recipe! I would have never thought of the cocoa! Thanks!
Emily A
It's subtle but adds a great depth to the recipe!
Lucinda
I'm still looking for my favorite chili recipe. Gonna have to give this one a try. The cocoa powder is intriguing.
Emily A
It is intriguing but it's not scary! It won't overwhelm your recipe at all I promise
Christina Siwik
Looks delicious but a little too spicy for me 😂
Emily A
HA! We love spicy. Just cut some of the spice out and it will be delish
Lisa Manderino
Wow, that looks great! I love a good chili! Congrats on winning!
Emily A
Thank you!
Lucy
No wonder you won a prize! That looks amazing!
Emily A
Thank you!
Beatriz
Delicious Recipe!
Cindy
I am not a big chili (or spicy things in general) but it does look good. I always think it will be great with cheese and sour cream but how much is too much really?
Emily A
Some people can’t have too much cheese
Angela
Cocoa in chili - this is one secret that is so under used - love it!
Emily A
I agree!!
Candy K
Nothing like a hot bowl of chili on a cold night. Your chili looks looks like the perfect one for our bowls!
Emily A
Try it out sometime and let me know how it is!
Jennifer
Is it a very hot chili?
Emily A
It has a good kick to it. If you don’t want it to be too spicy cut out most of the cayenne pepper powder. That’s really where the heat comes from
Beth Shields
Congratulations on your win and your perseverance. I pinned your recipe. Love a good chili on a cold day. Thanks!
Emily A
Thank you!!!
Katie Bieber
Best chili ever!! This will be my go to recipe anytime I make chili.
Lisa S
Who would have thought cocoa powder! We will be trying that, thank you for sharing.
Emily A
It’s a great add to this recipe and it won’t overtake it at all!
Malia
Bwahahahaha! I love how serious you are and that you wondered about fraud at a church competition! Love it!! Congratulations on your big win. This recipe looks delicious 🙂
Emily A
I may have taken it a little too seriously haha
judean
There are so many differences between this recipe and a couple of my recipes and I love that! From the cocoa to the french onion soup-who knew? I will try this recipe soon since the weather is perfect for it!
Emily A
Let me know how it turns out! I'm actually making it today haha
Suzan
I'll have to try adding cacao powder to my vegetarian chili next time!
Emily A
It’s good!
Heather
First, congrats on winning. That is great. I love chili, but I am the only one in my house who does. My sister will make it often and save me some. LOL. I will show her this recipe. The cocoa powder is an interesting twist.
Emily A
It’s not overwhelming at all to the recipe. You should try it!
Christina Furnival
Yum!! We love a chili here. Will have to try this out.
Ramae Hamrin
This looks like amazing chili. I am trying to think of ways I could make it vegetarian since I don't eat ground beef. Maybe I'll try replacing the ground beef with portabella mushrooms. It just looks too good not to try!
Emily A
Mushrooms might work! If you wanna make ot vegetarian I would def add more beans and maybe some more tomatoes too
vanessa
I love chili and this recipe looks like it'd be very tasty. I'll have to try it for sure.
Brianna
This looks so yummy! I have got to make this!
jen
ok so one of my secret joys in life is tasting prize winning chili! Goes back to my small town days of chili cook offs... YUM!
Emily A
Small town girl right here!
Lisa
This is the perfect time of year for chili!
T.M. Brown
That looks like one thick, hearty bowl of chili!!! My husband would say yes to this a thousand times - and the addition of cocoa powder? I would have never thought!! Thanks for the recipe. I'm printing this one out so I can give it a try.
Emily A
Thank you! Let me know how he likes it!
Susan
I'm making Chili sometime this week... so I only need to pick up a few more... ok a LOT more ingredients to try this. Cocoa...hmmm.... It looks well worth the trying... Congratulations on your award...
Emily A
Let me know how it turns out!
ปั้มไลค์
Like!! Great article post.Really thank you! Really Cool.
Emily A
Thank you so much! I appreciate it!