3 recipes from TODAY’s homemade chili cook-off

Grease entire chili pot with bacon grease and turn heat on.

Put diced tomatoes, sauce, soup, chili base, salsa, V8 juice, beans, chilies, and chili powder in the chili pot.

In a separate pan, cook ground beef with chicken broth until brown. Add the sausage and cook for five more minutes. Then place into the chili pot with the tomato mixture

Start the timer, counting upward.

Next, cut the onions, green peppers and jalapenos into fine pieces and cook in sauce pan with butter. Then place into the chili mixture.

Take the peeled apples and cut into fine pieces. Mince the garlic and then add both the apples and garlic into the chili mixture.

Next, take all spices except the Sazon Goya seasoning package and 1 tablespoon of chili powder and mix into chili mixture. Cook on low boil until timer says 90 minutes.

Finally, add the Sazon Goya seasoning, the remaining chili powder and maple syrup into the pot. Cook for another 30 minutes and stir frequently. Serve.

Coat your Texas beef in 2 tablespoons cornstarch, salt, black pepper and garlic powder and toss well.

Brown your seasoned Texas beef in the shortening on high heat in a big ol' pot.

Lower the heat to medium high and add onions and jalapenos, stirring until onions are clear. Add 1.5 cups of the beer, bouillon cubes, chili powder, cumin, cayenne and oregano. Stir all that up and add water until your meat is covered.

Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer and put a lid on it for 90 minutes.

Stir occasionally.

Add poblano peppers, stir and put the lid back on top. Simmer for 15 minutes more to get that chunky, smoky, south-of the-border goodness!

Make a slurry by whisking together the remaining 0.5 cup beer and 4 tablespoons cornstarch.

Add the crushed tomatoes and the slurry mixture to the pot. Stir again and simmer for 30 minutes.

Serve with sweet cornbread or over rice, the Cajun way. Top with fresh shredded sharp cheddar cheese, fresh sliced jalapenos, chopped cilantro, sour cream and/or salsa. Or you can eat this Bayou City Chili bare!

First put 4 tablespoons of olive or vegetable oil in a stewing pot.

Place chopped onions and bell peppers in a pot and cook until the onions are translucent.

With a frying pan, put about 1 tablespoon of oil in frying pan, add the meat and cook until the meat is done. Season the meat while it is cooking with garlic, onion powder and black pepper.

Next, drain off any undesired liquid from the frying pan. Add the cooked meat and diced tomatoes to the pot with the onions and bell peppers and let simmer for five minutes.

Add the jar of tomato sauce and the can of tomato paste to the pot. Stir for two minutes.

Add the kidney beans and continue to stir. Add minced garlic, bay leaves, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder (to your desired taste), cilantro, ketchup, barbecue sauce, red pepper flakes, oyster sauce, Worcestershire sauce and black pepper (to your desired taste).

Finally, add the 2 teaspoons of sugar. Stir for one minute. Then let simmer for 20 minutes. Then the chili is DONE!

One optional note: If you would like corn in your chili, it should be added to the pot when you add the kidney beans.