Beans or no beans? Made with beef, chicken or other meat? With toppings such as cheese and corn chips or unadorned? Chili is prepared in lots of varieties, and opinions on what constitutes the best way to make and eat it are usually strong.
No matter what your preference is, hearty spoonfuls of the dish are even more welcome than usual in cooler weather. That’s probably why November seems to be the unofficial chili cook-off season in the area. Whether you’re planning to compete or merely consume some tasty samples, you’ll find plenty of chili cook-offs in and around metro Atlanta this month.
Credit: AJC 2019
Credit: AJC 2019
For Rick Sloss, who lives just outside Rome, competing in chili cook-offs has been a big part of his adult life. He even founded a Georgia Chili Cook Off group about a year ago to celebrate all things chili, and it’s since grown to include about 780 members on its Facebook page. They compete in cook-offs and also host their own events to support nonprofit groups.
“We’ve had cook-offs for the children’s home in Canton and for Wounded Warriors,” he said, with his goal being to increase the group’s numbers so it can host even more events.
Being from Texas, Sloss grew up with a different kind of chili to which most Southerners are accustomed.
“They call it Texas Red. It has no beans or fillers,” he said.
When he moved to Georgia, he found that chili aficionados in the state usually expect beans in their chili. At first, he entered chili cook-offs with his recipe containing no beans, but he kept losing. His wife, Missy, who prefers beans, convinced him to change his recipe in an indisputable way.
“She took my recipe, just added beans to it, and won,” he said.
Credit: Steve Schaefer
Credit: Steve Schaefer
Chili recipes are as unique as their cooks, with some using ingredients such as rice or oxtail. “If you ask 10 different people (how they make their chili), you’ll get 10 different answers,” Sloss said.
His personal preference is no toppings. “If it’s good chili, all I need is a spoon,” he said. And he cooks his own using steak or hamburger.
At the Atlanta Chili Cook Off in Dunwoody, 50 to 60 cooks (including amateurs and professionals) create a variety of concoctions, most with chicken or beef, said Shane Aubrey, one of the event’s organizers. Some chili chefs even make vegan versions.
“The teams are allowed to add toppers as well, so they get creative with things like cheese, sour cream and corn chips,” he said. And since the event has a People’s Choice award, some chili chefs also add side items like cornbread to attract more guests and potential voters.
“You’d be amazed at what people throw out there, like peanut butter,” he said. Hot sauce is also a popular accompaniment, and it’s one that Aubrey particularly likes, along with cheese for a topping.
The Atlanta Chili Cook Off also will have booths where home cooks and professionals alike can shop for seasonings, sauces and spices. These ingredients are big business in Georgia, where Aubrey said at least 100 companies offering the products are based.
Credit: Courtesy Atlanta Chili Cook Off/Paula Heller
Credit: Courtesy Atlanta Chili Cook Off/Paula Heller
YOUR CHILI COOK-OFF GUIDE
When you’re ready to find your favorite type of chili or show off your own recipe, check out the following upcoming cook-offs:
Chomp & Stomp Chili Cookoff and Bluegrass Festival. 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Nov. 2. Free admission with $10 official spoons to buy for tastings. Cabbagetown Park, 701 Kirkwood Ave. SE, Atlanta. chompandstomp.com.
Paws & Peppers Chili Cook-Off. Noon-4 p.m., Nov. 2. $5. Slow Pour Brewing Co., 407 N. Clayton St., Lawrenceville. give.pawprojectofgeorgia.org.
Chili-Fest. Starts 10 a.m., Nov. 2. Chili cook-off, arts-and-crafts festival and car show. $5 sample bracelets, $5 parking. Ridge Ferry Park, 363 Riverside Parkway NE, Rome. 706-291-0766. rfpra.com.
Credit: Courtesy of Suwanee Chili Cook Off & Music Festival
Credit: Courtesy of Suwanee Chili Cook Off & Music Festival
Suwanee Chili Cook Off & Music Festival. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. festival, 1-4 p.m. chili tasting. Nov. 9. Free admission, chili sampling armbands $15, additional voting chips $5 for two or $10 for five. $40 per category entered for competitors. Suwanee Town Center Park, 330 Town Center Ave., Suwanee. 770-806-7492. chilimusicfestival.com.
Atlanta Chili Cook Off. Noon-4 p.m. VIP, 1-4 p.m. general admission. Nov. 16. $20 general admission (discounted advance price through Nov. 1); all you can eat, $55-$65 (commemorative spoon, unlimited chili and drink, early entry), $75 to compete. Free for children 10 and under with paid adult. Brook Run Park, 4770 N. Peachtree Road, Dunwoody. atlantachilicookoff.com.
Reformation Chili Cook-Off. Noon-4 p.m. Nov. 23. $15 chili tasters (includes free beer and one tasting from each competitor); $10 to compete. Reformation Brewery, 225 Reformation Parkway, Suite 500, Canton. 618-341-0828. canton.reformationbrewery.com.
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