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Combine chicken, chopped vegetables and canned beans for this warm-and-comforting chili. Our recipe gives variations for Slow Cooker Chicken Chili as well as a spicier Chipotle Chicken Chili.
Chili, a one-pot meal, is a dinner table staple at many Midwest firehouses. Three-Alarm Lansing Fire Chili comes from Lansing, Michigan's Fire Station 8. The recipe uses beef roast and pork sausage, plus a surprise ingredient: a chocolate bar. (If you prefer less spicy chili, omit the jalapeno pepper.)
This recipe has been passed down from firefighter to firefighter over the years at Fire Station 1 on Mulberry Street in Des Moines. The recipe we received, based on 8 pounds of ground beef, serves 15 to 20 people -- or 10 firefighters. We've trimmed it down to 2 pounds of beef, which should make 8 to 10 servings at your house. A firefighter describes this chili as "spicy without being too hot to hurt you."
This chili is great for tucking into your slow cooker in the morning, so you can come home to a warm winter dinner. Omit the meat if you'd prefer a hearty meatless main dish. If you like, add chopped avocado or shredded cheese as toppers before serving.
Firefighters in Fort Wayne, Indiana, dig into this chili with care. The initials stand for "immediately dangerous to life and health." The chili includes three kinds of fresh chilies and four kinds of powdered chilies. For additional flavor, sear the sirloin steak on the grill first. Alter peppers and seasoning amounts for desired heat.
Another five-alarm recipe comes from firefighter Chris Muenks of the Jefferson County, Missouri, fire department.
This recipe, from Bryon Bensen at the Eau Claire, Wisconsin, fire department, drew a two-alarm rating. It's served over macaroni and can be topped with sour cream, cheese and green onions -- and red pepper sauce, if you want to up the alarm rating even more.
Other firehouse recipes include Donovan's Code 3 Chili, a four-alarm specialty from Cincinnati; Thumbs-Up Chili, a three-alarm dinner from Rockford, Illinois; and United Way Cook-Off Chili, a four-alarm favorite from Minnesota's Duluth Fire Department.
White chili typically combines chicken broth, navy beans or Great Northern beans, chicken and flavorings for a stew that tends to be milder than the beefy red chili recipes. You can still adjust the heat up or down, though, by using more or less chilies and red pepper.
Our White Surprise Chili (left) has been a favorite with readers for years. White Chili in a Bread Bowl is a thick, creamy soup served at the Holiday Inn in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The Southwestern White Chili recipe uses canned instead of dried beans for a quicker-fixing chili; this recipe comes from Lewis and Clark's restaurant in St. Charles, Missouri.
Ground Beef and Salsa Chili, from The Dakota Diner in Webster, South Dakota, can be on the table in 30 minutes or less. Match the pot of chili to your taste by the spiciness of the salsa you choose.
Pumpkin, dried cranberries, jalapeno peppers, and turkey add an unusual flavor twist to slow-simmering chili.
The meat lovers in your family will love this chili, which combines beef and bacon. Mix a classic cheddar topper with fresh oregano for a new twist.
Crushed tortilla chips, stirred into the chili's base, give this dish a lusciously creamy texture. Put it together in just 20 minutes.
Creamy avocado, fresh cilantro and bottled salsa brighten this chili recipe.
This five-ingredient dinner, flavored by ground pork or beef and pineapple salsa, goes together in just 20 minutes.
This chili comes from the Firehouse Brewing Company in Rapid City, South Dakota. The chef adds chocolate to take the edge off the tangy tomato flavor. The chili won first place at the Black Hills Stock Show Chili Cook-Off.
A different version of pork-based stew is Fire and Ice Chili, which combines pineapple chunks with more traditional chili ingredients.
Another quick-fix recipe, this chili uses a variety of canned or ready-to-eat ingredients, including salsa, black beans, vegetable juice and turkey kielbasa. Try serving it with Cumin-Cheddar Corn Bread and with Bananas a la Mexican for a complete, fast-and-easy meal.
When we asked readers to send in their favorite chili recipes, we had dozens to choose from. Our finalists included Hearty Buffet Chili (left) from a Michigan reader; serve this one over rice and add lots of toppings. We also liked TNT Chili from a Missouri reader, who suggested adding some pintos if you want beans in this spicy, Southwest-style mix.
Chilly-Weather Chili (left) goes together in minutes for a quick meal.
Still want more chili ideas? Our Hunter's Chili starts with ground bison, elk, venison, beef or pork; Herbed Beef and Bean Chili is a thick, fresh-tasting recipe from Palmer's Deli and Market in Urbandale, Iowa; Chunky Steak Chili is a lower-fat meal that uses lean beef top round steak; and Good-For-You Chunk Turkey Chili is another lower-fat stew that includes vegetables, beans and chopped turkey.
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