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Fall is almost here, and in anticipation of the cool weather—and a goodbye to summer—a chili cook-off is a great excuse to dust off the crockpot and get cooking. A warm, hearty bowl of everyone’s favorite chili recipe with all the fixings is a kick-starter for tailgating events, Halloween parties, and more.
Quickly jump to a section with the links below:
- Setting It Up
- Set the Table
- Drink Bar
- Additional Tips
- Questions?
Setting It Up
Before you embark on your chili cook-off, take inventory of guests, who to invite, activities, and any additional items you might need. Some ideas include:
- Invitations + Guest List: Create your guest list and mail out your invitations to participants willing to bring participate in the cook-off.
- Appetizers + Sides: Encourage guests to bring additional appetizers and sides such as potato salad, coleslaw, cornbread, dips, and anything extra they enjoy.
- Activities:Activities and games are a must for any chili cook-off. Consider games like cornhole and treasure hunts, or host a Halloween costume contest. Check out these additional fall games perfect for adults and kids.
Set the Table
Chili cook-offs begin with the atmosphere, and décor and color are tantamount at a chili cook-off. Tempt your guests and prepare the taste buds for the onslaught of chili with helpful, inspired decorating ideas.
- Paper Tablecloths: Clean-up will be a lot easier with paper tablecloths for catching any loose chili and cornbread. Just gather and throw away at the end of the event. Take it one step further and use colored paper for an inviting atmosphere.
- Centerpieces: Fall-inspired centerpieces are lively and enticing for a chili cook-off. You can also use potted fall flowers, fall leaves, or small pumpkins for centerpieces.
- Cutlery + Tasting Bowls: Plenty of plastic tasting bowls and spoons will be needed. Have extra on hand at each table.
- Voting Cups: Small plastic cups can be used for ladling chili for sample taste tests.
- Pens + Voting Cards: Place plenty of pens, pencils, and voting cards at tables for guests as the sit down for judging.
- Trashcan: Place a trashcan nearby for disposal of trash, sample cups, or napkins.
Get inspired for your chili cook-off party with these fall and winter pantone colors.
Drink Bar
A drink bar is a must—even if this wasn’t a chili cook-off. Plentiful drinks and ice should be readily available to friends and guests as they move through the chili line to douse the fiery chili concoctions.
Beer is always a great libation to serve with hearty chili dishes. There are several impressive ways to serve up your favorite brews. A kegerator with a full-size (half-barrel) keg easily holds up to 15.5-gallons of beer and serves roughly 165 beers.
For a lighter take on adult beverages, wine is also a great option. Ask guests that choose not to bring chili if they would bring a bottle of their favorite vino. Pull out all the stops and wine accessories, such as wine stoppers, openers, and glass markers, to complement the décor. Our favorite CapaBunga Wine Sealers seal opened bottles of wine and allow for horizontal storage.
Find an array of blended co*cktail and drink recipes for fall to elevate any party.
Additional Tips
To help get the ideas flowing, here are some additional tips for hosting your chili cook-off to make it one they’ll all remember.
- Cook-Off Rules: Establish cook-off rules and judging requirements for chili. Some items to consider when tasting include color, texture, heat, consistency, and other flavors. This nifty overview of these judging tips can help you set some rules.
- Host Outside: If possible, to enjoy the remnants of summer mixed with cooler air, host outside on your patio or screen-in porch.Consider decorating with lanterns, painted pumpkins, tea lights, or a campfire.
- Chili Bar: Don’t forget the chili bar condiments! Some ideas for chili mix-ins include bacon, shredded cheese, cilantro, sour cream, avocado, fresh jalapenos, cornbread, lime wedges, and oyster crackers.
- Extra Ice: Having an extra ice maker on hand ensures drinks stay flowing, and a portable ice maker is a nifty counter appliance perfect for the job. Create up to 12 pieces of ice in just 10-minutes with the Sunpentown Portable Ice Maker.
- Ladles: Be sure to supply plenty of ladles. Guests will be continuously pouring cups of chili into voting cups.
- Napkins + Moist Naps: Napkins are an asset with chili clean-up. And while moist naps are closely associated with hot wings, moist naps easily wipe away stuck on chili messes from chins and lips.
- Tables: Ensure you have plenty of tables for crockpots, as well as power outlets. You may find a power strip or extension cord works well for multiple crockpots.
- Prizes: Of course, prizes are always enjoyed. Consider prizes such as aprons, bottled wine, or a cookbook.
Questions?
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