pecosred.com

Pecos Red is a packaged-food brand best known for its chili mix, which took first place at the Fiery Foods Challenge in 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2016, and 2018. If you want a shelf-stable chili base with a competition record behind it, the chili mix is the obvious starting point. If you are shopping for a full meal or a gift, the same brand also sells blue cornbread, Six Shooter Beans, green chile chowder, and gift baskets.

What Pecos Red sells

The product line is small and built around Southwestern-style meals. According to the brand's own site, the current lineup is:

The site organizes these under labels you click to view each product, alongside pages for Awards, Ordering, and Contact Us.

How to choose between the products

The decision mostly comes down to what you are cooking and who is eating.

• You want the thing the brand is known for. Buy the Chili Mix. The Fiery Foods Challenge wins are the strongest signal on the site, and they are all attached to this product.
• You want a complete Southwestern meal. Pair the Chili Mix with Blue Cornbread. Cornbread is the standard side for a bowl of red chili.
• You want something milder or creamier. Green Chile Chowder is the alternative if red chili is too heavy or too spicy for your table.
• You want a meatless or bean-forward option. Six Shooter Beans works as its own dish or as a base you build on.
• You are buying for someone else. A gift basket bundles several items, so the recipient gets variety without you having to guess a single favorite.

If you are unsure about spice level, note that the site does not publish heat ratings or ingredient details in the material available here. Check the individual product label before ordering if heat matters to you.

Where to view products and order

The homepage lists navigation labels for each product plus dedicated Ordering and Contact Us pages. Use those two pages for the practical steps:

1. Click a product label to view that item's details.
2. Go to the Ordering page for purchase instructions.
3. Use the Contact Us page for questions the site does not answer, such as shipping, ingredients, or heat level.

The available site information does not include prices, payment methods, or shipping terms, so confirm those on the Ordering page before you commit.

What to weigh before buying

The awards are the main reason to trust the chili mix, but they are also a limitation on what you can conclude. A Fiery Foods Challenge first place tells you the mix performed well in a judged competition; it does not tell you the price, the heat level, or whether it suits your cooking. Treat the award history as a reason to try the chili mix first, and treat the rest of the line as add-ons once you know you like the brand's seasoning style.

Pecos Red Chili Mix is a packaged seasoning blend from Pecos Red Products, a brand whose site describes it as an award-winning chili mix and notes First Place wins at the Fiery Foods Challenge in 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2016, and 2018. If you want a shortcut to a pot of red chili without measuring out individual spices, it is built for that job: you supply the meat and liquid, and the mix carries the seasoning. The exact ingredient list, package size, and printed directions are not included in the source material, so check the label on the package you buy for those specifics.

What the product is

Pecos Red Chili Mix is one item in a small line of Southwestern-style packaged foods sold under the Pecos Red name. The homepage presents it as the flagship product and the reason for the brand's recognition, listing the Fiery Foods Challenge awards directly under the heading "Home of Award-Winning Pecos Red Chili Mix!"

What that tells you as a buyer:

• It is a mix, not a finished chili — the cooking still happens in your kitchen.
• The award history is a track record in a judged competition, not a guarantee about heat level or flavor matching your own taste.
• The brand positions itself around red chili specifically, with related products in adjacent categories rather than a broad grocery range.

What else Pecos Red Products sells

The site's product navigation lists these items alongside the chili mix:

If you are buying the chili mix, the cornbread and bean mixes are the natural pairings for a full meal, and the gift baskets are the option if you want to send several items at once rather than cook from one package.

How to use it to make chili

The source material does not reproduce the package directions, so the steps below describe the general pattern for a mix of this kind. Follow the label on your package where it differs.

1. Read the package directions first. They specify the ratio of mix to meat and liquid, which is the one thing you cannot guess safely.
2. Brown your meat. Ground beef, ground turkey, or diced chuck are the usual choices. Drain excess fat.
3. Add the mix and liquid. Stir the seasoning into the browned meat, then add water, broth, or crushed tomatoes according to the package ratio.
4. Simmer. Red chili mixes generally need a simmer of 20–45 minutes to hydrate the dried spices and let the flavors combine. A longer, lower simmer usually tastes better than a fast boil.
5. Adjust and rest. Taste near the end. If it is too thick, add liquid; if it is flat, a pinch of salt often helps more than more mix.

Common additions

• Beans — a divisive choice in red chili, but the brand sells Six Shooter Beans, so beans are clearly within their intended range. Add canned beans near the end so they do not turn to mush.
• Tomatoes — crushed or diced tomatoes add acidity and body. If you use them, count their liquid toward the package's liquid total.
• Onion and garlic — sauté them with the meat before adding the mix.
• Toppings — cheese, sour cream, sliced jalapeños, and cornbread on the side.

Common pitfalls

• Adding the mix to dry meat without liquid. The spices need liquid to disperse; otherwise they clump and scorch.
• Boiling hard after the mix goes in. A hard boil can make the chili taste bitter and stick to the pot.
• Skipping the taste test. Because you control the meat and liquid, the final salt and heat balance is yours to correct.

Where to buy it

The site includes Ordering and Contact Us pages, which is where purchase and shipping details live. Pricing, shipping terms, and any minimum order requirements are not stated in the material available here, so check those pages directly before ordering. The brand does not appear in the source material as a mass-retail grocery product, so ordering through the site is the path the homepage points to.

Quick decision guide

• Buy it if you want a seasoned red chili base with a documented competition record and you are willing to supply meat and liquid yourself.
• Skip it if you prefer to control every spice individually, or if you need the exact ingredient and allergen list before buying — get that from the package or the brand's contact page first.
• Pair it with Blue Cornbread or Six Shooter Beans for a complete meal, or a gift basket if the purchase is a gift.

Green chile chowder is a creamy potato-and-roasted-green-chile soup — think of a New England-style chowder base (potatoes, onion, stock, dairy) with roasted green chiles stirred in for heat, tang, and aroma. It is not red chile stew (which is a chile-based braise) and not corn chowder (where corn is the lead flavor). You can make it from scratch in about 45–60 minutes, or start from a packaged green chile chowder mix and add potatoes, chiles, and cream for a fuller pot. Pecos Red Products lists Green Chile Chowder among its product line, alongside its award-winning chili mix, blue cornbread, and bean mixes.

What makes it a chowder and not a stew

Chowder implies three things: a thickened, dairy-finished broth; chunks of potato as the body; and a mild, spoonable texture rather than a heavy sauce. Green chile chowder keeps that frame and swaps the usual bacon-or-corn flavor anchor for roasted green chiles.

Core ingredients

• Roasted green chiles — Hatch is the classic; Anaheim is milder, poblano is fleshier and less sharp. Roast, steam, peel, and chop.
• Potatoes — Russets break down and thicken the broth; Yukon Golds hold their shape. Either works.
• Aromatics — onion, garlic, sometimes celery.
• Stock — chicken or vegetable.
• Dairy — heavy cream for richness, half-and-half or whole milk for a lighter pot.
• Optional — corn, bacon, cumin, oregano, a squeeze of lime.

Step-by-step method

1. Roast and peel the chiles. Char them under a broiler or on a dry skillet until the skin blisters, then steam in a covered bowl for 10 minutes and rub the skins off. Remove seeds for less heat.
2. Sweat the aromatics. Cook diced onion (and bacon, if using) in butter or oil over medium heat until soft, about 5–7 minutes. Add garlic for the last minute.
3. Simmer the potatoes. Add diced potatoes and stock to just cover. Simmer 15–20 minutes until a knife slides through easily.
4. Add the chiles. Stir in chopped roasted chiles and any optional corn. Simmer 5 minutes so the flavors marry.
5. Finish with dairy. Lower the heat, add cream or milk, and warm through without boiling. Season with salt, pepper, and cumin or oregano to taste.
6. Adjust texture. Mash some potatoes against the pot for a thicker body, or blend a cup of the soup and stir it back in.

Expected result: a spoon-coating but not gluey broth, distinct potato chunks, visible flecks of green chile, and a heat level you can taste without it overwhelming the cream.

Heat and flavor balance

• Mild vs hot: Anaheim and poblano lean mild; Hatch and jalapeño add real heat. Mix two types if you want complexity without a single chile dominating.
• Thickness: more potato or a partial blend thickens; extra stock thins.
• Avoid scorched dairy: add cream only after the pot is off a hard boil and keep the heat low. Boiling dairy can break and taste flat.
• Bland chowder: usually under-salted or under-chile. Add salt first, then more roasted chile, then a pinch of cumin.

Using a packaged mix as a shortcut

A green chile chowder mix typically supplies the seasoning and thickener. To get a fuller result:

• Add diced potatoes and simmer until tender before or with the mix, depending on package directions.
• Stir in extra roasted green chiles for fresh flavor and visible texture.
• Finish with cream or milk rather than water alone if the package allows.
• Taste before adding salt — mixes are often already seasoned.

Pecos Red Products lists Green Chile Chowder as one of its products; check the label or ordering page for that mix's specific directions, since the site's homepage only names the product line and does not publish the recipe.

Common fixes

Once you have the base method, the chowder is forgiving — adjust chile type, dairy richness, and add-ins like corn or bacon to match what you have on hand.

Blue cornbread is cornbread made with blue cornmeal, which gives it a denser, slightly sweeter, and more earthy flavor than the yellow or white versions most people know. You can make it from scratch with blue cornmeal, or use a packaged blue cornbread mix if you want a shortcut. The main differences you'll notice are color, a nuttier taste, and a texture that can turn dry or crumbly if you don't balance the liquid and fat.

What Blue Cornmeal Actually Is

Blue cornmeal is ground from blue corn, a variety traditionally grown in the American Southwest and Mexico. The kernels have a dark blue-purple color that comes from natural pigments in the outer layer. When ground, the meal ranges from pale gray-blue to deep violet depending on how finely it's milled and how much of the outer layer is retained.

Two things matter for baking:

• Grind: Finer meal behaves more like standard cornmeal; coarser meal gives a grittier crumb.
• Pigment stability: The blue color can shift toward gray or greenish when mixed with acidic ingredients or certain leavening agents, so don't be surprised if the batter looks different from the dry meal.

How Blue Cornbread Differs from Yellow or White

The flavor difference is real but subtle. If you're serving it alongside something strongly flavored — like a bowl of chili — the distinction is easy to appreciate. On its own, blue cornbread reads as a slightly richer, less sweet cornbread.

Basic From-Scratch Method

The core formula is the same as any cornbread: cornmeal, flour, a leavening agent, fat, liquid, and usually an egg and some sweetener.

Ingredients (one 8-inch pan):

• 1 cup blue cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk or buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup melted butter or oil
• 2–3 tablespoons honey or sugar (optional)

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and grease an 8-inch pan or cast-iron skillet.
2. Whisk the dry ingredients together in one bowl.
3. Whisk the wet ingredients together in another.
4. Combine them with a few strokes — stop while the batter is still slightly lumpy. Overmixing develops gluten and makes the bread tough.
5. Pour into the pan and bake 20–25 minutes, until the top is set and a toothpick comes out clean.
6. Let it rest 5–10 minutes before cutting.

Expected result: A moist, slightly dense wedge with a blue-gray crumb and a toasted corn aroma.

Using a Blue Cornbread Mix

If you'd rather skip measuring, a blue cornbread mix handles the dry-ingredient ratio for you. Pecos Red Products, for example, lists Blue Cornbread among its product line alongside its chili, chowder, and bean mixes — so it's designed to pair with the same Southwestern-style meals. With a mix, you typically add the wet ingredients the package calls for, stir until just combined, and bake. The trade-off is less control over sweetness and texture, but far less room for error.

Avoiding Dry or Crumbly Results

The most common complaint with blue cornbread is that it comes out dry. A few fixes:

• Don't overbake. Cornbread goes from done to dry quickly. Pull it when the center is just set.
• Use buttermilk or add fat. Buttermilk's acidity tenderizes the crumb; extra butter or oil keeps it moist.
• Add moisture-rich extras. Corn kernels, grated cheese, or a spoonful of yogurt in the batter all help.
• Rest before cutting. Letting it sit a few minutes lets moisture redistribute.
• Store covered. Cornbread dries out fast at room temperature; wrap it or refrigerate it.

If your cornbread is crumbly rather than dry, the usual cause is too little binder — an extra egg or a bit more fat usually solves it.

Quick Answers

• Is blue cornbread sweeter? Not inherently, but blue corn is often described as having a naturally sweeter, nuttier profile, so many recipes use less added sugar.
• Can I substitute blue cornmeal one-for-one? Yes, in most recipes, though you may need slightly more liquid if the meal is coarsely ground.
• Does the color survive baking? It fades somewhat but stays distinctly blue-purple in most cases.
• What goes with it? Chili, green chile chowder, beans, and stews are the classic pairings.