During the summer, it’s not unusual to see a round of Dairy Queen Blizzards in the office or an ice cream truck parked up front. But come fall? There’s only one way to warm up the season: our Chili and Soup Cook-Off.  

Over half a dozen recipes — ranging from tried-and-true family classics to first-time creations — were brought in, set down, and warmed up. They were cheesy, saucy, hearty, and there was at least one that demanded a quick sip of water after tasting. 

Anyone in the office could swing by on the way to meetings, in between calls, or on a break. Several dozen employees sampled, deliberated, and then voted online for their favorites. By afternoon, the results were in: Matt P. took first place for the second year running.

“I stuck with the same recipe as last year, but made one little tweak — it calls for an apple beer, and all I had was a lime beer, so I rolled with it. Not sure it made much of a difference, but hey, use what you’ve got! Now that I’ve won two years in a row, I think it’s fair to say I’m officially the chili to beat.”

– Matt P., Sales

Second place was a tie between Jarod J. and Matt Z., whose chili turned up the heat with some peppers, spicy cheese, and a touch of dark chocolate.

“The recipe has been being tuned for several years now with dark chocolate, cloves, and cinnamon being the key spices that vary from most chilis.  I’ve always enjoyed a sweet-heat robust style chili and chose Halogi Valkyriesson as the hot sauce to meld in this year.”

– Matt Z., Technology 

Congrats to the winners, and thanks to everyone who brought the heat (literally)!