And The Winner Is...The Best Babble Chili Recipe

In October, Babble held our first ever Chili Cook-Off Contest! We asked YOU, our Babble community to submit your favorite homemade chili recipes. We were floored by the responses! Babble's team of Texas chefs (and who knows chili better than some chefs in Texas) cooked up each one of our entries, taste-tested, and chose a winner.

And the winner is...

Romy from Boise, Idaho

Congrats to Romy! She won a $50 Amazon gift card, and bragging rights for the foreseeable future.

Below is full recipe for The Best Babble Chili. We received some delicious recipes and just had to share, so you'll also find below the recipes for our two runners up.

And when you're staring at chili leftovers in a few days, don't forget to check out 10 Delicious Recipes to Transform Leftover Chili into New Meals

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The Best Babble Chili: Chicken Chili Verde

Ingredients:

• 2 (15 ounce) cans no-salt-added pinto beans, rinsed, divided

• 1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as canola or avocado

• 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces

• 2 cups chopped yellow onion (1 medium)

• 2 cups chopped poblano peppers (2 large)

• 5 cloves garlic, chopped (about 1 1/2 tablespoons)

• 4 cups unsalted chicken stock

• 1 ½ cups prepared salsa verde

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 2 cups frozen corn kernels (about 12 ounces)

• 2 cups chopped spinach (about 2 ounces)

• 1 ½ cups coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

• 6 tablespoons sour cream

Directions:

Mash 1 cup beans in a small bowl with a whisk or potato masher. Heat oil in a large heavy pot over high heat. Add chicken; cook until browned, turning occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes. Add onion, poblanos and garlic. Cook until the onion is translucent and tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the remaining whole beans, the mashed beans, stock, salsa and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes. Stir in corn, spinach and cilantro. Cook until the spinach is wilted, about 1 minute. Serve topped with sour cream.

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Second Place, submitted by Michelle

Cornell Chili Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 large yellow or red onion, finely chopped

• Kosher salt

• 2 pounds ground beef, 80 percent lean, 20 percent fat

• 8 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika

• 2 teaspoons chipotle powder

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 2 teaspoons garlic powder

• 2 teaspoons onion powder

• 2 teaspoons mustard powder

• 2 teaspoons hot smoked paprika

• ½ teaspoon cayenne powder

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves

• 12 ounces (1½ cups) pilsner beer, such as Modelo Especial

• 1(14-ounce) can diced or crushed tomatoes in juice

• ¼ cup cider vinegar

• 2 tablespoons maple syrup or dark brown sugar

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 2 teaspoons beef stock bouillon paste, such as Better Than Bouillon

• 1½ teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder

• 2 (14-ounce) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed

• 2 (14-ounce) cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

• Hot sauce, grated sharp Cheddar, sliced scallions, sour cream and

• crushed tortilla chips, for serving

Step 1

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium. Add the onion, season with salt, and

cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and translucent, about 8 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium-high, add the beef and garlic, season with salt and cook,

breaking the beef into crumbles with a spatula, until the beef has lost its pink color, 8 to

10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until slightly darkened and caramelized,

about 1 minute. Stir in all the spices and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the

beer and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan.

Step 2

Stir in the tomatoes, vinegar, maple syrup, soy sauce, beef bouillon paste, cocoa,

beans, and 1 cup of water, and let the mixture come to a simmer over medium-high.

Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the meat is tender, stirring occasionally,

for about 35 minutes.

Step 3

When ready to serve, stir in the Worcestershire sauce. If the chili is too thick, stir in a bit

of water until the texture is to your liking. Season to taste with salt. Serve in bowls and

pass the toppings at the table.

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Third Place, submitted by Erin

DAD’S CHILI

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound pinto beans

• 5 cups canned diced tomatoes

• 1 pound green peppers, chopped

• 1 1/2 Tablespoon vegetable oil

• 2 cloves garlic, crushed

• 1/2 c chopped parsley (or equivalent dried is fine)

• 1 pound ground lean pork

• 2 1/2 pounds ground beef chuck

• 2 Tablespoon chili powder

• 1 1/2 Tablespoon salt

• 1 teaspoon pepper

• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Directions:

Wash the pinto beans and seal overnight. Simmer in the soaking water until tender. Drain. Add tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes.

Saute the peppers in oil for 5 min. Add the onions and cook until tender, stirring often. Add garlic and parsley. Saute pork and beef for 15 min. Stir in the chili powder. Cook for 10 min. Add the beans and spices and simmer covered for 3 hours until the beans are tender. Uncover the pot and simmer for another 30 min. Serve.

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Jalapeno Cornbread - The PERFECT Chili Sidekick!

This recipe was submitted with one of our entries and we just had to share it!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 cup yellow cornmeal

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 2 tablespoons baking powder

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

• 2 cups milk

• 3 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten

• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra to grease the pan

• 8 ounces aged extra-sharp Cheddar, grated, divided

• 1/3 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts, plus extra for garnish, 3 scallions

• 3 tablespoons seeded and minced fresh jalapeno peppers

Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, eggs, and butter. With a wooden spoon, stir the wet ingredients into the dry until most of the lumps are dissolved. Don't overmix! Mix in 2 cups of the grated Cheddar, the scallions and jalapenos, and allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking pan.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and sprinkle with the remaining grated Cheddar and extra chopped scallions. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and cut into large squares. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

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