Serve up chili with a large helping of fun for your cook-off's participants.
Chili cook-offs have long been a favorite of Americans, both for fundraisers and just plain fun. Many people love the combination of delicious food and friendly competition. Make your chili cook-off a success with creative touches, good organization and plenty of variety.
Organization
Ask entrants to sign up a few weeks beforehand, and charge an entry fee for the cook-off. Choose a venue large enough for a big crowd and lots of tables. The day of the cook-off, set up long tables with bowls and spoons. Set up the chili entries in crockpots along the table, and label each with a letter, not a name. Set a table full of toppings, such as shredded cheese and sour cream. Arrange tables throughout the venue, and place voting cards in a stand on each table.
Decor
Get participants into the "chili spirit" with the appropriate decor. String red pepper lights along the wall for a festive glow, and pass out inexpensive red bandannas or cowboy hats as party favors. Use tablecloths with red peppers on them and salt and pepper shakers shaped like vegetables. Use straw baskets filled with plastic garlic cloves, peppers, onions and tomatoes as centerpieces. Oversize inflatable decor, such as cacti, will also give your chili cook-off a spicy, Southwestern touch.
Rules and Judging
Set up a variety of chili categories --- for example, vegetarian, mild, spicy, beef, pork or chicken. Tell each entrant to choose only one category for submitting an entry. Determine basic rules in advance, and add a few unusual ones for fun, such as using only homegrown ingredients. Pass out a copy of the rules to each entrant. Ask various local "celebrities" to serve as judges. If your cook-off is an annual event, ask a reigning cook-off winner to settle tiebreakers.
Prizes
Ask local businesses to donate prizes for the winners, such as a free dinner for two at a local restaurant or a set of cooking pots. If donations are not possible, create inexpensive prizes. Print certificates on your computer, and put them in dollar-store frames as prizes. You could also give a set of hot sauces or a chef's hat in the likeness of a red pepper, or a dozen jars of chili beans. Award as many prizes as possible --- for example, best chili by a chef in her 20s or most creative use of flavors.
Other Ideas
Make a full day out of your cook-off. Invite a local band to provide entertainment, and sell booth space to local businesses. Solicit donated prizes from community merchants, and sell raffle tickets at the door or hold a silent auction for the prizes. Have kids' entertainment too; face painting, a dunking booth and karaoke can help hold their attention. Sell non-chili food items for people who don't like chili, such as hot dogs and chips. Set up a cash bar, and sell beer and wine for the adults.
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