Chili Cook-Off combining competitions

WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) - Changes are coming for one of the north country’s biggest cooking competitions.

This year’s North Country Chili Cook-Off will see 30 local restaurants with 30 chili recipes face off in two separate competitions.

Before COVID, the cook-off was a one-day event at the Dulles State Office building in Watertown.

During the pandemic, it became a month-long event where people went from restaurant to restaurant to try their recipes.

This year, the Volunteer Transportation Center is combining both versions of the competition. It means more winners and more chili.

“I think one of the best things is to see the creativity from the restaurants. They get really into it, try to figure out a little different recipe than other people. There’s many that have the tradition chili, but some try to put a spin on it, whether it be a white chicken chili, or whether it be some exotic ingredients or whatnot. It’s just kind of nice to see the creativity and see the local businesses shine when they do it,” said Jeremiah Papineau, VTC.

Proceeds from the cook-off go to the Volunteer Transportation Center.

The State Office Building cook-off is on February 25.

The travel version starts Wednesday. You can get chili at the participating restaurants until February 22.

Copyright 2023 WWNY. All rights reserved.