9 Prizewinning Reader Chili Recipes

When we asked for readers' best chili recipes, Midwest cooks submitted dozens. In our 9 favorites, innovative ingredients--whiskey, red wine, cocoa powder and molasses--work magic on the basics of meat, beans and, of course, chilies.
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Three-Bean Beauty Chili

Erica Whitson, Maplewood, Minnesota, mixes black, kidney and garbanzo beans that bubble away in tomatoey brown sugar sauce with ground beef or turkey. Our heat rating: ! (Mild, Not Wild)Three-Bean Beauty Chili

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White Meat, No Heat Chili

Betsy Repine of Leawood, Kansas, uses ground turkey to put a slight twist on a traditional approach. Our heat rating: ! (Mild, Not Wild)White Meat, No Heat Chili

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Go Whole Hog Chili

This pork-hominy dish from Jerry McDonald of Overland Park, Kansas, draws its smoky, roasted flavor from two of its four kinds of chile peppers. Our heat rating: !! (Touch o' Heat).Go Whole Hog Chili

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Potluck Pleaser Chili

Beverly Gardner or Franklin, Illinois, lets her Bavarian-Austrian heritage show with added vinegar, sour cream and lots of sugar. Our heat rating: ! (Mild, Not Wild)Potluck Pleaser Chili

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Bring the Heat, Skip the Meat Chili

Audrey Anderson of Deadwood, South Dakota, replaces meat with bulgur in her vegan chili and heats it up with cayenne. Our heat rating: !! (Touch o' Heat).Bring the Heat, Skip the Meat Chili

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Red Hot Whiskey Chili

Karmen Reid of Rochester, Minnesota, lets her version--submitted by daughter Meredith--simmer three hours to mellow the whiskey and beer. Chipotle adds kick. Our heat rating: !!! (It's Blazin'!).Red Hot Whiskey Chili

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Artful Compromise Chili

Karen and John Zink from Park Forest, Illinois, prove that too many cooks don't spoil the chili with this recipe that blends both their favorites. Our heat rating: ! (Mild, Not Wild)Artful Compromise Chili

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What's the Secret? Chili

Intriguing Italian-style flavors lurk in this medium-spicy bowl of chili from David Prosser of Fargo, North Dakota. The cayenne heats it up without too much punch. Our heat rating: !! (Touch o' Heat).What's the Secret? Chili

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Texas Heat Chili

Beef tri-tip simmers to a tender finish. John Augustin of Cincinnati uses Texas-made Gebhardt's chili powder in his bowl of red. Our heat rating: !! (Touch o' Heat).Texas Heat Chili

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