🔥 Calling All Cardinal Chili Chefs! 🌶️

We’re excited to invite you to be part of the flavor-packed fun at our Inaugural Cardinal Chili Cook-Off, happening on Saturday, January 31—right before our Men's and Women's Basketball double-header!

This is your chance to show off your culinary skills, team spirit, and competitive edge in a whole new way. Whether you're bringing the heat with a spicy recipe or going for bold and savory, we want your team to be part of the action.

👨‍🍳 What to Expect:

• Cook & Compete: Prepare your best batch of chili and go head-to-head with other Cardinal teams for the title of Top Chili Champion!

• Connect with Fans: Serve samples, share your story, and build excitement for the games with students, alumni, and community members.

• Celebrate Together: After the cook-off, join the crowd in cheering on our basketball teams in an electrifying double-header.

This is more than just a cook-off—it’s a celebration of Cardinal pride, teamwork, and tradition. So grab your aprons, gather your teammates, and let’s make this a day to remember!

Ready to bring the flavor? Let us know your team is in!

Chili Cook-Off Rules (subject to minor changes):

1. The chili can have any meat or combination of meats cooked with chili peppers, various spices and other ingredients. Beans are optional. Vegetarian chili is welcome.

2. No ingredient may be pre-cooked or pre-treated prior to the preparation period with the exception of canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, peppers, pepper sauce, and beans. Marinating meat or vegetables before the event is an example of pre-preparation which is prohibited. All meats should be kept cool in an ice chest or other container. Only meats inspected by a state approved facility will be allowed and must be cooked on site unless purchased pre-cooked. Dried beans may be soaked ahead of time (in water only). All booths are asked to have a stainless steel basin or bowl, paper towels and soap for hand washing. Please replace with clean water periodically. Cooks and assistants can begin preparing their chili at 8:45 am. All chili must be prepared and cooked entirely on site and be cooked to 155° F or higher for ground beef and chicken must be cooked at 165° F or higher. Milk based chili can be cooked to 135°F only if meat is precooked (canned). Chili must be held at 135° F. A official inspector will be checking all teams. NO home-canned ingredients will be allowed. Vegetables and/or raw foods may be pre-cut, sliced or diced and kept cool in an ice chest. Teams must provide a listing of all ingredients to display in front of serving area.

3. Cooking can be done on gas grills, cook-top stoves and camp stoves. Any LP tanks must be at least ten feet away from shelter, including pop-up tents. Teams will be responsible for supplying their own source of heat, cooking utensils and all ingredients. You may have more than one cook stove going. The food must be covered to keep falling leaves, etc. out of it. Water for cooking will be available if needed. You must have a fire extinguisher at your booth per State Fire Marshal Code.

4. Each team will have a designated area for cooking/serving. This area is ten feet across the front. Three six foot tables and 4 chairs will be provided. If additional tables and chairs are needed, they must be provided by your team. Each team must provide their own tents/canopy. Must not be any larger than 10x10. Remember there is a $200 gift card prize for best decorated booth.

5. Each team should reserve 1 quart of chili for judging. At the time of judging, each team will be given a container in which their chili will be collected. The judges do not know which team’s chili they are judging.

6. Each team is asked to prepare a minimum of 2 gallons of chili for guest tasting.

7. Teams are responsible for providing cups, spoons, napkins, sanitizer and water for cleaning. In addition you will need a sign for when chili is out. We kindly request that you do not tear down your booth/table until the judging has officially ended.

8. Each team is allowed one chief cook and 3 assistants. Additional assistance may be used to set up your booth from 7:00 to 8:00 in preparation for booth judging.

Failure to comply with regulations will deduct points from judges' ballots.

There will be no refunds for this event.

Timeline:

7:00 AM - Teams arrive to set up and decorate booths (do not start cooking!)

7:30 AM - Meat Inspection & Captain's Meeting

8:00 AM - Begin chili preparation

10:30 AM - Booth decoration judging

11:00 AM - Turn in chili sample

11:15 AM - Guests arrive for chili tasting

12:00 PM - Announcement of winners