For Chloe Higgins, the family recipe for No Beans About it Chili is a second generation chili cook-off challenge opportunity.

“It’s my mom’s old recipe. We made it for years. She made it for a lot of different cook-offs. We’ve done it for the church cook-off, she does it for school cook-offs, and she’s placed in a lot of them,” Chloe said.

Chloe’s mom is Stacy Higgins, who teaches second grade at Crim Elementary in Bowling Green. Chloe is a Bowling Green High School senior.

Chloe is planning on entering her first competition with the recipe on Feb. 26 for her church chili cook-off competition. The First Presbyterian Church of Bowling Green holds the cook-off as a fundraiser for kids going to church camp in the summer.

Chloe has had some practice making the chili. She makes it several times a month, and has done so in the cold weather months since her freshman year.

A special friend of the family always gets some of the No Beans About it Chili when Chloe makes it.

“I bring it to my soccer coach. My freshman year I made it for my soccer banquet and my coach really loved it. She eventually told me that it tastes like her grandma’s chili,” Chloe said. “I just always bring her a bowl every time I make it, but I’ve never taken it to a cook-off on my own.”

She started playing for coach Erika Kimple on an eighth grade team. She’s now the BGHS girls varsity soccer coach.

This recipe makes a large batch. Chloe had already set some aside for Kimple.

Soccer has been a big part of her life, but with the fall season finished, school competitions are now over for Chloe.

Chloe joined her first soccer team as a 3-year-old, 15 years ago. She’s not yet sure where she’s going to college, but knows she wants to be a pharmacist.

‘I’m not sure where I’m going to go yet, but my top choices are Ohio Northern, Butler, Ohio State and Toledo,” Chloe said. “But I’m just going to play intramural, something to stay active and keep playing soccer. I’ve played it my whole life, but I don’t plan on playing it at the collegiate level.”

She is looking forward to the chili competition. The voting is done by donations, with all the proceeds go to help the kids pay for their summer camp.

This year there are only four kids, but five camps. Chloe’s sister, Calla, is going to both the regular Camp Rejoice at the Kirkmont Center, Zanesfield, Ohio. She has also been asked to attend the week-long PYC Camp, which is for the Southern Ohio Presbyterian church camp at Kirkmont.

Calla is also an athlete. She’s a freshman at BGHS and is on the cheerleading squad. She will also enter the chili cook-off, and was in the cook’s corner for her recipe several years ago.

Chloe picked the recipe because she feels it’s an unusual one, for the Bowling Green area.

“It’s a little bit different because it has no beans. My mom doesn’t like beans, but my dad does. She makes this chili when she goes to competitions, and it’s the No Beans About It Chili,” Chloe said. “When she makes it here at home she has to make a little side dish of beans for my dad. Sometimes I do the beans myself, and sometimes I don’t. I don’t really care.”

No Beans About it Chili

1 ½ pounds ground beef

1 pound ground chorizo or hot ground sausage

1 large green pepper diced

1 small white onion diced

2 jalapenos, 4 ounces, diced, to taste

1 4-ounce jar diced green chilis

1 16-ounce jar salsa, at your preferred heat level

1 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes

1 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons crushed red pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 packet of sugar, if needed to cut the acid level of tomatoes

Hot sauce to taste

Shredded cheese, sour cream, jalapenos to top

Directions

Brown ground beef and sausage in a large skillet over medium heat. When just a little pink, pour off grease, and add diced onion, green pepper and jalapenos. Continue browning, pour off grease again if needed and cover with a lid. Reduce heat.

In a large stock pot, heat both cans of tomatoes, jar of salsa and can of diced green chilis to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to medium, add chili powder, crushed red pepper, salt, pepper and garlic. Stir well. Add a packet of sugar if desired to cut acid. Add meat and veggies to the stock pot. Stir well. Simmer at medium heat for at least 30 minutes, if putting in a slow cooker, to continue heating for a later event. Simmer for 1 hour on the stove if serving immediately.

Dei Fratelli brand tomatoes and Herdez Salsa are the family’s preferred brands.

This is a “no beans about it” recipe, but beans can be added, or heated separately to add by those that prefer beans in their chili.

No Beans About it Chili

1 ½ pounds ground beef

1 pound ground chorizo or hot ground sausage

1 large green pepper diced

1 small white onion diced

2 jalapenos, 4 ounces, diced, to taste

1 4-ounce jar diced green chilis

1 16-ounce jar salsa, at your preferred heat level

1 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes

1 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons crushed red pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 packet of sugar, if needed to cut the acid level of tomatoes

Hot sauce to taste

Shredded cheese, sour cream, jalapenos to top

Directions

Brown ground beef and sausage in a large skillet over medium heat. When just a little pink, pour off grease, and add diced onion, green pepper and jalapenos. Continue browning, pour off grease again if needed and cover with a lid. Reduce heat.

In a large stock pot, heat both cans of tomatoes, jar of salsa and can of diced green chilis to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to medium, add chili powder, crushed red pepper, salt, pepper and garlic. Stir well. Add a packet of sugar if desired to cut acid. Add meat and veggies to the stock pot. Stir well. Simmer at medium heat for at least 30 minutes, if putting in a slow cooker, to continue heating for a later event. Simmer for 1 hour on the stove if serving immediately.

Dei Fratelli brand tomatoes and Herdez Salsa are the family’s preferred brands.

This is a “no beans about it” recipe, but beans can be added, or heated separately to add by those that prefer beans in their chili.