Editors note: Philip Potempa served on Saturday's cook-off judging panel.

MERRILLVILLE | It's usually the spicy ingredients that worry most when tasting the first bite of a bowl of chili.

With Christina Haverty, of Merrillville, it's the "prickly" ingredients she warns others about.

Haverty's recipe for Cactus Chili, which featured real cactus simmered right along with the tomatoes, beans and ground beef, earned her top honors Saturday and the judges' first-place award at the fifth annual Lupus Foundation Chili Cook-Off and Tasting at Merrillville High School.

"Most people think it's strange to put cactus in chili," said 59-year-old Haverty, who works as a custodian at Merrillville High School.

"But you can buy cactus in jars already cooked and ready to use. It's in the ethnic foods aisle in most supermarkets."

Haverty decorated her table with real cactuses and even included a large inflatable, glowing green cactus behind her serving area to help welcome guests.

Haverty was among 19 contestants competing at sampling tables, each decorated in clever themes to capture the attention of the judging panel and hungry guests who paid a $5 admission fee to help the cause for lupus research. The afternoon raised $3,784 in just two hours.

Kelly and Sean Hayes took second place for their Game Day Buffalo Wings Chili, which combined the flavors of two football game watching foods: chili and buffalo chicken wings.

"I entered the contest last year," said Kelly Hayes, 29, an English teacher at Merrillville High.

"But I just made our family's traditional chili recipe. This year, I decided to be more creative and it worked. But, it also took us quite a few tries during the past couple of months before we perfected this recipe with just the right seasonings and ingredients."

Phyllis Simko, of Portage, who annually helps coordinate the event along with Greg Stinson, said in addition to raising money, the cook-off also builds awareness about lupus and what her organization is all about.

Lupus, Latin for wolf, originated in the 13th century when the word was used to describe a facial rash which looked similar to a wolf's bite. Lupus is a chronic, autoimmune disease which causes inflammation of various parts of the body, especially the skin, joints and kidneys.

Some of the awards presented were decided by votes cast by the guests who attended, while separate trophies were given by a judging panel that included Heidi Harbough, family consumer and food sciences teacher at Boone Grove High School, and restaurateur Ken Varnes, who owns Blue Restaurant in Valparaiso.

"The best thing about chili is it gives any cook the chance to be creative," Varnes said.

"Good chili is always about not only selecting the right ingredients, but also knowing how to get just the right balance of flavors, along with contrast and a complementing taste."

The winning chili recipes will be published in The Times on the cover of Wednesday's food section on March 14.