28th Annual Michiana Chili Cookoff serving up the heat

MISHAWAKA, Ind. -- The 28th annual Michiana Chili Cookoff brought over 20 contestants serving up the sweet, the heat, and the sour for hundreds of attendees.

Hosted by Unity Gardens, the strip on Ironworks Plaza lined up with tents, where chefs like Joel Wendel served his favorite style of chili.

"This is our chicken chili verde and Its gluten free," Wendel said. "It's one of the best chili's I think that we make and personally one of my favorites. We also serve it with tortilla strips and cilantro lime cream if they want that as well."

The price to sample a taste of these unique blends like Wendel's, adding up to benefit the Meals on Wheels Program.

"The ACF actually reached out to us to see if we wanted to be their partner because part of their proceeds go to a local not for profit in the community, and they picked up," Meals on Wheels Director Crystal Hallwood said. "Specifically, our Meals on Wheels program."

With all these unique chili blends benefitting a great cause, there was one in particular taste testers wouldn't stop raving about.

Connor Salyer and the Penn high school culinary group were a huge hit, serving up their Hawaiian Huli chili.

For Salyer, the preparation and months of perfecting the concoction were worth every bit.

"To see something that I chose, made, and got to put my passion into, that so many of these people love is so genuinely incredible," Salyer said.