Clever Chili Party Tips

In the cooler months, things sometimes tend to get heavier: your clothes, your waistline, and the portion size of your dishes.

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While we're excited about roasts, stews and Crock-Pot recipes, we're even more excited about one of the best crowd-pleasers: chili. There are tons of chili recipes and we think it's always a good idea to stack your bash with multiple variations so guests can sample different flavors and decide what they love the most.

Here are some ideas for throwing your own chili bash:

• What you need: Pottery Barn has you covered on essentials with their chili round-up.

• Pairing: Serving chili with beer? Throw in a football game Sunday and we'd call that a success.

• Chili How You Want It: Chili nachos, chili fries, chili pasta, chili dogs: A full-on DIY chili bar. That is brilliance at its best.

• Cook-Off: You can't have chili without having a cook-off. However, this is one extremely organized cook-off if we do say so.

• A Chili Party Menu: Amanda Glendinning's menu of hearty chili and treats for her perfect Chili Party.

• Host Your Own Chili Party: Easier done, then said — yes you read that correctly.

If you're looking for an excuse to invite your friends over to enjoy the crisp air, or just dust off your favorite chili recipe, hosting your own chili party, complete with seasonal flavors and décor, is easier than you think!

Looking for some innovative and zesty chili ideas? Check out the slideshow above.

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