Set Up For A Chili Cookoff

Let competitors bring the garnishes that will best complement their chili recipes.

A chili cook-off provides friends and neighbors an opportunity to relax, spend time together, enjoy good food and participate in some friendly competition. A well-organized event will help both the competitors and the guests relax and get the most out of the event. Set up one table for each team or competitor. Ask each competitor to submit the name of his chili recipe ahead of time, allowing you to create a reference list for tasters to take notes on.

Instructions

1. Set up one folding table and two to three folding chairs per team. Competitors should bring their own pots or containers. In some cook-offs, all competitors must cook their chili on-site. In this case, inform cooks to bring whatever water, heat source and ingredients they'll need to cook their chili without access to electricity.

2. Print or write out a sign for each table. Include the names of the cook, team members and chili recipe name, as well as any allergen information. If desired, assign each chili a number for easy reference.

3. Provide small paper cups at each table, for the team to serve tasting portions of chili. The total number of cups provided should be at least the number of chili entries times the maximum expected number of attendees. To save cups, post signs asking attendees to reuse tasting cups or to limit themselves to one taste of each chili recipe.

4. Print out sheets of paper with a list of the chili entries and space for attendees to take notes. Print ballots with spaces for the voter's name and his top three votes for best chili.

5. Set up a table near the entrance with note-taking pages, ballots and plastic spoons. Give one of each to everyone who enters. Cover a shoebox with construction paper, and cut a hole in the top to create a ballot box. Attendees can wander the cook-off, taste a portion of each chili, fill out their ballots and drop them in the ballot box, in preparation for the final judging.

Tags: chili recipe, each chili, their chili, chili entries, cook their