Feel-good food

It was a tough decision to pick her favorite, but 7-year-old Kaelen Eglen went with the White Chili.

"I like that it has chicken, and the beans are good," she said of Mark Schultz's chili concoction. "It feels good in my stomach and it fills me up."

Eglen's words were music to Schultz's ears.

"It's a favorite with my family, and just a good ol' standby," he said of his recipe. "The chicken makes it healthy and I like to offer healthy options."

To round out the recipe, Schultz includes onion, northern beans and chicken broth.

Even though it was her favorite, Eglen made sure to try each of the other chili offerings at Peace Lutheran Church's Andando Chili Cook-off Sunday afternoon. (Andando, loosely translated, means "and then they go.") The cook-off, along with a silent auction and Super Bowl Super Cookie sales, was held to benefit the church's upcoming youth mission trip to Puerto Rico.

Tasters could vote on which chili they preferred by a monetary donation to the cause. After raising around $1,600 total from the event, the winner was Julie Knott's recipe for Just Chili.

Other entries included Nancy Franke's Northern Chili, Dale Lupton's Chuckwagon Chili, David Bode's Boilermaker Tailgate Chili, Kenny Stout's Nothin' Special, Heidi Leinart's Veggie Surprise and Donna Butler's Mexican Chili.

Ladling out a helping of the Northern Chili, Betty Cooley made sure to dress it up with a sprinkling of shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream, not to mention a few crackers.

"There are some very good chilis here," Cooley said. "I'm just on my second one now; I hope I can last to try them all."

Franke said there was "really nothing to it" when preparing her recipe, but that people in Jackson County are often surprised by the ingredients, or lack of an ingredient to be exact.

"It's like what we have back in Iowa," Franke said of her chili. "When we came to Indiana, I noticed that people around here put noodles in their chili. I had never heard of that before, so this recipe doesn't include noodles. But the thing to do in Jackson County is put noodles in it."

So what does chili without noodles consist of? A whole lot of tomato product, including tomato juice, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato paste. To make it more hearty, Franke includes ground beef seasoned with chili powder, chili beans, onion, sweet corn and taco seasoning.

"There is nothing to the recipe. It is so incredibly easy, it's almost embarrassing to even mention it," Franke said. "Mark Schultz would probably have a heart attack at the lack of passion I take in making my Northern Chili."

The recipe is more on the mild side, but that can be changed by adding more seasoning.

"If you like a bit more kick to it, just add additional taco seasoning and chili pepper to taste," Franke said.

Brandon Grelle, 24, director of Christian education for the church, was taking his time working through the different pots of hot steaming chili.

One of his favorites was the Chuckwagon Chili.

"It's hearty and filling," he said. "I give it two thumbs up."

Grelle is organizing and will help lead the Pedazo de Paz (Piece of Peace) trip this July to Caguas, Puerto Rico. The three adults and nine youth members going with him will stay busy with minor construction projects and Bible school during their weeklong stay.
The trip is important for the youth in a number of ways, Grelle said.

"I always thought it's important to step out of your comfort zone and this is stepping way outside," he said. "It's also important for the youth of today to see what they don't have and what they do have so they can appreciate it."

Although the youth will be helping others on the trip, Grelle said he expects them to get just as much out of it.

"There is a lot of emphasis that we are going to serve them but it does more for those who go," he said. "They are able to bond, create and take part in a unifying experience and it's for them to see what true love is."

Grelle said he sees the chili cook-off as just another way the congregation supports the youth.

"It gives them a way to be a part of the process of sending them on this mission trip," he said. "We will be taking a Piece of Peace to Puerto Rico because of them."

Cook-off winner

Just Chili by Julie Knott

Feeds 8 people

1 pound of hamburger cooked with one chopped onion, fresh or dried can be used (this can be microwaved)

Drain the grease

You can cook the macaroni the same time you are cooking the hamburger. Cook and drain 2 cups (Julie uses 4 handfuls) of macaroni. Add 1 46-ounce can of tomato juice, then add the hamburger mixture, then put one 15.5-ounce can of mild seasoned chili beans. Cover the juice in this mixture with chili powder. Bring all this to a boil and then eat!

White Chili by Mark Schultz

4 boneless chicken breasts

1 medium sweet onion chopped

3 garlic cloves chopped

6 cans northern beans

2 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon cumin

2 teaspoons chili powder

Precook the chicken and pull or cut into medium pieces. Spray bottom of 6-quart stockpot with cooking spray. Sauté onion and garlic until tender. Add beans, broth, cumin and chili powder. Bring to a soft boil, then reduce to low heat. Add chicken pieces and simmer for several hours. Serve with Monterey Jack cheese and sour cream.

 Northern Chili by Nancy Franke

2 pounds ground beef - season with 1½ tablespoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon pepper and ¼ teaspoon salt (optional) - browned in cooking pan and drained

1 large tomato juice

1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 15-ounce can tomato sauce

1 small can tomato paste

1 15-ounce can chili beans, drained

1 small onion, chopped

15 ounces frozen sweet corn or can of sweet corn, drained

1 package taco seasoning mix

Combine all ingredients together and simmer in a crock-pot for several hours. Dish out your chili - eat alone or top with shredded cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream. The chili is on the milder side than the typical south-of-the-border style chili. If you like a bit more "kick" to it, just add additional taco seasoning and chili pepper to taste.