Submitted Photo A trophy will be awarded to the winner of the first Chili Cook-off planned at Elison Assisted Living in Minot.

Residents and staff members alike are preparing themselves for the Chili Cook-Off at Elison Assisted Living of Minot on Saturday.

Brenda Boehler, sales and marketing director at Elison, has been working with Executive Director Patrick James to organize the first chili cook-off in the community room at the assisted living center. They were looking for ways to get the residents more involved with the community and thought a friendly chili competition would do the trick.

On Saturday, cooking starts at 9:30 a.m. Participants may bring ingredients, but they may not prepare chili at home. All ingredients must be brought and the chili prepared on-site.

All participants will be done cooking at 3 p.m., and the rural fire department first responders will be the judges. A winner will be announced at 3:30 p.m. and a trophy will be given.

As of May 8, there were only three teams registered to compete.

There is not a cap as to how many members may be on a team, and Boehler welcomes anyone who would like to participate.

To enter the competition, there is a $10 fee.

There are no set rules or restrictions on ingredients, so anything goes. In some competitions, some judges or organizations may ban certain peppers or spices, but that is not the case here.

“As a matter of fact,” Boehler said, “[James] is all for bringing the heat if you need to. It’s going to be a pretty competitive game, because there are a lot of people that believe in their chili.”

To calm the taste buds, fruits, crackers and cheese will be available for tasters.

Boehler said she also is planning on participating, and she is trying to talk her husband into joining her team and helping her.

For those just wanting to taste the chili being cooked, anyone is welcome to visit the center between 3:30-4:30 p.m.

Walk-in teams for the competition are welcome. However, Boehler said it is preferred that teams preregister via RSVP to Elison Assisted Living of Minot at 401-7505.