Cate Rogers shows off her candy-only recipe for “The Sweet Taste of Victory,” which received an honorable mention from judges at 2024’s Festival of the Bean.
The Festival of the Bean, Blacknall’s annual celebration of all things chili, returns Oct. 19. And for anyone looking to be coronated as “Lord” or “Lady of the Bean,” it may be worthwhile to think beyond meat, kidney beans, and a tomato base.
“When you think of chili, it’s ground beef, beans, and vegetables, but how different can one be from another?” said Lori Armistead, the best-of-show winner at last year’s festival, who claimed her title as “Lady of the Bean” with a recipe for “Winter White Chili.” “We’ve got a lot of good cooks at Blacknall, so I wonder if I won because it was so different.”
Lori’s successful recipe used Great Northern beans, chicken, chilis, milk, and enough cheese to take “to taste” additions to a new level. “A little more cheese is always great,” Lori said with a laugh. Her white chili started as a recipe from her mother-in-law and became a favorite at home — something her kids have happily eaten for almost a decade. It was her son, Edmund, who convinced her to enter it in last year’s competition. “Getting kids to eat something can be challenging when they’re young, but we’ve always loved this recipe,” Lori said, highlighting its creaminess and slightly toned-down spiciness.
But if you really want to catch the attention of diners and judges alike, don’t be afraid to rethink the definition of “chili.”
“I swear it was out in not even 10 minutes,” said Cate Rogers, remembering how excited people were to scoop up her candy-only “The Sweet Taste of Victory” recipe, which piled Starbursts, gummy bears, gummy worms, Sour Patch Kids, and more into a crockpot. “It was just the candies and a big ladle to serve it.”
Cate, who received an honorable mention from judges for her recipe, said she was inspired by a suggestion from her mom, Trina. Cate picked out the combination of sugary treats to come together as her uncooked, fruit-forward “chili.” But don’t think there wasn’t any culinary skill involved in creating this recipe, which Trina said had the perfect “sour-sweet combo.”
“I don’t think people really said anything when they saw it — they just gasped,” Cate said. “I think if you want to do your best, think of unique things that no one else is going to think of. The more creative, the better.”
In addition to attending or participating in this year’s festival, you can volunteer to help set up or manage games, serve food, and more. Sign up for a slot.