Chili Contest Runners-Up

What better way to kick off the weekend than with a chili challenge? If you missed out on the action, you can read our blog post with a rundown of all the fun here.

In the meantime, we've collected the recipes from all of our contestants so that we could share them with the world. Hopefully, you'll take away some tips and tricks that will enhance your own chili!

Our champion, Mary Ann, was reluctant to give us her recipe before the challenge was over because she didn't want to reveal her secret ingredient. What made hers the best? Her chili-challenge-winning recipe can be found here.

Chuck's “Bonzai Chili” was a crowd favorite, and he owes it to a few special ingredients: bacon, Hershey's cocoa powder and beer. It doesn't get much better than that!

Our Canadian contender, Richard, lets his chili simmer for three days straight, hence the name: “Richard's Three-Day Chili.” Sweet chili sauce, jalapenos and a few dashes of hot sauce make the spicy chili so great.

Vanessa's “Cha Cha Chili con Carne” had quite the kick to it – hearty, spicy and rich with flavor. She combines lean ground beef with hot Italian sausage and spicy V8 juice to make it so tasty.

“Hollamby's Award Winning Chili,” as Eric likes to call it, is loved and revered by his whole family. What makes his chili stand out from the rest? Taco seasoning!

Stephanie won the pre-chili-challenge among her department two weeks ago, but here's the kick: she hates chili! She said she didn't even taste it before presenting it to the judges, and this was her first time making it.

Tami's chili had some interesting ingredients thrown into the mix, as well: dark beer, strong coffee and beef sirloin.

Charlie's “Voodoo Chili” is perfect for spicy chili lovers because it is garnished with shredded ghost pepper cheese! Sweet corn and cubed strip steak made this chili stand out among the rest.

Think your own chili recipe could have topped our contestants? What's your secret ingredient?