Month: December 2023

Young, home cook Jeff wanted to show what he can do in the kitchen with an old family tradition of Christmas chili. Sorry to say, but this entry is going to have to settle for a lower rung on the prestigious family hierarchy of chili. Something was just off with the meat. Not sure if it was in the crock too long as it really broke down to a consistency like you would find in a chili dog restaurant. The flavor of the meat was not great either. The cook also lacked in any other flavor and spice unfortunately, hence the jug of chili powder and others by the crock to add yourself. Was he nervous for the big guest list attending and just had an off day? Will have to give him another shot down the road with an upcoming chili cook off in the works. On the plus side there wasn’t a lot of bean/veg.

Overall Flavor – 1.1/10

Spice Level – 2/10

Heat Level – 1.6/10

IT Factor – 3/10

Value – 10/10

Nice holiday pop in to a recently renovated VFW in the heart of Prior Lake, MN. As you know, if chili has its own area under the soup section, it is a must order. Very happy to report that this delivered in all areas. Great flavor, heat and value. This was your classic tomato base with a nice amount of meat, not too much bean/veg and great spice combo. Didn’t ask if I wanted any cheese or sour cream so maybe this is standard. It did just fine without any extras. This is definitely a must when you stop in.

Overall Flavor – 8.9/10

Spice Level – 8.3/10

Heat Level – 7/10

IT Factor – 8/10 (loved the mini spoon!)

Value – 8/10

Always love to try other home chef’s chili, as there are always surprises and things you want to steal for yourself. At first glance it passed the eye and smell test. It had the right consistency…not too thick or runny. It has a nice deep color and a real good mix of meat, beans and veggies. I was a little worried that the amount of peppers I saw might overtake the flavor but it just added a nice flavor. I’ll have to do some recon to see what she used for spices as it was very well balanced. What I really liked is that it had a nice kick to it. Overall it was really good so send some more over any time!!

Overall Flavor – 8.2/10

Spice level – 7.8/10

Heat level – 8.5/10

IT Factor – 8/10 (finally found the right mix of peppers that work)

Value – 10/10 (can’t beat free!)