By Bonnie Culverhouse

This week’s chilly weather should’ve put you in the mood for another type of chili – the kind that’s served up by the ladle at the 2025 Minden St. Jude Chili Cook-off.

This non-sanctioned competition is ahead of schedule with its registrations, which means lots of pots of good hot stuff, according to head cook-off chef Randy Stevenson.

“We have around 20 teams already signed up – most have not cooked in previous years,” Stevenson said.

As always, the event will be held in the parking lot of Minden Civic Center.

Deadline for online registration is 8 a.m. February 6.

“You can register in-person Friday afternoon or Saturday morning (February 7 and 8) at setup,” he said.

Cooks are mostly local, but there are several registered from the Shreveport, Ruston and Monroe areas. They will be judged on aroma, red coloring, consistency, aftertaste-spice and overall taste. The top 10-12 scores will go to the final table where they will be judged on the same criteria.

“We are out to have a good time and raise money,” Stevenson said, however, there are awards.

Bands this year are MOJO & Beaux Atkins.

Below is a schedule of events.

Friday: 4 p.m.- 8 p.m. Setup / Registration

Saturday: 7 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. Setup / Registration

9 a.m. Cooks’ Meeting

10:30 a.m. Entertainment Begins

11 a.m. -1 p.m. Tasting Cups Sold

1 p.m. Turn in time for judging

3 p.m. Announce Winners

Minden Auction Benefitting St. Jude is February 6-9.