5 Winning Recipes for Your Ward Chili Cook-Off

'Tis the season for ward chili cook-offs! Wow your friends and neighbors with these five amazing recipes!

White Chicken Chili

This was the winning recipe of LDS Living's 2013 chili cook-off! It's incredibly delicious and sure to be devoured by everyone!

Ingredients

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 (8-ounce) can green salsa

1 onion, chopped

3 cups chicken broth

2 cans beans any variety ( I used 1 white, 1 kidney), drained

1/2 tsp granulated garlic

1 teaspoon chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients except for the sour cream and cilantro in a slow cooker.

2. Cook on LOW for 6–8 hours, HIGH 3-4 hours.

3. Remove cooked chicken from pot, shred into bite-sized pieces, and return to chili.

4. Stir in sour cream and fresh cilantro.

5. Serve with tortilla chips or corn bread.

– Heather Cheney, Hillsboro, OR

Chipotle Chocolate Chili

Don't be scared of chocolate in a chili recipe! It adds richness and depth in a very short amount of cooking time. Like pretty much all great chili, this is even better the second day!

Ingredients

1–2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2–3 cloves garlic, minced

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 pound lean ground turkey or beef

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons chili powder

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder (not chocolate milk mix!)

2 (15-ounce) cans diced tomatoes

2 (14.5-ounce) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15-ounce) can beef broth

Chipotle sauce (from a 7-ounce can of chipotle chilies)

3–4 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate (1/2 unsweetened baking cube), chopped (optional; use to taste as needed; too much will make your chili bitter)

Chopped green onions, sour cream, or shredded sharp cheddar cheese, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in large soup pot over medium heat. Sauté onion, garlic, bell pepper, and ground turkey or beef until meat is cooked through. Add salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, brown sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, tomatoes, beans, and beef broth. Add all of the chipotle sauce from a can of chipotle chilies. Heat to boiling and then reduce to a simmer (uncovered), stirring occasionally until thickened as desired (about 30-40 minutes).

2. If desired, add some chopped chipotle chilies. Stir in 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar. Add chopped chocolate a small amount at a time until desired richness is reached. If necessary, add more red wine vinegar to cut the sweetness of the chili.

3. When thickened and seasoned as desired serve with chopped onions or green onions, sour cream, andn shredded cheddar cheese.

This recipe comes from Our Best Bites: 150 Family-Friendly Recipes.

Our Best Bites brings together more than 150 recipes for delicious, easy meals and snacks that are fun to make, include healthy, fresh ingredients, and are perfect for families. The authors share their tips and tricks (mixed with an abundant sense of humor), and step-by-step, full-color photographs for each recipe. Available at Deseret Book.

Smokey Bacon Chili

This hearty, smokey chili won second place in our 2013 chili cook-off and is sure to be a winner with your family, too!

Ingredients

1 pound hamburger, browned and drained

1 can kidney beans drained

1 can butter beans drained

2 cans pork and beans

1 cup ketchup

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup onions (optional)

3 tablespoons white vinegar

1 tablespoon liquid smoke

6 pieces of bacon, crumbled

Instructions

Cook on high in crock pot for 3–4 hours, or medium for longer, or you can cook it all on the stove just until it is hot.

Simple, but delicious!

– Katie Clark, Littleton, CO. Check other recipes on Katie's blog, ClarksCondensed.com.

Sweet-Potato Apple Turkey Chili

This creative twist on traditional chili will leave your home smelling like . . . well, like home.

Ingredients

1 large sweet potato, baked and peeled (bake at 400 degrees F for about 45 minutes)

3 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large carrot, chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped

1 zucchini, chopped

1/2 pound lean ground turkey

1 large apple, peeled and chopped

1 cup skim milk

1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Salt to taste, start with 1/2 teaspoon

Instructions

1. In blender, puree baked sweet potato and broth until smooth; set aside.

2. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add carrots, peppers, and zucchini and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.

3. Add ground turkey and apple and cook through, about 5 to 8 more minutes.

4. Once everything is cooked through and tender, add the puree and milk to the pot, stirring gently to lift any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

5. Add pumpkin pie spice and salt to taste and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer at least 30 minutes, and up to several hours, prior to serving. Taste and balance flavors with extra salt, if needed, before serving.

This recipe comes from Our Sweet Basil Kitchen.

Cade and Carrian Cheney are the husband-and-wife-team behind the popular Oh, Sweet Basil food blog. Together, they have collected more than 100 recipes that combine their love of fresh ingredients with unexpected flavor combinations and mashups of tried-and-true family favorites. Their innovative dishes will elevate and reinvigorate your everyday recipes and impress your friends and family. Available at Deseret Book.

Pumpkin Chili

What better way to include a taste of fall in your chili than to feature a bit of pumpkin? This third-place winner from our 2013 chili cook-off was a favorite for a reason!

Ingredients

2 pounds ground pork

1 medium onion chopped

I cup canned pumpkin

1 (28-ounce) can diced stewed tomatoes

1 (16-ounce) can chili beans

6-ounce bottled chili sauce

1–2 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper