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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!)

Been meaning to come to this place for the chili and bbq for a while…and it didn’t disappoint. The chili was what I was expecting and more, being I was thinking it would have smoked meat in it. Flavor was outstanding and it had a ton of kick. Lots of meat and veg and a huge bowl so could have been a meal. If it came with cornbread, then yes to the full meal. It was probably the hottest (spicy) chili I’ve had or a close second. Looked like some jalapeños in there but were finely chopped so tough to tell. I think this has to crack the top 5!

Overall Flavor – 9/10

Spice level – 8.5/10

Heat level – 10/10

IT Factor – 9/10

Value – 8/10 ($8 for bowl)

Haven’t done a grocery chain chili or packaged/frozen review in a while. Hy-Vee does have good products, like the best sourdough bread anywhere.
Have to say I was a little disappointed in their chili. Looks like it is made in bulk in Iowa then shipped to all the stores. Appearance seems little mushy and like tomato soup. Overall it was just bland, like they forgot to add any chili powder or paprika….or anything else. If I wasn’t reviewing I would have added my own.

Overall Flavor – 2.6/10

Spice Level – 1/10

Heat Level – 6/10 surprisingly

IT Factor – 1/10

Value – 3/10 (16 oz for $7.39)

Been a while since I’ve been back so I wasn’t sure how much had changed.
if I remember correctly, the chili in the past had more melty cheese and less veg…and tasted better. In my opinion, heavy vegetables really takes over the flavor profile, especially green peppers. This was a little watery too so could have thickened up more.

Overall Flavor – 6/10

Spice level – 4/10

Heat level- 3/10

IT Factor – 7/10 (if you like peppers…lol)

Value – 3/10 ($7 now)

The Busted Nut is right on the main drain in Hastings. Walked by and pulled up the menu and luckily there was chili, a perm fixture. The had a soup and half sandwich combo so I went for that.
Chili was thick but not too thick. Really nice ratio of meat to the rest and there weren’t too many beans or any else. There was a little onion and garlic and tiny bit of tomato.
The flavor was pretty good but could have just had a little more of a few things. There was a surprisingly little kick at the end which was nice. I did get this with cheese and onion which came on it.
If you want a really solid cup of chili I’d recommend this place.

Overall Flavor 6.7/10

Spice Level 4.6/10

Heat Level 5/10

IT Factor 5/10 – really nice mug

Value 8/10 $5.99 for a really good sized cup/mug

My post earlier got lost so gonna breeze through this one. Pass on this one…tasted like taco meat with heavy salt and onion/garlic powder.

Overall taste – 2/10

Spice level – 8/10 – if you like taco and salt

Heat level – 1/10

IT factor – 8/10 – weird

Value – 7/10 – good portion and believe it was $4.95

Believe this is my second go with the chili here. Sat at the bar during March Madness, so it was packed but got served quickly. You would expect the chili at at a Steakhouse to be good, and it is true here. Is it the meat? You could tell the big hunks of meat were some cut of steak. Overall it was hearty, rich, smooth and delicious. It really straddled that line of tomato and chili and cumin but also had some nice flavors. My only issues were that it had no heat at all, was expensive and not sure the diced tomatoes as a garnish work.

I would recommend if you are there. Assume you are there that you know it is spendy so shouldn’t be an issue.

Overall flavor – 8/10

Spice level – 6.7/10

Heat level – 1/10

IT factor – 7/10 (solid meat)

Value – 1/10 – believe it was $9.95 for a cup/bowl was $14 I think so maybe get that?

First time red chili submission from top home chef Naomi. Her white chicken chili remains a favorite in that category. This was a robust bowl that brung it all…good flavor and heat. Base was ground beef, lots of onion, and a sauce of beef Boullion, tomato sauce, tomato paste and maybe a secret or two. There were also a hearty amount of beans and diced tomatoes. It has a nice deep dark color and a depth of flavor to match that.

There was a really nice mix of spices, not just your typical chili powder. At first I thought it didn’t bring the heat…then yes, the heat was there. Not over the top but just right for me. Another great addition was the Italian garlic bread for dipping. Looking forward to the next one!

Overall flavor – 8.8/10

Spice level – 7.8/10

Heat level – 9/10

IT factor – 7/10

Value – 8/10