Doyscher’s chili was ‘oh-so good,’ once again!

While her husband, Pete, sticks with the same recipe each year for the Johnny Tillemans Memorial Chili Cook-off, Carey Doyscher has never cooked the same type of meat twice in her 17 years of competing.

And the funny thing is that both have been perennial winners at the Boxelder Bug Days competition, which is 20 years old now. On Saturday, Carey was the winner of the People's Choice award for best chili and received the prestigious traveling trophy made by Chris Swedzinki, as well as an engraved mug.

The trophy returns to the Doyscher home for another year after Pete won it a year ago.

Carey Doyscher has used such meats in her chili recipe as beef, elk, goat, venison, squirrel, rabbit, and pheasant.

This year, the personable daughter of Johnny Tillemans went beyond the unusual, even for her. “I used snapping turtle this year,” she laughed.

The turtle meat was purchased by Railroad Seafood in Ivanhoe.

Although many are put off by the prehistoric appearance and nasty behavior of a snapping turtle, it contains some of the most delicious and lean wild meat out there.

The unusual thing about snapping turtle is that they have seven different types of meat cooped up inside their shell. Newcomer Jeremy Friedrichs of Glenwood earned first-place honors in the judge's portion of the contest.

“I've been a judge here a few times, but I’ve never been a cook,” said Friedrichs.

“Johnny (Tillemans) was my great uncle and some of the others talked me into cooking this year.”

Cooking chili is nothing new for Friedrichs, however. He’s the two-time defending champion at the chili cook-off in Mille Lacs. And after his winning recipe here that included beef, jalapeno peppers and a little brown sugar among other ingredients, Friedrichs announced he will likely defend his title by returning in 2018.

“It was a lot of fun and for a good cause so I'll be coming back,” he said.

Proceeds from the Tillemans Chili Cook-off go to the Prairie Hospice House in Marshall. Pete Doyscher was second in the judge's contest and Carey Doyscher placed third.

The top three winners received an engraved cutting board.

Pete Doyscher has been using smoked turkey in his recipe each year. “I don't measure anything when I cook,” he said. “So it tastes a little different each year.”

But it still proves to garner an award of some type nearly every year.

The Doyschers, who cook beside each other, also earned a trophy for Best Booth as voted by the public.